I attended Unlocking New Ways to Stay Experience by Hilton in New York on January 21 2025, which was a press event that gave those who attended an opportunity to open doors and unlock a world of immersive experiences that Hilton will be offering to guests around the globe at its portfolio of hotel and resort properties.
Unlocking New Ways to Stay Experience by Hilton in New York January 21 2025
This press event by Hilton preceded the International Media Marketplace North America event at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York; so members of a wide range of media from around the world were able to attend the Unlocking New Ways to Stay Experience event by Hilton.
Katherine Lugar — who is the executive vice president of corporate affairs at Hilton — kicked off the event with an introduction before passing on the microphone to Cody LaGrow of media relations at Hilton, who was the master of ceremonies for this event and interviewed the following panelists:
- Dino Michael — senior vice president & global category head of luxury brands and branded residential at Hilton
- Larry Traxler — senior vice president & global head architecture & design at Hilton
- Sian Leo Proctor — astronaut, artist, and poet
- Jennifer Chick — senior marketing executive, customer growth leader, and board member at Hilton
- Kevin Osterhaus — president of global lifestyle brands at Hilton
- Mark Weinstein — chief marketing officer at Hilton
- Daniel Reynolds — senior vice president, marketing and global content, media, and partnerships at Hilton
- Oral Muir — vice president, partnerships, experiences, & distribution at Hilton
You can watch the highlights of the event for yourself with this raw video that I decided to shoot at the very last minute instead of take photographs.
In the next room beyond the main stage was where all of the rooms with the doors were located, inviting everyone to immerse themselves in the experience of that particular brand.
Several different “rooms” were available — each with their own immersive experience.
The Designing the Future room included an immersive tour of the Voyager space station — which was designed in partnership with Hilton — an be experienced with these Virtual Reality headsets. In a first-of-its kind venture, Hilton is the official hotel partner of Starlab, which is the planned free-flying commercial space station developed by Starlab Space LLC, a global joint venture led by Voyager.
Luxury spa concepts were part of the Power Up & Power Down room through which guests of this press event can experience for themselves.
How about some virtual racing at the Grand Prix in Miami, United Kingdom, Singapore, and Las Vegas with McLaren, which is an official partner of Hilton? This was found in the Event Travel room.
This bedroom setup was part of the Sleep Tourizzzm room: “Unwind in Hilton’s sleep sanctuaries, where wellness meets comfort. Our exclusive Calm partnership, signature Canopy sleep experience, and amenities tailored to sleep-centric travelers, ensure every stay redefines rest. Relax, recharge, and experience spaces designed to recharge the body and mind.”
You really do not need an explanation of the Destination Diamond room with all of the benefits that members of the Hilton Honors Membership program enjoy once they earn Diamond Elite status, do you?!?
A sumptuous buffet was included.
No one left the event hungry or thirsty.
Guests had a choice of three cocktails offered by Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts. I chose the non-alcoholic cocktail called the Garden Tonic, which is comprised of Seedlip Garden, lime juice, celery, cucumber, and tonic. The mild yet full flavor notes were refreshing enough to have two of them.
Guests were able to try a taste of Costa Rica that is exclusively at Waldorf Astoria Costa Rica Punta Cacique resort property: discover the rich heritage of Costa Rican coffee through a curated menu crafted by Barista Champion Ricardo Azofeifa.
From farm to cup, experience the flavors of Brunca, Tarrazú, and Chirripó-brought to life at the new Buena Nota Café.
Everyone who attended was given a Waldorf Astoria New York bag with goodies — including coffee beans, a Hilton cap, and a power block.
Final Boarding Call
Although Hilton has done a great job introducing its newest brands to the media and in describing the purpose of each of its brands in general, this event was the most immersive way to understand how each of the brands work — as were this tasting menu for Tempo by Hilton and this sneak peek of LivSmart Studios by Hilton — short of actually staying at an open hotel property, of course.
I am honored that Hilton invited me to this press event. Thank you, Hilton.
All photographs ©2025 by Brian Cohen.
