Five Properties With One-of-a-Kind Vibes
Plenty of events just need a flexible, attractive, accommodating space to thrive. Then there are those other events—the ones that get your heart racing as a planner.
The events that require a special space. The events that go from good to unforgettable thanks to the surroundings. The events that call for a one-of-a-kind property that suits your meeting’s mission so perfectly that you couldn’t imagine holding it anywhere else.
Research from CVent indicates that 35% of meeting planners seek out a unique aesthetic when considering venues. Here are five properties to help that search go a little more smoothly.
Understated SoCal Chic: JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. Live
The glamour of downtown Los Angeles coupled with efficient premium meeting spaces results in this ideally located hotel. Just steps from the Crypto.com Arena (home to the Lakers, the Kings, and the Sparks, not to mention its capacity as an entertainment venue), the Peacock Theater, and the Los Angeles Convention Center, L.A. Live offers classic Los Angeles cool to match its convenience.
With 44 rooms totaling more than 130,000 square feet of event space, L.A. Live also features one of the most spacious ballrooms in Los Angeles. Attendees staying at the hotel can pop up to the rooftop hotel deck with immersive views of the cityscape, then relax at one of the eight dining venues, including the airy atrium space of Savoca, a trattoria showcasing locally sourced ingredients in its Italian fare. And if your special event calls for after-hours treats? Not a problem—attendees can have late-night delights delivered 24/7, courtesy of the on-site market.
Finding the Roots: Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass, Phoenix
If the valley setting of Phoenix’s Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass doesn’t make for an unforgettable meeting, nothing will. With its classic red stucco set against a scenic river, in-room art, and stunning yet pacifying desert views, Wild Horse Pass opens up possibilities for your attendees to hone their best meditative, out-of-the-box thinking.
Twenty-nine rooms spanning more than 100,000 square feet of event space offer all the amenities one would expect, with local touches such as architectural flourishes that echo the design and legends of the area’s Indigenous communities, including the Pima and Maricopa tribes.
On-site dining makes the experience more visceral. Kai restaurant features ingredients from the Native Seed/SEARCH Foundation, which aims to preserve ancient native seeds. Think tepary beans, sunchoke cream, and saguaro blossom syrup—or southwestern spa cuisine served poolside at Hanyo Pool Bar.
The Birth of Cool: Renaissance New York Harlem Hotel
Situated in the heart of Harlem—and thus at the heart of its historic namesake, the creative epoch of Black American art known as the Harlem Renaissance—the Renaissance New York Harlem Hotel offers everything a New York City luxury space can give, with the unique vibe that a stay in uptown Manhattan gives attendees.
Soul food? Check, courtesy of the site’s Victoria Lounge. Easy access to world-class entertainment? It’s on the same block as the legendary Apollo Theater. Nods to icons such as Billie Holiday and Louis Armstrong peppered throughout attendee spaces? Yes, thanks to art installations and hints of art deco flash.
Boutique meetings will find a home here, with customizable breakout rooms perfect for intimate meetings and hands-on workshops, and a signature catering menu. The 4,000 square feet of event space is focused on personalized, flexible spaces that will allow you to build the kind of memorable experiences your small-group meeting requires.
Clear-Minded Thinking: The Farnam, Autograph Collection Hotels, Omaha
Home to the farm-to-fork movement, one of the world’s most renowned zoos, and Warren Buffett, Omaha has an understated sophistication that offers an unexpected level of luxury. The Farnam, Autograph Collection Hotels, harnesses the best of Omaha, with its downtown location and proximity to the iconic Missouri River.
The eight event rooms are best suited to intimate meetings and events heavy on breakout sessions, and the level of attention your attendees will receive matches this inner-circle feel. Menus with locally sourced ingredients (Omaha’s steaks are world-famous for a reason), invigorating dining spaces such as the Dynamite Woodfire Grill and Catalyst, which features the city’s largest terrace, and floor-to-ceiling windows revealing the inspiring beauty of the Plains all conspire to give your attendees a level of clarity that’s easier to miss in flashier destinations.
The Grand Vision: Palace Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel, San Francisco
The name says what you need to know: Palace. Luxury. San Francisco. The Gilded Age refinement that this venue seeks to evoke—successfully so, with its vaulted ceilings, plush rugs, and golden touches throughout—sets the stage for the kind of elevated, expansive thinking that made The City by the Bay famous.
The 24 event rooms cover 44,000 square feet of meeting space. Four executive boardrooms and a self-contained conference center for smaller conferences are heightened by the resplendent Sunset Court, a 5,000-square-foot space housed under a glass dome, and The Ralston Ballroom, with its graceful French sconces and original chandeliers. All of this is just steps from the scenic Union Square, Frisco’s signature cable cars, and Chinatown, still considered one of the world’s most vibrant.
