8 minute read
REGIONAL NEWS
Margaux
AC Lounge
F&B NEWS» Indoor Dining Resumes at Margaux Margaux, the contemporary French bistro at the JW Marriott Grand Rapids, has reopened for indoor dining after following all safety guidelines implemented by local and state health officials.
Located on the first floor of the downtown property, Margaux is once again serving lunch, brunch and dinner with new menu options in a revamped space. New menu items include short rib à la Bourguîgnonne, a classic steak frites Café de Paris, and a Scottish salmon wrapped in flaky pastry in a white wine sauce, while updated interiors boast a modern yet comfortable Parisian aesthetic, velvet and tufted upholstery, exposed gray brick, dramatic draping and a sleek marble bar. Ilovethejw.com
Pop-Up Transforms AC Lounge The AC Lounge at the AC Hotel Grand Rapids Downtown has been reimagined as a tropical hot spot.
Officially opened in September, La Ventanita, a pop-up featuring Spanish- and Latin American-inspired bites like crispy ham croquetas and a frita cubana with papas criollas (a Cuban hamburger with Colombian-style fried potatoes), brings tropical vibes to Grand Rapids’ Hotel District.
Guests can also enjoy a drink menu full of fun twists on the classics, including a piña colada milk punch and a smoked Manhattan. marriott.com/grrar
AWARDS» Michigan Inn Named Nation’s Best Wine Country Hotel
USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards has named the Inn at Black Star Farms the nation’s Best Wine Country Hotel 2020.
A panel of experts partnered with 10Best editors to pick the initial nominees, and the top 10 winners were determined by popular vote.
The family-owned, 10-room inn is located on 160 rural acres in Leelanau County, Northwest Michigan’s notable wine region. The Kentucky-inspired estate is located along a hillside of vineyards with sweeping pastoral views, and features picturesque rolling farmland, sandy beaches, parks and quaint villages.
Guests of the Inn enjoy VIP access to the winery’s tasting room, a nightly hospitality hour, luxurious guest rooms with in-room wine, gourmet breakfasts, onsite trails and more. The Inn also hosts weddings, special events and corporate retreats and offers on-site catering.
Standing out front of accommodations in notable wine regions like California and Oregon, “the nomination in itself was an extreme honor, and one that shines a spotlight on a tremendous team that we are so fortunate to have at our Inn,” says Sherri Campbell Fenton, the Inn’s managing owner. “It’s very exciting to see our unique experiences and incredible wines making such a tremendous, lasting impact on so many.” blackstarfarms.com/inn
DoubleTree by Hilton Bay City - Riverfront
RESORT & HOTEL NEWS» DoubleTree by Hilton Bay City - Riverfront Completes Renovation The DoubleTree by Hilton Bay City - Riverfront has completed the renovation of its hotel and conference center.
The renovation included a transformation of the hotel’s conference rooms, meeting spaces and common areas with welcoming decor, new lighting, fresh wall coverings, new carpeting, plush bedding and more.
Guest bathrooms were also refreshed with newly-installed showers, bathtubs and bathroom accessories. Guest room doors are now equipped with the latest tech to allow guests a safe, no-contact entry using Hilton’s Digital Key system.
“We are excited to have our guests experience the new upgrades and renovation,” says Jamie Ralph, the hotel’s director of sales.
The property, which includes 150 guest rooms, also features nearly 15,000 square feet of meeting and event space, and can accommodate up to 550 guests.
“In addition to our cleaning procedures, we have implemented Hilton’s EventReady with CleanStay programs to welcome our guests when they are ready,” Ralph says.
Centrally located within the greater TriCity area of Midland, Bay City and Saginaw, the hotel is within walking distance of Bay City’s charming boutiques, pubs and eateries and situated to provide easy access to MBS International Airport. baycityriverfront. doubletree.com
Hilton Garden Inn Opens in Flint The Hilton Garden Inn Flint Downtown has opened in the former Genesee County Savings Bank.
The historic building, located in downtown Flint, was vacant for decades before a transformation of the building began in 2018. The transformation of the building was one of many major local projects including the Capitol Theatre, Marketplace Apartments, Dryden Building and Ferris Wheel.
Built as Flint’s second skyscraper, the 100-year-old building features Italian Renaissance Revival and Art Deco designs. It offers just over 100 guest rooms.
The hotel includes an on-site, full-service restaurant and bar, fitness center, business center, and a meeting and banquet center offering more than 3,000 square feet of meeting and event space spread across five meeting rooms. The hotel also offers a rooftop lounge with views overlooking Buckham Alley and the University of Michigan – Flint campus. hilton.com/en/ hotels/fntfdgi-hilton-garden-inn-flint-downtown
Courtyard by Marriott Lansing Downtown to Open Opening this March, the newest hotel in downtown Lansing will be perfectly situated to welcome guests interested in soaking up all Lansing has to offer.
Featuring 120 guest rooms and two suites, the Courtyard by Marriott Lansing Downtown (which will be the first hotel to open in downtown Lansing since the mid1980s) offers guests a new home base close to Michigan’s State Capitol building and Stadium District, and is just a couple of miles from the Michigan State University campus.
Planners can take full advantage of the hotel’s two meeting rooms. With a total of 1,689 square feet of meeting space that can be divided by airwall, the hotel will be able to accommodate nearly 200 guests for a reception- or theater-style event, 140 guests for a banquet-style event and just over 70 guests for a classroom-style event. marriott.com/hotels/ travel/lancl-courtyard-lansing-downtown
RESORT & HOTEL NEWS» Grand Traverse Resort Launches Safe Meetings Campaign The team at Grand Traverse Resort and Spa, northern Michigan’s largest meeting and event space, has launched a safe meetings campaign, incorporating the specifications of Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s executive orders, the directives and advice of federal, state and local health authorities, and its own additional rules and protocols. The campaign promotes rigorous measures for meeting safely, including steps the resort has taken to keep guests healthy such as strictly enforced face mask and physical distancing policies, extensive sanitation procedures, thermal self-check temperature stations, plexiglass barriers and more. Featuring nearly 600 guest rooms and 86,500 square feet of meeting space, the resort’s ample space inside and out also allows for resort guests to meet while accounting for physical distancing recommendations. At the end of August, the resort hosted the North American Space Summit, bringing nearly 200 people from across the country together to talk about the future of the space industry while utilizing the resort’s health and safety protocols without incident. “Our event is the first successful in-person, hybrid model meeting for the Aerospace and Defense Industry since March in the United States. Even amid the COVID-19 pandemic, we continued planning our event with full faith in the staff at Grand Traverse Resort and Spa. The success of it showed with our participants who answered a survey after saying it was the best conference they’ve ever been to,” says Gavin Brown, executive director of Michigan Aerospace Manufacturers Association. grandtraverseresort.com
PEOPLE NEWS»
Mission Point Names New Executive Chef Mission Point has appointed Adrian Diday to executive chef. In his new role Diday will elevate the culinary experience at the Mackinac Island resort’s eateries, including Round Island Bar & Grill, Bistro on the Greens, Boxwood Coffeeshop & Cafe, and Chianti.
With Diday leading the strong property team, Mission Point is set to expand its farmto-ferry ethos, sourcing increasingly more ingredients from local farms and purveyors in the Straits of Mackinac region and across Michigan.
Previously, Diday filled multi-faceted roles at world-class restaurants throughout the country and overseas, such as Drakes in Surrey in the United Kingdom; Restaurant Daniel in New York; The Saltry in Arkansas; Coeur D’Alene Casino in Idaho and Stanley Hotel in Colorado. He was also part of the team at the famed Inn at Little Washington during its recent achievement of Michelin stars, and brings more than 15 years of culinary experience to his work, amplifying regional ingredients and flavors into memorable meals.
Diday has also worked as a guest chef for the New York Yankees Legends Series, President Obama’s Inaugural Ball, and the James Beard
House, and was nominated as a StarChefs Rising Star.
“Chef Adrian Diday speaks volumes to what it means to provide exceptional guest service,” says Liz Ware, Mission Point’s vice president of marketing. “He has swiftly elevated our farmto-ferry approach to ensure our guests enjoy a true taste of the region when visiting the island. His immense love for food and appreciation for each member of his team is what sets him apart from the rest.” missionpoint.com
Experience Grand Rapids has appointed Mary Manier, CTA, CTP, CTIS to the role of vice president of sales and services. Most recently Manier was director of sales and has promoted Grand Rapids/Kent County as a meetings and travel destination for nearly 40 years with the destination marketing group.
“No one knows our destination better than Mary,” says Doug Small, president and CEO, Experience Grand Rapids. “She knows how to translate that knowledge into a compelling story for meeting planners. Her expertise, positive attitude, professional experience and unparalleled local networks make her the right person to lead our sales and services team as we work to restore Grand Rapids’ place as a leading Midwest meeting and convention destination.”
In 2019 Manier was named to the inaugural class of Connect Association’s 15 over 50, which salutes leaders who have moved the industry forward in the midst of the shutdowns caused by COVID-19. She also has led Experience Grand Rapids’ internal sales and services team and local meetings industry suppliers as they assist meeting planners with rescheduling and cancellation of their meetings.
“These are challenging times, but we’re confident that in-person meetings will remain a vital component in the way our country does business in the future,” says Manier. “When the market is ready, Grand Rapids will be ready, too.” experiencegr.com
June 2, 2021 | MotorCity Casino Hotel, Detroit
Michigan Meetings Expo
• Come see hotels, resorts and unique venues from throughout the state • Education, idea sharing and networking • Complimentary for meeting planners
