Call it the Oscars version of the hotel world (or maybe not, judging from Sunday night’s unprecedented best-picture gaffe). The Travel + Leisure 2017 It List does hand out an award of sorts by visiting all of the best new hotel and resort openings of the past year and ranks them in this envious list.
If you’re in the industry of planning meetings or events, it’s a collection worth noting whether it’s for destination inspiration or just to keep on top of what’s new and exciting. And it’s not solely based on glitz and glamour. As T+L’s editors note: “The 44 hotels and resorts ahead are making waves for different reasons—some for killer design, others for culinary bona fides or an unbeatable location—but all are inspiring the rest of the hospitality world to take note.”
We’ve done the very difficult task of focusing on properties in the United States that would also be best in class for event space. We can imagine, though, how tough it must be to travel to all the new and exciting hotels and resorts around the world and pick which ones are the best. Just saying in case T+L needed volunteers.
United States
Viceroy L’Ermitage Beverly Hills
Location: Beverly Hills, California
First stop, Beverly Hills. Not far from many of Los Angeles’ top attractions—such as Hollywood, Rodeo Drive, Universal Studios—this hotel offers 9,500 sq. ft. of indoor and outdoor meeting and event space that includes a rooftop pool and breath-taking views of the city.
The Asbury
Location: Asbury Park, New Jersey
With 4,800 sq. ft. of indoor and outdoor space on the Jersey Shore, there are lots of options for meetings.
The Beekman
Location: New York City
Ah, the Big Apple. It’s hard to compete in this crowded and pricey space, but at 4,700 sq. ft. of meeting and event space spread across two floors of beautifully appointed architecture, it’s a worthy NYC splurge.
The Dewberry
Location: Charleston, South Carolina
Southern charm at its finest, this Charleston belle offers 4,750 sq. ft. of indoor and outdoor event and meeting space that includes a grand ballroom, of course.
Montage Palmetto Bluff
Location: Bluffton, South Carolina
Another Southern belle, but this one is conveniently located between Savannah, Georgia, and Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. The resort offers more than 40,000 sq. ft. of event and meeting space that covers a chapel, a wine cellar and an inn.
Four Season Resort Lanai
Location: Lanai, Hawaii
How any work gets done in a tropical paradise is hard to imagine, but it does. This Four Seasons in Lanai takes it one step further with its private island setting. Yes, an entire Hawaiian island that offers a total of 55,682 sq. ft. of event and meeting space, and the property is available for complete buyout.
21c Museum Hotel Oklahoma City
Location: Oklahoma City
If you ever wanted to stay in a museum that functioned like a hotel, this might be it. With more than 14,000 sq. ft. of event and meeting space that’s often adorned with art, it’s city sophistication and culture all rolled into one.
