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

In September, the 23-story Pendry Manhattan West opened as the brand's first New York City location. Designed by architectural firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, the hotel is located in the Hudson Yards district and boasts 164 guest rooms designed by Gachot Studios, including 30 suites with rooms illuminated by L’Observatoire International. The property flaunts well over 6,000 square feet of event space, including a 150-guest capacity ballroom. The 1,600-square-foot ballroom on the hotel’s fifth floor can be divided into two areas, with one room measuring 583 square feet and the other room spanning 1,027 square feet. The Gallery is a 734-square-foot room on the fifth floor and is suitable for smaller gatherings or meetings. The Salon measures 800 square feet and is an ideal prefunction space, boasting a stunning marble bar, while the 1,637-square-foot outdoor terrace offers beautiful skyline views. There are two rooms on the fourth floor, called The Parlour and The Mural. One room is 530 square feet and the other is 291 square feet, respectively. The hotel’s unique food and beverage options include the 75-seat Eastern Mediterranean restaurant Zou Zou’s, opening soon; Bar Pendry, the hotel’s intimate lobby bar; and the Garden Room (pictured), which is a perfect place for coffee or cocktails surrounded by lush greenery. Pendry operates luxury hotels in locations such as Chicago, San Diego, Baltimore and West Hollywood, with locations in Park City, Utah, and Washington, D.C. coming soon.

SAGA, housed in the art deco landmark skyscraper at 70 Pine Street in the Financial District, opened on Aug. 25. The luxurious restaurant offers event planners unique meeting and event spaces for business dinners, board meetings and private events with jaw-dropping views. The 63rd floor is the 1,779-square-foot fine dining restaurant called SAGA, accommodating up to 85 seated guests or 125 for receptions. The biggest standout is three outdoor terraces and a 181-square-foot solarium that can host 10 seated guests or 15 for intimate receptions. On the 62nd floor are the private dining salons with spectacular views of downtown Manhattan and Brooklyn. The 407-square-foot East Salon can accommodate up to 20 guests for seated occasions or 30 for receptions. The 495-square-foot North Salon can hold up to 25 for seated dinners or up to 40 for receptions. The collapsible wall can come down between the salons for a combined 902 square feet of space, with the capability to welcome up to 40 seated guests or 70 for receptions. Overstory, the 588-square-foot cocktail bar on the 64th floor can as many as 60 guests and has a wraparound outdoor terrace. On the 66th floor there is an 800-square-foot private dining room called the Observation Deck, which can host up to 20 seated guests. SAGA and Overstory are available for partial or full buyouts.

The NH Collection New York Madison Avenue opened in May after the 100-year-old building underwent an extensive renovation. The hotel is located a short walk from iconic destinations, including Times Square and the theater district, the plentiful shops along Madison Avenue and Fifth Avenue, close to Grand Central Station and notable attractions such as the Empire State Building. The hotel’s 288 guest rooms saw a complete transformation, as did the suites with family rooms and terraces. A meeting space with ample natural light can accommodate up to 40 guests with accessible audiovisual equipment. There is a lobby cocktail bar that specializes in handcrafted cocktails. Suite & Tea is an intimate tearoom experience that serves a variety of tea, along with sweet and savory treats.

In August, Hyatt Centric 39th & 5th New York opened in the Midtown East neighborhood, just steps to Bryant Park and a quick walk to the New York Public Library. The 22-story hotel was designed by Gene Kaufman Architect, developed by McSam Hotel Group and is 77,858 square feet. There are 162 guest rooms and six suites in rich jewel tones with lights illuminating the headboard and underneath the bed, floor-length mirrors in antique gold and plush velvet seating. There’s a 535-square-foot meeting room that is ideal for intimate board meetings for 10 people. An on-site restaurant that will feature Northern Italian cuisine and a rooftop bar and lounge with views of Manhattan’s skyline are planned to open later this fall.

With scenic views of the Brooklyn Bridge and the East River, Italian chophouse Carne Mare opened on June 8 on the Seaport’s Pier 17, joining other restaurants that have revitalized the area, including Malibu Farm, The Fulton and Mister Dips. At the helm is acclaimed chef Andrew Carmellini of NoHo Hospitality Group. The menu by chef Carmellini and chef de Cuisine Brendan Scott focuses on fine seafood, oysters, antipasti, salads, housemade pasta and prime cuts of steaks. The two-level eatery designed by Martin Brudnizki Design Studio exudes a swanky and nautical setting. The ground floor has a wood-fired oven and wraparound bar. A classy, spiral staircase takes guests up to another dining room and open-air chef’s kitchen. The restaurant's private dining room can accommodate 16 guests, while the main dining room can hold 85.

The 14-story, 100-guestroom Smyth Tribeca opened in August near the Hudson River, providing almost 5,000 square feet of space for events and is ideal for intimate pop-ups, business meetings and private gatherings. The Penthouse Suite spans 1,200 square feet and has a kitchen, lounge space and two bathrooms with an 800-square-foot outdoor terrace, accommodating 30 seated guests or 75 for receptions. The 1,000-square-foot, ninth-floor Smyth Suite can welcome 20 seated guests or 30 standing. The 300-square-foot outdoor patio (pictured) has stunning views of the Empire State Building and One World Observatory. There is a 220-square-foot semiprivate space that can accommodate six seated guests or 10 for intimate receptions conveniently located right off the lobby.

The Glasshouse, a massive 75,000-square-foot venue that offers 360-degree views of the Manhattan skyline and the Hudson River, opened in September. The dramatic space has 20- to 40-foot ceilings, ultra-luxurious VIP lounges and prefunction event spaces. The venue can accommodate as many as 1,850 attendees for all types of events, including fashion shows and presentations, product launches, corporate events, exhibitions and trade shows. For outdoor events, several terraces are over 1,500 square feet. For a streamlined culinary experience, it has two commercial kitchens on the property. The venue offers extraordinary service with complete event planning services, staffing with hotel-level capabilities, audiovisual and lighting, and soundproof partitions. Its sister venue, Glasshouse Chelsea, is ideal for intimate events that can hold up to 200 guests with views of the Hudson River, downtown and Midtown Manhattan through floor-to-ceiling windows.

Billed as Manhattan’s first whiskey distillery since prohibition, Great Jones Distilling Co. opened in NoHo in August. The 28,000-square-foot location has three unique venues for distinctive meetings celebrating the bygone era. The 420-square-foot, below-level speakeasy features warm woods and rich leather seating, suitable for a reception-style cocktail party or a private cocktail class for up to 30 guests. The Penthouse Lounge on the third floor overlooks Broadway and boasts 650 square feet, suitable for a business meeting with a projector screen, private bar and luxe library for 28 guests for banquets or up to 40 for receptions. The Distillery is the largest space with 1,000 square feet. It features a working whiskey distillery, which can hold 50 for banquets or as many as 75 for receptions. All rentals come with a pre-event and day-of on-site coordinator, event team, food and beverage manager and a custom menu.

The $400 million Hyatt Regency JFK Airport at Resorts World New York opened in August in Queens. It is the only casino hotel in New York City, boasting 400 guest rooms and situated minutes from the John F. Kennedy International Airport. The casino has three levels and more than 6,500 slots with electronic table games. The hotel offers several meeting and event options, an on-site coordinator to ensure every detail is taken care of, audiovisual technology and a total of 7,000 square feet of space. The 1,600-square-foot prefunction room can host 60 guests, either for preregistration before a gala or an intimate breakout space. For hosting up to 50 guests, there’s the 1,152-square-foot Big Apple room. The 672-square-foot Manhattan room can host 19 guests, while the 528-square-foot Broadway Boardroom can hold 14 people. Several 336-square-foot boardrooms, including Rockefeller, Bryant Park and Wall Street, can each host 12 guests.

The Opus Westchester, Autograph Collection is located in White Plains, just 45 minutes north of New York City. The hotel celebrated its grand opening in May and is managed by Crescent Hotels & Resorts. It features 146 guest rooms, 38 luxury suites, and 9,690 square feet of meeting and event space spread across six rooms. The Opus Ballroom is the largest, coming in at 6,014 square feet. It can hold 350 guests in a schoolroom configuration, 600 theater style or up to 750 for receptions. The 2,232-square-foot Salon 1 space is suitable for mid-size meetings, holding as many as 280 for receptions. The 920-square-foot Rhapsody room can accommodate 16 for conferences or 40 for receptions for smaller gatherings. The Sonata space, boasting 416 square feet, can hold 16 guests for intimate meetings.