Venue News
Closed for multimillion dollar renovations on September 19th, 2019, and relaunched briefly in early 2020, The Clift Royal Sonesta Hotel has officially reopened for business in 2021 (as of May 20), wowing visitors and locals alike with renewed, light-filled public spaces, sumptuous yet modern rooms, and some exciting announcements on the food and beverage front. Late July will usher in the grand opening of Fredericks, their exciting new restaurant concept with both sit-down and -counter service options, and on July 1st, the legendary Redwood Room reopened, retaining all of the Prohibition-era charm while adding stylish new furniture, floorings, and original prints from Gustav Klimt that were found in the building during the remodel. The previous Velvet Room has been transformed into an event and meeting space, and all of The Clift’s meeting spaces have received additional natural light and cutting-edge technology, including multiple 98” UHD displays with integrated sound systems.
Rocco Forte Hotels, the prestigious family-run hotel group, led by Sir Rocco Forte and his sister, Olga Polizzi, is proud to unveil the newly restored Villa Igiea. The historical Art Nouveau palazzo overlooking the Gulf of Palermo, originally designed by Ernesto Basile commissioned by the influential Florio family, returns to its former splendour as a jewel of the Mediterranean. Villa Igiea’s location, nestled between land and sea, makes it a perfect base to discover the extensive cultural heritage of Palermo, which provides visitors with enchanting sights and unique experiences. Built in 1900, the historic palazzo has been meticulously renovated by Olga Polizzi, Deputy Chairperson & Design Director of Rocco Forte Hotels, in collaboration with renowned architects Paolo Moschino and Philip Vergeylen of Nicholas Haslam Studios.
Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort & Spa, located on the Santa Ana Pueblo between Albuquerque and Santa Fe, announces COVID safe bubble and resort buyout meeting experiences for 2021 events. The resort provides a two-mile private drive, spacious accommodations, and several outdoor activities for a premier buyout experience. Venues include the Cottonwood Pavilion, an elegant pavilion with floor-to-ceiling windows that can be opened for indoor/outdoor purposes. Planners can also select from the House of the Hummingbird, a 7,500 square-foot lawn surrounded by a replica of indigenous ruins of the Native American Pueblo; the Sunrise Amphitheater, a natural outdoor amphitheater; and the Tamaya Ballroom, a 12,000 square-foot ballroom which can be portioned into eight separate rooms; and the Puma and Wolf rooms, which offer floor-to-ceiling windows with panoramic views of the Sandia Mountains.
Big Cypress Lodge continues to be one of the most unexpected and “wow-worthy” U.S. wilderness destinations for groups, located in the soaring 32-story Memphis Pyramid along the Mississippi River. The hotel brings the outdoors inside with rustic-elegant accommodations that resemble vintage cabins, a 535,000 square-foot Cypress Swamp featuring aquariums teeming with fish and alligators, and two sky-high culinary outlets offering outdoor seating and panoramic views of the Memphis skyline. The Pyramid’s meeting, group and event spaces accommodate 10 to 350 people; including a large banquet room which can accommodate up to 150 guests, breakout meeting spaces seating for up to 50 guests and a boardroom that can accommodate 10. For even larger groups, Big Cypress Lodge has full capabilities to host an event on the Mississippi Terrace or the resort’s sky high Lookout Bar.
Hot Off the Presses
Bizzabo, the world’s leading event success platform, today announced the opening of a new office in London, affirming its commitment to elevate event experiences for marketers around the world. Bizzabo has hired event industry veteran Tim Bull to lead London operations and oversee expansion efforts across Europe. Following quickly on the heels of Bizzabo’s acquisitions of x.ai and Whalebone, Bizzabo’s London location will be a hub for the company’s European customer-facing operations, including sales, service and marketing teams.