Have you ever thought of meeting at a bottling plant, electric utilities building or a train station terminal?
Presumably not, but the emerging trend of “adaptive reuse” conversions is recreating these and other intriguing historical structures into phenomenal venues with unique meeting spaces.
Imaginative architects and designers have transformed the following seven buildings into one-of-a-kind meeting venues that are memorable, functional and eco-conscious.
Aloft Orlando Downtown
Exuding an ultra-trendy vibe, the 118-room Aloft Orlando Downtown is a testament to innovative design and creativity. Once a rather mundane utilities company office building, this downtown property has emerged as a sleek hotel with oversized guest rooms, engaging common areas and meeting spaces, luxurious amenities and a hip bar.
“We offer something new and fresh in the central business district of downtown Orlando with a focus on ‘green’ initiatives, and we’re on pace to achieve a high level of LEED designation,” says D. Craig Leicester, general manager of Aloft Orlando Downtown. “Our contemporary meeting space is truly a blank canvas featuring a clean, neutral palate that allows for great versatility in customizing meetings for the desired look.”
Aloft Orlando Downtown has 7,000 square feet of flexible meeting and event space that can accommodate up to 160 for a dinner event and more than 200 for a seminar.
Bently Reserve Conference Center, San Francisco
Oozing with power and prestige, the Bently Reserve in San Francisco was once the Old Federal Reserve, built in 1923.
Heavily influenced by Greco-Roman architecture, this magnificent structure has stunning staircases, marble appointments, ornate molding and original colorful murals. Featuring 14,000 square feet of meeting space, the LEED-certified building is completely updated with impressive contemporary furnishings.
“The Bently Reserve is a one-of-a-kind historic venue in downtown San Francisco with cutting-edge technology throughout the building,” says Diane Lo, event and sales coordinator for the venue.
Opulence abounds in the 8,045-square-foot Banking Hall, which has hand-painted travertine walls, Italian marble floors and original 1920s chandeliers. Enhancing the atmosphere is an open mezzanine and balcony with panoramic views overlooking the space. It’s suitable for 650 for a reception, 400 banquet-style or 180 in a classroom configuration.
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There are eight meeting rooms and the Conference Center Lounge, totaling more than 6,400 square feet. Thoughtfully designed, the rooms are appointed with restored original walnut paneling, Verde antique marble door sills, fireplaces, large natural lighting windows and classic furnishings. Most of the boardrooms and conference rooms have nautical names commemorating the two sunken ships, the Apollo and Niantic, which sit underneath the foundation of the building.
Brewhouse Inn & Suites, Milwaukee
Beer is synonymous with Milwaukee, so it only seems natural to develop a hotel from one of its famous breweries.
The legendary Pabst Brewhouse, which was vacated in the mid-1990s, has been reborn as the Brewhouse Inn and Suites, a 90-room, all-suite green hotel that debuted in spring 2013. From the magnificent masonry archways on the ground floor and the five-story rectangular atrium to the original beer kettles and steel and wooden beams throughout, the hotel shines with Old World ambience.
Meeting and event options include a 250-square-foot boardroom suitable for eight people and the spacious Kettle Atrium, which can accommodate events of up to 200 people.
“When you’re in the atrium you can really feel the awe of the six original brew kettles where the Pabst line of products has been brewed for over 100 years,” says Gino Jorgensen, assistant general manager for the Brewhouse Inn and Suites. “Our attached restaurant, Jackson’s Blue Ribbon Pub and Grill, can also host customized events in an outdoor beer garden in the summer.”
The Brice, Savannah, Ga.
The ultimate reuse structure, The Brice Hotel building in Savannah, the first Coca-Cola bottling plant in the city, has also been a grocery, tin shop and machine shop since its inception in the 1860s.
Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants refurbished the building into an upscale boutique hotel with 145 rooms, including 26 suites and 5,700 square feet of indoor meeting and event space.
Set on historic Washington Square, the recently opened Brice seamlessly blends old and new with its distinctive design elements.
“The Brice creates a cultural experience that bridges history and tradition with a contemporary approach to Savannah hospitality and design,” says Kate Brown, director of sales for The Brice. “It’s the perfect mix of metropolitan, upscale and eclectic.”
Arguably, the Brice’s most intriguing event space is the 1,900-square-foot Secret Garden, a lush, private, open-air courtyard tucked in the center of the hotel. It’s similar to the impressive private gardens that dot the stately homes of the nearby Historic District.
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Earle Brown Heritage Center, Minneapolis
Erected in the late 1800s and known for its signature large red and white farmhouse, the Brooklyn Farm, a 14-acre estate near Minneapolis, was developed into a meeting and convention complex in 1990. Owner Earle Brown was a noted farmer, horse breeder and civic leader.
The Earle Brown Heritage Center today encompasses 40,000 square feet of meeting space, top-notch audiovisual capabilities, on-site parking and the Inn on the Farm, a 10-room retreat lodging.
“We offer an abundance of outdoor space with gardens and our meeting rooms have views of the beautiful surroundings,” says Bruce Ballanger, general manager of the Earle Brown Heritage Center. “Meeting planners find that our natural setting provides great inspiration for creativity, and our outdoor venues are excellent places for team-building and leadership training sessions.”
Hotel Monaco Philadelphia
Erected in 1907, the 11-story Lafayette Building was one of a few early 20th century structures built on what is now Independence Mall in Philadelphia.
The Lafayette was restored to its original splendor and opened as the 268-room Hotel Monaco Philadelphia in October 2012.
“As Kimpton’s twelfth adaptive reuse hotel and its second LEED Gold Certified hotel in Philadelphia, the Hotel Monaco carries our company’s mission of eco-responsibility,” says Bob Dmuchowski, director of sales and marketing for Hotel Monaco Philadelphia.
Highlighting the hotel’s 13,000 square feet of meeting space is its 3,300-square-foot Lafayette Ballroom, which has a whimsical ambience with a violet and platinum color scheme, massive chandeliers and huge portrait of General Marquis de Lafayette, the building’s namesake. The ballroom can be set up in multiple floor plans accommodating 235 for a banquet and up to 325 for a reception.
Liberty Hotel, Boston
Nobody wants to go to the slammer, but this is one former jailhouse people enjoy visiting. Opened in 2007, the Liberty Hotel in Boston was once the Charles Street Jail, an iconic landmark built in 1851.
Set at the foot of historic Beacon Hill in downtown, the 300-room property has replaced the jail cells with guest rooms appointed with rich mahogany woods, luxurious bathrooms, imported bed linens and views of the city skyline and Charles River.
“Our architecture and design team put a great deal of effort and detailing into the renovation, maintaining original references such as brick and jail cell facades throughout the historic structure,” says Rachel Moniz, general manager for The Liberty Hotel.
A dramatic, beautifully appointed ballroom that can accommodate 225 for a formal sit-down dinner highlights the Liberty’s 6,000 square feet of meeting space.
“For a unique perspective and change of scenery, the hotel’s ‘catwalk’ rotundas can be set up for events, allowing guests a semi-private experience while peering out into the open rotunda and onto the active lobby below,” Moniz suggests.
Edward Schmidt Jr., an Orlando-based writer, loves adapting to the luxury and history at reuse hotels.
