5 recent hotel openings that celebrated with splashy events
In the last month, several new hotels have held grand openings that started things off with a bang. If you were one of the lucky guests to be sleeping over that night, you might have been treated to live concerts, free gifts, swanky meals, and cocktails. These are some of the biggest recent grand openings.
Margaritaville Hollywood Beach Resort Hollywood, Florida. King of the Parrotheads Jimmy Buffett was on hand to personally welcome guests and perform live during a 90-minute concert by the beach. The kickoff event gave registered guests and invited partygoers the chance to sing along to their favorite Buffet tunes while also sampling the menus from any of the nine signature Margaritaville restaurants and bars onsite. This is the only resort (yes, there are three other Margaritaville properties with more on the way) where all of the brand's restaurants are located in one location. Three swimming pools and the entertaining FlowRider surfing attraction provide plenty of entertainment to go around.
Residence Inn Chicago Downtown/Loop. Many unsuspecting guests found themselves invited to celebrate the opening of the 700th (and largest) Residence Inn hotel earlier this month in Chicago, and the party was in full swing thanks to a crowd-pleasing band, open bar, and free buffet in the hotel's rare full-service restaurant. The historic building is itself an architectural masterpiece complete with bell tower, ornamental columns and Portuguese Gothic Terra Cotta. And the property certainly made a splash in the world of extended stay hotels given its more upscale, full-service approach in the heart of town.
Hilton London Bankside. London's latest Hilton opening was not just a party for the hotel, but also a continuation of the Hilton@Play music and entertainment series that's been taking place at many of its hotels around the world. Performer Jess Glynne kept the crowd buzzing — along with the help of the cocktails from the hotel's Distillery bar, which offers more than 50 different kinds of gin.
Society Hotel Portland, Oregon. This new Chinatown hotel used to provide sailors a safe place to rest. It fell into disrepair for decades until a small group of local hotel newbies bought it at a bargain price and restored it into a hip boutique property with everything from upscale guest rooms to hostel-style dorm rooms with shared baths. Locals excited to see the rebirth of an old building flocked to opening night gala.
Westin Denver International Airport. Normally, airport hotels don't make quite the splash that this one is making. It has been in the works for awhile, and this luxe Westin is physically attached to the airport, something Denver travelers have never had before. This property will soon be made even more convenient by a new rail link that will connect the airport with downtown in 37 minutes. The mayor (who checked into the hotel as its first guest) was on hand to kick off a champagne toast following a ribbon-cutting performed by an aerialist.