10 New Venues in New York for Summer 2021 Meetings and Events

The Graduate Roosevelt Island opened June 1 in Roosevelt Island's Cornell Tech campus. The 18-story, 224-room hotel has views of the skyline and the East River. Inside the expansive 5,000-square-foot lobby, a 12-foot Flyboy sculpture by Chicago-based artist Hebru Brantley hovers over the reception desk. The 640-square-foot Cherry Blossom Room is ideal for smaller gatherings of as many as 50 guests or is a suitable prefunction space to the third-floor, 2,257-square-foot Minnehanonck Room, which can host up to 150. The 360-square-foot Eleanor Boardroom (pictured here) has a capacity for up to 26 guests with a 12-person table for board meetings and a flat-screen TV ideal for presentations. For a nostalgic breakout session, Graduate Roosevelt Island transformed the 150-capacity ballroom, known as “The Loft,” for the summer. The unique space is a replica of Josh Baskin’s (aka Tom Hanks) apartment in the movie Big, equipped with a Zoltar fortune teller, a pinball machine and a basketball hoop. Anything At All, the ground-floor full-service restaurant, is available for buyouts and can host as many as 179 guests for indoor receptions or 60 for seated outdoor events. The 168-seat indoor-outdoor rooftop bar, dubbed the Panorama Room, is another top option for gatherings.

Arlo Midtown opened its newest property May 27, developed by Marvel Designs with an interior designed by Meyer Davis. The hotel is located on 38th Street at Ninth Avenue, between Hudson Yards and Times Square. The 26-story hotel has 489 guest rooms and suites. Upon entering the lobby, guests will notice a modern, natural design that includes marble countertops, custom glazed tiling, unique lighting and wood floors. There is 7,334 square feet of usable space for meetings and events, with seven venues to accommodate as many as 150 people, from dining spaces to breakout rooms that span three floors. For communal gatherings up to 80, the studio rooms fit the bill, while the alcoves are ideal for boardroom-style meetings. Restaurant and bar Nearly Ninth will provide five dining options, from a lobby bar to a dining room with a courtyard headed by Gerber Group (Mr. Purple, The Campbell and The Crown). There's a lush, glass-enclosed terrace for meetings and events, a rooftop bar that can accommodate as many as 75 and a private dining lounge that can host 12 guests for intimate dinners.

Jacob K. Javits Convention Center's $1.5 billion expansion project was completed in May. The massive 1.2-million-square-foot convention center, located in Hell’s Kitchen, has 760,000 square feet of exhibition space and high-end amenities throughout four floors. Meeting planners can expect a 113,000-square-foot prefunction space, 107,000 square feet of brand-new meeting space, a modern 54,000-square-foot event space, a 55,000-square-foot ballroom (the largest on the East Coast) for as many as 5,000 guests and permanent exhibition space to the tune of 90,000 square feet. A 6.75-acre green roof terrace and pavilion overlooks the Hudson River, accommodates 1,500 guests and has a 1-acre rooftop farm. A four-level, 480,000-square-foot truck garage with 27 loading docks will positively impact pedestrian safety, traffic and air quality. The expansion is anticipated to bring in almost $400 million a year in revenue to New York’s economy, 200,000 more hotel stays and around 6,000 permanent jobs.

The 287-room Ace Hotel Brooklyn in Boerum Hill started accepting reservations in June. There’s room for small or large gatherings, from dinners and receptions to culinary workshops and record launches with flexible meeting and event space. The artistic 1,450-square-foot gallery has an oculus skylight and features exhibitions year-round. In contrast, the 2,650-square-foot Atrium is full of natural light and suitable for larger gatherings of as many as 170. In the 1,674-square-foot space dubbed The Studio, there is a demo kitchen and floor-to-ceiling windows with space to host 48 classroom style or up to 110 guests for receptions, while The Stoop, a 1,930-square-foot room, has its own bar.

ModernHaus SoHo opened in May in the SoHo neighborhood, has 114 guest rooms and boasts expansive outdoor space—11,000 square feet in total, including several options for private events. Jimmy, a rooftop space, features a pool and was inspired by Picasso’s Blue Period. It has a 1,300-square-foot indoor space that can host as many as 100 guests or a 1,500-square-foot outdoor space for around 50 with Midtown, Wall Street and Hudson River views. Veranda, the property's 4,000-square-foot restaurant from renowned chef George Mendes and restaurateur David Rabin, can accommodate about 80 guests, including the 1,200-square-foot Back Bar with its own Sixth Avenue entrance, ideal for up to 48 guests. Its retractable roof is perfect for alfresco dining in the summer, and during winter months, guests can enjoy a cozy fireplace. The 3,000-square-foot terrace is suitable for up to 60 guests. The 3,100-square-foot Signature Room at Veranda can hold as many as 100 for private events and features beautiful wood arched ceilings and custom menus by chef Mendes and caterer Abigail Kirsch. The 16th-floor, 1,300-square-foot Gallery Penthouse has a separate living room and a 12-person dining room for intimate boardroom-style meetings. The luxury hotel displays artwork from well-known names throughout, including Alexander Calder, George Condo, Harland Miller, Jean Dubuffet and KAWS.

The Ready at Moxy East Village opened on May 7 by the Tao Group. This idyllic rooftop escape features unique decor, described as “collegial yet refined.” The bar features a mural by En Víu, string lights and a back bar with stacks of colorful crates in a mix of hues that are also found in the seating in shades of rich blues, reds, greens and yellows. The highlight is its retractable roof, making it the perfect spot for year-round gatherings with East Village views. Lush climbing vines and plants can be spotted throughout the space, evoking a backyard beer-garden feeling. Small semiprivate group meetings for 10 can be accommodated, as can up to 150 guests for a reception-style buyout. The Moxy East Village has a total of 13,000 square feet of meeting space, including the 2,473-square-foot Alphabet Bar & Cafe that's suitable for co-working or gatherings, and the 5,258-square-foot Cathédrale Restaurant and underground lounge space, Little Sister.

The $370 million Margaritaville Resort Times Square development opens July 1 and will boast 234 guest rooms that feature a “soothing sand, sea and sky color palette” and floor-to-ceiling windows. Located in Times Square, the 32-story hotel has an outdoor pool, plus five restaurants and bars—ideal for entertaining guests amid a beach vibe in the middle of Manhattan. The 492-seat Margaritaville Restaurant has a 32-foot Statue of Liberty replica with a margarita in place of the torch, of course. The 6,035-square-foot ground floor area can hold as many as 600, while the 4,099-square-foot second floor can accommodate up to 400 people. The LandShark Bar and Grill has Times Squares' only heated year-round pool with a capacity of up to 350 in its 1,061 square feet. There are 360-degree views at the two-story 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar on the 31st and 32nd floors. The 803-square-foot indoor section can hold around 140 people on the 31st floor, while the 32nd floor can accommodate about 125 guests. The boardroom can host 15 to 20 people for island-style meetings or conferences.

New photography studio, Swift Studios opened on March 1 for creatives on Broadway in the Flatiron District. The blank-slate space is perfect for fashion photoshoots, creative co-working or private events. During the soft opening, the studio hosted major brands, including One Kings Lane, Ralph Lauren and Kiehl’s—which is fitting since the founders are Erin Swift, a former magazine stylist and editor, and Anna Livermore, the founder and CEO of a fashion consulting firm. There are six distinct areas, including a 2,500-square-foot space with a cyclorama, a wall of windows and clean white walls. The 1,650-square-foot prep kitchen boasts high-end appliances, while the 900-square-foot spa has a Kohler soaking tub and three vanity setups that could work for beauty campaigns. The entire 12,000-square-foot space can accommodate 1,500 people.

Margie’s opened in May on the ground floor of The Rockaway Hotel. It is an ideal gathering space for cocktails for as many as 100 guests or sit-down dinners for 88. Helmed by IGC Hospitality, the restaurant offers its guests a menu filled with American classics, including steaks, pasta, main dishes and a raw bar with oysters, shrimp and seafood platters such as The Kraken, which includes king crab, lobster tail, tuna poke and more for up to eight guests. The 84,000-square-foot Rockaway Hotel has 53 guestrooms and 16,000 square feet of outdoor space. Other unique rentable areas include The Rooftop, a 6,000-square-foot space with gorgeous views of Manhattan, Jamaica Bay and the Atlantic Ocean that can accommodate 300 for cocktails. The 2,300-square-foot Ocean Terrace can hold 75 seated guests or 100 for a reception.

Foster Supply Hospitality’s Hotel Darby opened June 9 in the Catskills region, just two hours from NYC. The new riverfront lodge is ideal for corporate retreats with its slew of recreational team-building activities on its 17-acre property. An outdoor lover's paradise, there's a hammock grove, private trails for hiking and access to the Delaware River for tubing, kayaking, swimming and fly fishing. Other on-site amenities include fire pits, bird-watching and yard games. The hotel pays homage to its 1960s aesthetic, with most of the hotel's 27 rooms having workspaces. Additionally, the hotel has a rec room, a library and can help guests plan itineraries that include visits to breweries, hiking excursions and antiquing. An on-site grab-n-go dining experience has a menu that focuses on an array of fish dishes, charcuterie, light snacks, cocktails and wine, which can be enjoyed as a picnic on the expansive grounds for your corporate gathering. Guests can enjoy a quick stroll to Narrowsburg to visit the main street for the art galleries, restaurants and shopping. The hotel is available for full buyouts for “out-of-office” getaways.