A few years ago Billy and I started a tradition of spending the days leading up to Christmas Eve in New York City. My Birthday happens to fall when we are there so I’ve been unable to celebrate with my family. This time they joined us and we had a little get-together. Rather than doing the typical dinner, followed by cake and presents at a restaurant—I choose to have the party in our hotel suite. Since I was busy packing for my trip and holiday shopping, there wasn’t a ton of time to devote to planning it. I jotted down a few notes and followed them through; everything went off perfectly. These are my four tips for putting together an easy (and successful) hotel Birthday party.
When you’re throwing a party at a hotel the space in your suitcase and room is going to be limited. The goal should be to choose a theme that is cohesive and easy to pack. I went with partyware from my favorite paper company, Meri Meri. They have so many pretty designs it was hard to pick just one. I ended up choosing rainbows and unicorns which consisted of bright and bold neon colors. Because I was pressed for time, I placed my order on Amazon Prime so I could get free 2 day shipping.
Think about how many guests will be attending to make sure you purchase the correct amount of partyware. If you plan on serving dinner and cake you’ll need to buy double the amount. I knew I needed enough cups, napkins, paper plates, and eating utensils for six people. Then there was the extras like candles, a lighter, and a tablecloth. The tablecloth was essential because most hotel rooms have a brown or black table which would have thrown off the theme.
Some places require that you place your order days in advance; others like Sweets by Chloe offer vegan cakes that are made daily. When you’re deciding on a cake, research bakeries in the area ahead of time and make sure it‘s the right size for the amount of guests attending. We ordered the cake about an hour before the celebration began via Postmates. I choose a vanilla Birthday cake with pastel yellow frosting covered in colorful sprinkles, which complemented the rainbow theme and gold candles. The cake was delicious and my family was surprised to learn it was vegan. For extras, we ordered a variety of one scoop vegan ice cream cups; strawberry jam, PB&J, coffee & cookies, and of course—Birthday cake! When it came to the drinks, we stopped at a nearby deli beforehand and picked up Pellegrino sodas and lemonade.
Don’t overlook the accents because they’re just as significant as the essentials. Before I left I purchased a gold foil Happy Birthday banner and while we were in NYC my mom bought rainbow confetti to display on the table. Earlier that day I stopped in Sugarfina (my favorite candy store) to pick up some last minute Christmas gifts. Since it was my birthday they let me choose a large candy cube; I picked my beloved Champagne gummy bears. Before we headed back to the hotel we stopped at Rockefeller Center and my mom bought a light up unicorn to add to the display.
I had just as much fun planning my Birthday as I did attending it. All it took was a little bit of research and following these four simple steps. After a long day of shopping and exploring, we headed back to our hotel room and enjoyed an evening of exquisite cake and ice cream. It was so much fun celebrating with my family and boyfriend in an incredible city like New York.
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