The right venue to host an event can either make or break a party. A great venue has to be large enough to handle your expected number of guests, complement the overall theme or mission of the event, and at the end of the night leave guests dazzled with the feeling that they were just a part of something sophisticated, significant, or even surreal. That’s why choosing the perfect venue is such an important part of event planning. Often times hotels are the best venues for hosting large events because they have adequate space and sufficient service staff, in addition to providing a place for the post-partied tired and tipsy to hit the sack. So to make your search a little easier, we’ve pinpointed the top 5 newest and trendiest hotels for 2011 to let your guests revel and relax. Hopefully, Zen Arts will be performing at one of these venues in the near future. Check out our past performances to stay updated.
1. The Cosmopolitan, Las Vegas, NV
The Cosmopolitan, self-titled as Las Vegas’ most “unique luxury resort,” boasts 2995 rooms climbing 52 stories high and 150,000 square feet of convention space. Opening on December 15th of 2010, the hotel prides itself on its style of twisted, ultra-modern, over-the-top opulence and luxury. With a state-of-the-art audio/visual system and exceptional catering services by gourmet chefs, the convention space sprawls across 3 floors right below the hotel’s dual guest towers, allowing for easy access from sleeping to meeting. The single draw back at this hotel is that with a 100,000 square foot casino with strip views, at least a dozen celebrity chef restaurants, 3 distinct pools (one being an adults only topless pool lounge), a spa, a salon, shopping, 5 bars, and a nightclub, it’s going to be hard to get guests to leave their indulgences behind and make it to the convention center. Therefore any events planned here best be in the most egotistic, entertaining, and epicurean taste.
2. The Setai Fifth Ave., New York, NY
Located on the famed shopping block of 5th Ave. in New York City, the Setai Fifth Ave. made its grand opening on November 5th, 2010. Less garish than The Cosmopolitan, this hotel still oozes with the same amount of luxury, yet in polished and subtle contemporary undertones. Its 157 rooms are accented with exquisite detailing like black oak and limestone flooring, onyx countertops, and some of the best views of the city. All the usual amenities of any 5-star resort can be found here, including access to your very own personal assistant to guide you to all the best Manhattan has to offer. The hotel also has several convention spaces on the third floor, the largest being 2394 square feet and accommodating up to 300 people, and party service for the most swanky or the most simple gathering. Either way, any event held here will exude exclusivity and elegance.
3. The W, Hollywood, CA
Situated right on Hollywood Blvd.’s Walk of Fame in the heart of all the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, The W opened in February of last year as a new destination for the next generation of young Hollywood dreamers. If the hotel could be summed up in two words they would be “modern comfort.” Cushy couches line the lobby and numerous lounges, bars, restaurants, and nightclub. There is also a full-service gym and spa, and a rooftop pool complete with dj, drinks, and day beds. The hotel has 305 rooms and over 25,000 square feet of conference space, the largest being the 5040 square foot “Great Room.” Equipped with the most high-tech sensory equipment, The W can provide the perfect lighting, music, and even scents to your event. In addition, their party services range from the most basic necessities like catering and cocktails, to the most extravagant like massage therapists that help attendees unwind. The party never stops at The W, meaning neither will your event, both in refreshments and in reminiscence.
4. JW Marriott Marquis, Miami, FL
JW Marriott, a series of international hotels renown for lavishness and luxury, opened its first Marquis hotel in downtown Miami on November 4th 2010. Marquis is a title reserved only for the Marriotts with the highest in comfort, service, technology, and amenities, and boy does this hotel deliver. Located in the heart of Miami’s central business district in an area of four skyscrapers aptly named Metropolitan Miami, the hotel possesses all the basic luxury hotel amenities and then some. In addition to an outdoor pool, fitness center, 4000 square foot salon and spa, and 3 gourmet restaurants, this hotel also has its very own indoor 10,000 square foot basketball court, bowling alley, 3D media room, billiards room, and golf school! For events the hotel has over 80,000 square footage of meeting space, the largest of that being the 20,000 square foot column-free “Grand Ballroom,” the largest of its kind in downtown Miami. And with 41 floors housing 257 rooms and 56 suites, this hotel has some of the largest event capacity in all of Miami. Exhibiting such vast versatility makes the JW Marriott Marquis the ideal setting for a dynamic and vibrant upscale event.
5. Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel, Chicago, IL
Situated among the first 18 floors of the newly constructed 86-story Aqua skyscraper in downtown Chicago, the Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel is scheduled to open on November 1st of 2011 and is estimated to cost around $125 million dollars to complete. Located in Lakeshore East, the Aqua skyscraper is the tallest building in the U.S. to be designed by a female architect. Although named for its undulating wave-like shape, Jeanne Gang originally designed the rippling concrete slab balconies of the building to resemble the streaked limestone deposits commonly found in the Great Lakes region. The building will also be the first in downtown Chicago to combine condo, apartment, and hotel living into one structure. Once completed, the Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel will contain over 300 guest rooms, restaurant, lounge, full-service spa, and fitness center complete with one indoor and one outdoor pool, basketball court, and jogging trail spread across an 80,000 square foot outdoor terrace. However perhaps the most impressive feature will be the 30,000 square feet of meeting space spread across 2 floors, the largest single space being the column-free 12,000 square foot “Atlantic Ballroom,” complete with a 7000 square foot outdoor terrace and views of 6-acre Lakeshore East Park and downtown Chicago. It’s no wonder the hotel already has event bookings all the way up through December of 2012 and it’s not even open yet!