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| New
York - USA |
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Extraordinary - Society
December - 2007 |
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5
Stars & 6 Stripes
Overall - 'Hotel & Service' |
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The
Ultimate Award:
Seven Stars and
Stripes® |
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| Nassau County is blessed with gorgeous homes, parks,
sports arenas, resort type beaches and the Garden City Hotel. The hotel is
situated in the heart of one of Long Island's most prestigious communities and
offers visitors a unique view of the gilded and fabulous history of New York's
Gold Coast. Alexander Turney Stewart a multi-millionaire builder purchased
7,000 acres of land situated 20 miles from Manhattan, which would be called
Garden City. The focal point of this very upscale community would be a
magnificent hotel that reflected the elegance and history of its community. The
original hotel opened to rave reviews in 1874 and then was rebuilt in 1901 with
a cupola similar to the one that sits atop Philadelphia's Independence Hall.
The hotel attracted the very cream of society and was a favorite of the
Vanderbilt's, Astors, and Belmont's, who stayed there to visit polo matches,
horse races, and auto racing. |
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| Society parties were always being held in the hotel's
main ballroom. The hotel also achieved world-wide publicity when Charles
Lindbergh spent the night before his historic flight to Europe and back, dining
with friends and family. The Great depression brought a stop to the excesses of
this so-called Gatsby era at the hotel, as it did to the nation. The hotel
began its renaissance period after World War II, as the Garden City community
flourished and grew. It served as a landmark on Long island, and attracted a
new group of businessmen, vacationers, celebrities and world leaders. JFK and
Jackie visited the hotel as well as Margaret Thatcher and Hillary Clinton in
recent years. As I pulled up to the entrance to this magnificent old world
style hotel, an impeccably dressed doorman immediately greeted me. |
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| I entered the revolving
golden hotel doors and was transported into an era of gilded and ornate luxury.
Exquisite marble floors, a glorious winding staircase leading to the second
floor and plush carpeting highlighted by desk and chairs of burnished wood,
made for a visual treat. The Garden City Hotel has always been noted for its
attentive staff and management and today would prove no different. I was
looking forward to a tour of this fine establishment with GM Nasser Samman, a
highly experienced executive who has been with the hotel for over a decade and
oversees daily operations of all departments of the hotel. |
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| Grand Ballroom - Garden City Hotel |
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| Mr. Samman's management style and expertise make
visiting the hotel a wonderful experience for first time travelers as well as
frequent visitors. Myron Nelkin and his family built the existing structure in
the 1980's, which continues its legacy to provide the finest in luxury hotel
services and amenities. My tour began with the
chic
Rein Bar & Bistro, which offers gourmet food for business people and
guests on the go. |
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| Room - Garden City Hotel |
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The ballroom features
seating for up to 500 people, lit by spectacular oversized crystal chandeliers,
decorated in the finest floral designed wallpaper and luxury carpeting.
Adjacent to the main ballroom are a series of intimate, beautifully designed
catering rooms just perfect for cocktail parties and receptions. We then
visited the dining rooms on the second floor, which are used for smaller, more
intimate affairs. Each room replicates the elegance and design of the larger
grand ballroom. |
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| I was especially impressed with some of the hotel's
luxurious celebrity accommodations with each spacious suite featuring exquisite
paintings and magnificent furniture. The king sized bed was dressed with fine
Egyptian cotton and covered by a beautiful Duvet comforter. Marble bathroom and
oversized shower, are all part of the décor. All suites come with
sitting rooms, flat screen TVs and all the modern gadgets one might need these
days. At this point I joined Nasser for a delicious dining experience at the
elegant Polo Restaurant. Nasser ordered an assortment of exotic cheeses and
fruits to start. |
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| We then enjoyed a
sumptuous serving of Crabmeat and Avocado. For my main course I had Wild King
Salmon with Savoy Cabbage, accompanied by a small Caesar salad. No meal would
have been complete without a glorious dessert and I choose Clementine Cheese
Cake with Plum Salsa and Coconut Sorbet. The Polo Restaurant is noted for its
renowned Sunday brunch menu, which is considered by many reviewers and visitors
to be the finest offered anywhere in New York City. I believe that The Garden
City Hotel is fortunate to have Steven De Bruyn overseeing it food and wine
operations. Steven serves a dual role as both, Executive Chef and Wine
Director, and personally oversees the GC Hotel's unique wine
collection. |
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| Nasser Samman & Barry Kay |
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“I concluded my visit to the Garden City Hotel by
presenting our esteemed
Seven Stars and Stripes award plaque to Nasser and
his team. This Long Island gem
certainly is deserving of all the honors it
has received in its 133-year history.” ~ BK |
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by Barry Kay
Editor: Ingrid Lemme
Editor-in-Chief:
John Lomitola |
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| © 2007 ~ Seven Stars and Stripes,
Inc. |
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