Prevue November/December 2012 - (Page 76)

Grand Hyatt New York Grand Central hotel wraps $130M renovation [ON LOCATION] GREG OATES cross the street, the Chrysler Building is a monument to American capitalism in its purest form. Attached to the side, Grand Central Station moves hundreds of thousands of executives daily. The 1,306-room Grand Hyatt New York feels like its located at the center of the universe. Guests feel connected, energized and ready for business. Following a $130 million renovation last year, the property is beaming vibrantly starting in one of America’s biggest hotel lobbies, centered by a pool and two Easter Island-like sculptures by Barcelona artist Jaume Plensa. When you walk in the humming lobby, you’re greeted by a host who escorts you to the individual check-in desks. Upstairs, the rooms are extra large with a king deluxe starting at 450 sf. The crisp New York loft design and decor is fun with large artwork, wood paneling in parts and retro Scandinavian light ﬁxtures/furnishings. That’s a welcome trend among big hotels these days that delivers a sense of artsy, residential ambiance. Great bathrooms too with imported stone ﬂooring, large marble shower stalls and June Jacobs bath products. A The “Gallery on Lex” meeting rooms off the lobby are revolutionary with the same residential grooviness. Designed by Bentel & Bentel, the 4,400-sf chocolate and cream space features loads of natural light, a food prep area and communal high-top table for casual networking, serious meetings and cool cocktail receptions. The sofas were also designed by Bentel, complemented with a few Viccarbe lounge chairs. On the 16th ﬂoor, the Grand Club exec lounge was created by George Wong Design, using a combination of organic natural materials and industrial-chic motifs. That’s attached to a great little outdoor terrace for intimate business pow wows. In total, there’s 55,000 sf of meeting space, including the 19,000-sf Empire Ballroom on the 4th ﬂoor with ﬂuted columns originally built in 1918. There’s also the modern and all-new, 5,000-sf Manhattan Ballroom at the opposite end of the lobby from reception. Planners can block off part of the lobby for a cool prefunction space that feels like you’re confabbing at a fancy gala in the throbbing heart of New York City. grandnewyork.hyatt.com, nycgo.com 72 | prevue magazine http://grandnewyork.hyatt.com http://www.nycgo.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Prevue November/December 2012

Planner's Pick: Loews Portofino Orlando
Fresh Meets: Marriott Innovention
Bureau Buzz: Philadelphia CVB
Good Business: Chennai, India
Sea Shores: Carnival Cruise Line
The Creative Types
On Location: Eden Roc Renaissance Miami
On Location: Coronado San Diego
Monaco
Latin America
On Location: Hard Rock Puerto Vallarta
On Location: St. Regis Mexico City
Las Vegas
On Location: Sheraton Macau
Denmark
Istanbul + Izmir
On Location: Hyatt Trinidad
On Location: Grand Hyatt New York
On Location: Lake Placid Lodge
Check Out: Waldorf Astoria, Edinburgh

Prevue November/December 2012