NORTHEAST
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Photo Credit: Normandy Farm Hotel & Conference Center
A hotel that began life as a working farm should be well-grounded in its food and beverage offerings, as the Normandy Farm Hotel & Conference Center readily attests. At the 153-room property in Western Pennsylvania, executive chef Mtele Abubakar and an experienced banquet events team are dedicated to providing memorable modern farm cooking for groups of up to 78 in the Farmer’s Daughter restaurant.
Blending traditional and contemporary flavors by way of locally sourced ingredients, the Farmer’s Daughter serves up delicious sandwiches, burgers, steaks, soups and salads, seafood and more, constructing plates and seasonal menus that are allergy-sensitive, food-tolerant and even lifestyle-specific (as in vegan, vegetarian and weight loss). The on-site bar offers a wide selection of handcrafted cocktails, fine wines and craft beers. The hotel also has 20,300 square feet of space, and attendees have access to a wide variety of local recreational options.
With a perch on the famed Atlantic City Boardwalk, the list of attributes at the Resorts Casino Hotel is most impressive: 942 guest rooms, 64,000 square feet of flexible event space (including 24 meeting and function rooms with ocean views and a 13,000-square-foot ballroom) and a casino with more than 300 table games and 4,000 slot machines. Add world-class food to the list as artfully served in 40 dining options to suit every taste, including Ballo Italian Restaurant; the Bean and Vine Café and Wine Bar; the Beauty & Essex Restaurant, Lounge and Pawn Shop (!), and the Bow & Arrow Sports Bar.
Under the culinary leadership of Michelin-starred chef John Fraser, The Wall Street Hotel in Manhattan’s historic Financial District offers group dining for up to 80 people (and 150 for receptions) in La Marchande, with its focus on French cuisine by way of Wall Street’s enduring tradition of the stylized steakhouse. It all takes place in the restaurant’s cafe-inspired dining room with semiprivate booths, with a more casual setting for cocktails and light fare to be found in the stunning bar facing Water Street. The hotel has more than 6,500 square feet of flexible meeting space.
SOUTHEAST
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Photo Credit: Rosen Plaza
In Orlando, the culinary team at the 800-room Rosen Plaza is well-versed in creating delicious menu entrees, from aged prime steaks to Caribbean fusion, for banquet services and personalized menus for events of practically any size. The hotel’s award-winning steakhouse, Jack’s Place, is known for its house-aged prime steaks and fresh seafood, like the pan-seared Chilean sea bass, scampi-style jumbo shrimp, Oscar-style crab and lobster tails and more. The walls are lined with hundreds of autographed celebrity caricatures drawn by Jack Rosen, the father of Rosen Hotels & Resorts founder Harris Rosen.
Those who want to enjoy warm Florida breezes can sit poolside at ’39 Poolside Bar & Grill and enjoy a tropical-inspired cuisine and seasonal favorites. Five other on-site dining options have their own sense of flare and fusion, while 3NINE is an entertainment venue with a chef-inspired menu and two full-service bars both inside and out on the poolside patio. The property has more than 60,000 square feet of high-tech, adaptable event space.
With 10 diverse on-site dining outlets, the 2,010-room Orlando World Center Marriott offers guests options like the award-winning Italian cuisine at Siro Urban Kitchen, with twists on classic favorites like duck confit ravioli, bolognese and caprese. At Mikado Japanese Steakhouse, skilled chefs prepare hibachi meals teppanyaki-style on the steel grill. The breakfast buffet at signature restaurant Latitude & Longitude features Southern dining with a Florida flair via dishes made from locally produced and organic ingredients. Lucky guests might even find a special note on their table with directions to the exclusive Stockroom – a hidden speakeasy with exquisite, handcrafted cocktails.
A variety of food venues are available at the 234-room Lake Nona Wave Hotel in Orlando. Among them: The Living Room Bar has a vibrant setting where guests and locals mingle while experiencing master mixology and tasty small plates. Haven Nights offers the above plus live entertainment, and the Haven Kitchen presents a sophisticated Mediterranean inspired menu providing a twist on traditional Florida flavors. Contemporary Japanese gets a European twist at Nami, while Bacán features the many flavors of the Americas and is entered around a dramatic open theater kitchen.
MIDWEST
Photo Credit: Marriott Lincolnshire Resort
With 390 guest rooms in picturesque Lincolnshire, Ill., the 390-room Marriott Lincolnshire Resort is one of the premier destinations for food and beverage venues in the Midwest. The resort's fine-dining restaurant, Three Embers, is led by chef Jonathan Silver and has an upscale yet warm atmosphere (complete with a dramatic wood-burning stove), along with seasonal menu offerings and outdoor lakeside seating. The culinary team sources fresh produce and herbs from a two-acre garden and serves innovative takes on steak, seafood and scratch dishes.
In addition to the above, each main-stage show at the on-property Marriott Theatre inspires a specially curated menu, like the Carnaval Salad, with bold flavors that pay tribute to the lively energy of In the Heights. For a more casual dining experience, guests can visit Wright's Brew & Bistro, featuring a rotating selection of local craft brews on tap and bistro-style fare, including grass-fed burgers and artisan cheese.
Nine dining choices and a highly respected catering team help make the 656-room Amway Grand Plaza, Curio Collection by Hilton, a go-to destination for meetings in downtown Grand Rapids, Mich. Here the F&B program centers around MDRD, a full-service restaurant on the 27th floor of the hotel’s newly renovated glass tower, featuring a contemporary Spanish menu against a backdrop of dramatic city views. Additional outlets include the chic lobby bar Rendezvous, the historic Lumber Baron Bar, the speakeasy-style cocktail bar IDC, The Kitchen by Wolfgang Puck and Ruth’s Chris Steak House.
The signature FireLake Grill House & Cocktail Bar at the 334-room Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel Chicago celebrates regional flavors with a modern American grill concept that embraces wood-fired cooking. The menu showcases Midwest ingredients and caters to a wide range of tastes, including decadent breakfast options, vibrant lunches, a lavish buffet brunch, hearty dinners and a lovely afternoon tea program. For a more upscale experience, Upper FireLake has all the charm of a classic American steakhouse. Debuting this year is the 221 Blu Bar & Lounge, with live music and bespoke cocktails.
SOUTHWEST
Photo Credit: JW Marriott Houston Downtown
An authentic taste of Texas is served at the 328-room JW Marriott Houston Downtown, particularly in the trendy on-site, all-day Main Kitchen restaurant. In the mornings, a hot breakfast bar provides guests with a healthy start, while throughout the day, an array of snacks, beverages and an Italian espresso machine are available. The chic atmosphere of the 806 Lounge is the perfect setting for mingling, hand-crafted cocktails and curated wines in an elegant ambiance of stylish seating areas, modern décor and soft lighting.
The hotel’s skilled culinary team’s banquet menus highlight local ingredients and flavors. Custom options can be tailored to groups for any event, whether incorporating a cherished family recipe into a meal, setting up vibrant action stations with culturally inspired dishes or adding flavored bubbles to color-changing cocktails. In all, the property has 13,500 square feet of flexible meeting space across six rooms, the largest of which can accommodate up to 500 people.
Just minutes from downtown Austin, the 194-room Hotel Viata offers excellent coastal Italian-inspired cuisine at the Laurel Restaurant & Bar, where the culinary team prides itself on being a cultural ambassador for the Texas Hill Country. In addition to an exquisite dining room experience, the eatery offers full-service dining both in-room and poolside. Guests can enjoy dishes such as lemon ricotta pancakes for breakfast, while dinners include selections including large-format Florentine steaks, chicken osso bucco and fresh family-style appetizers and salads.
Eight unique and varied restaurants await guests at the 1,002-room JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa, each serving delectable local fare and handcrafted cocktails. For example: 18 Oakes, the hotel’s signature steakhouse, serves prime cuts of meat along with seafood, poultry and sides. Cibolo Moon has creative Mexican fare, ice-cold margaritas and a diverse selection of tequila. The Crooked Branch is Asian-fusion, while Fiammé Pizzeria offers Neapolitan-inspired, hand-tossed pizza with appetizers, salads, cocktails and the resort’s Hill Country Honey Blonde Beer.
FAR WEST
Photo Credit: The Venetian Resort Las Vegas
The culinary program at The Venetian Resort Las Vegas encompasses everything from award-winning catering to fine-dining restaurants. From exhibit booths to the banquet hall, master chefs create meals that reflect today's food mindset and palate with organic ingredients, creative preparations and sustainable practices. The Venetian is also home to more than 40 restaurants and lounges from famed chefs such as Wolfgang Puck, Thomas Keller, Tetsuya Wakuda, Eyal Shani and Lorena Garcia.
All on-site menus now offer both vegan and vegetarian options; 85 percent of the Venetian’s standard menus are gluten free, and the property’s relationships with local producers improves food freshness while reducing its carbon footprint. The resort has begun a new program called the Food Rescue Alliance, taking surplus fresh food from catered events to be repackaged and provided to individuals in the Las Vegas Valley suffering from food insecurity.
At the 215-room Cape Rey Carlsbad Beach Resort, the menu at Chandler’s Oceanfront Dining represents coastal California cuisine at its best. Fresh local ingredients, indoor and outdoor seating and a full breakfast-lunch-dinner program includes treats from the on-property Chef’s Garden and favorite dishes such as the macadamia nut crusted calamari, furikake crusted bluefin tuna, herb crusted lamb rack and more; private gathering of up to 20 people can be arranged. The resort has approximately 11,345-square-feet of event space, including a ballroom with a capacity of up to 650.
Sustainability is one of the keys to the delicious meals served at the 284-room San Diego Marriott Del Mar. The food staff’s regular trips to the San Diego Farmers Market ensures freshness and provenance for ingredients, while a second-generation family butcher provides quality meats and a boutique farm is sourced for organic micro greens and mushrooms. With 20,000 square feet of meeting space, the hotel’s F&B is custom-curated to suit a group’s particular desires, from small corporate gatherings to large social events.
Diners at the 211-room Alma San Diego are treated to carefully crafted menus from the hotel’s signature dining outpost, The Desmond; the breakfast and dinner eatery, The Cafe; and the rooftop bar and restaurant serving wood-fired pizzas, Leave of Absence. Each venue uses locally sourced ingredients, innovative techniques and fresh ingredients. At The Desmond, signature entrees include local bass, seared tuna, hanger steak and roaster half chicken alongside fresh handmade pasta. The Cafe and Lobby Bar is the go-to for beverages and dessert creations like the thick mint Girl Scout cookie cronut. The property has 20,000 square feet of fully equipped event space.
INTERNATIONAL AND U.S. TERRITORIES
Photo Credit: Margaritaville Island Reserve
On Mexico’s glittering Riviera Maya, the all-inclusive 355-room Margaritaville Island Reserve has introduced concepts like the oceanfront LandShark Brewery and the first-ever meat sommelier at the JWB Steakhouse, offering guests a five-star experience curated by chef Gerardo Contreras and featuring premium cuts and artisanal proteins. An elevated take on the all-inclusive buffet, The Boathouse at the resort has a casual yet sophisticated setting where guests can indulge in flavorful dishes from around the world.
For Italian cuisine enthusiasts, Frank & Lola’s serves up handcrafted, authentic meals like antipasto, pasta and wood-fired pizza, featuring locally sourced seafood and prosciutto from Parma. Joe Merchant's Coffee & Provisions offers freshly brewed Mexican coffee and a variety of provisions, while the License to Chill bar invites guests to soak up the sea breeze while enjoying freshly made cocktails and casual fare at a unique wet-feet bar, where tables are set in shallow water for a refreshing twist.
Guests at the 1,372-room Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel enjoy two distinct culinary experiences: Dual Kitchen serves artisanal coffees, freshly baked pastries and a selection of wholesome breakfast options. As the day progresses, the venue transforms into a laid-back bar where one can unwind and socialize over a curated selection of wines, craft beers and creative cocktails. For a more immersive and theatrical dining experience, 43 Down is a sophisticated mixology lounge with a menu inspired by the rich diversity of Toronto’s communities and neighborhoods. Planners also will find 134,642 square feet of event space at their disposal.
With 602 waterfront suites featuring private balconies and 22,969 square feet of versatile meeting space, the Grand Fiesta Americana Coral Beach Cancun Resort adds a diverse array of unique dining options to its list of attributes. The French-Mediterranean restaurant, Le Basilic, is an AAA Five-Diamond winner, complimented by the authentic Mexican cuisine at La Joya, the vibrant Mediterranean dishes at Viña del Mar, Italy’s most celebrated cuisine at Chianti, an immersive Asian fusion dining experience at Torii, an Argentinian Mexican steakhouse Havanna and the beachfront dining experience at Isla Contoy.