Travel Agent spent the morning of June 9, rubbing elbows with some of entertainment's greatest characters— think Richard Simmons and Joan Crawford— at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for New York's new Eventi, a Kimpton Hotel.
Okay...so maybe they weren't the real Richard Simmons and Joan Crawford, but as part of the opening ceremony the hotel had actors dress up to play these great characters as a fun way to welcome us to the new hotel. Well, it certainly was fun.
After speeches made by General Manager Thomas Mathes, Kimpton President and CEO Mike Depatie, Kimpton Chief Operating Officer Niki Leondakis, New York City's Deputy Mayor Bob Lieber and real Broadway celebrity, Bebe Neuwirth, we were treated to a special performance of a traditional hour glass dance done by the children of the Korean Traditional Performing Arts Association (a tribute to the hotel's neighboring Korea Town). We sipped our champagne infused with lavender and hibiscus and toasted the execs as they snipped a vibrantly colored ribbon made entirely out of flowers.
We took a brief tour of the hotel, starting with the ballroom, which was decked out to look like a New Year's Eve celebration, complete with balloons, champagne flutes and a giant flat-screen TV that played music videos.
From there, we moved on to the hotel's guest rooms. No doubt the highlight was room #503, the Eventi Suite, measuring 1392 square feet. Think grand living room, dining room, two bathrooms, master bedroom and terrace. The fifth floor is also home to the fitness center and spa, as well as the Verandah Suite, which is approximately 954 square feet.
We were told that the hotel officially opened on May 14 and was sold out for the entire weekend. Since then, occupancy rates have remained in the 80 to 90 percent range. There are a total of 292 guest rooms and 53 suites.
Nice touch: The staff at Eventi is more than willing to go above and beyond to make your stay as home-like as possible. Want to bring Fido? Sure! Need a path of rose petals leading to your bedroom for a romantic evening? Of course!
We were very pleased with the outcome of Eventi. If the opening ceremony was any indication of the type of service and extra touches that the hotel will provide, we can only assume it will become one of New York City's top dogs.
Dining Note: As of now the hotel has a limited dining service open. It's full restaurant and outdoor dining venue will be up and running in October.
Visit www.eventihotel.com.