After a two-year renovation by new owners, and the grand opening of a kosher on-site restaurant and catering kitchens, the Sleepy Hollow Hotel and Conference Center in Tarrytown, New York is now a unique destination for kosher events, weekend getaways or a relaxing dinner out. Sleepy Hollow Hotel includes Hudson Grand, a 30,000-square-foot premier event space, and the Hudson Bistro restaurant, which is open for breakfast and dinner Sunday through Thursday and pre-booked Shabbat meals for overnight guests. Amenities include 246 newly refurbished rooms, minyanim in a shul with two sefer Torahs, an indoor salt water swimming pool with mixed and separate swimming hours, a fitness center, and a playroom for kids.
“We’re a lush, all-inclusive resort-like hotel with 11 acres of beautifully landscaped gardens, very close to all the Jewish neighborhoods,” said Shlomo Suchard, the owner’s representative, whom I met on a visit to the hotel. “It is a stunning place to have your event, whether it’s a wedding, corporate function, organization or family event. In addition to being a kosher, all-inclusive hotel, our event center is all on one floor so our facilities are accessible for everyone.” The impeccably maintained meat and dairy kosher restaurant kitchens and separate catering kitchens are under the strict supervision of Tarnopol Kashrus of Brooklyn.
Working with clients to make their vision a reality is the guiding principle for events at the Hudson Grand. You can rent space and bring in your own supplies and personnel or let the hotel and catering staff provide your setup and meals. There are several packages and upgrades, and customizations can be accommodated. Suchard said they are putting together a list of preferred vendors to help clients make choices. “These are people we trust, so we know you can trust them, too.”
Ben Schwartz, a sales manager with a focus on Shabbat group events, said he works with groups who just want to rent space and others who take advantage of the hotel’s staff and catering expertise. “Every event is different; it really comes down to customization and personalization for each client,” he said. He had two groups over Purim that demonstrated this variety: One group rented the space and did everything themselves. Another group wanted the hotel and catering staff to take charge of it all. “We took care of them from A to Z,” said Schwartz. “We customized
the menus, and provided an enhanced fleishig melave malka buffet befitting their family minhag.”
The minimum number of guests for a plated or buffet wedding is 350 with a maximum of about 750. The landscaped grounds are perfect for an outdoor chuppah in nice weather. The bride and groom each have their own suites to get ready with their families, and can spend the entire day of their wedding at the resort. They can choose to enjoy the comfort and convenience of staying overnight after the wedding and host a sheva brachot meal the next day.
Clients can bring in their own caterer, but the culinary team headed by veteran executive chef Shimmy Zafier can create whatever you’re looking for, from traditional to spectacular innovative cuisine. Sruli Frischman, a sales manager for weddings, told me about a recent wedding where the family had very specific requests including one for a complex, innovative appetizer they wanted: seared tuna, two colors of beets, a potato latke and a candied nut brittle. Zafier brought in additional chefs to make it happen. The staff worked with the family on all the upgrades they wanted, from the stemware to the menus, to make sure they had the wedding they envisioned. “It was a gorgeous wedding,” Suchard said. “The team knocked it out of the ballpark.”
I heard more about that fabulous wedding in a later phone conversation with Levana Kirschenbaum, a relative of the bride. Kirshenbaum is a noted chef and cookbook author, and the namesake behind Levana’s, one of the first, and sadly missed, upscale kosher restaurants in Manhattan. Kirshenbaum said the family chose Sleepy Hollow for its convenient location and excellent facilities. She said the staff was wonderful to work with and happy to make all the upgrades the family asked for, including letting them bring in a consulting chef to help the culinary staff achieve the style they wanted. “The grounds were beautiful and the hotel staff was very accommodating and effective,” she said. “In fact, I suggested the place to two couples I know for their weddings.” Kirshenbaum said that one couple wanted a very different kind of wedding from theirs with traditional, heimishe-style food. Hudson Grand enthusiastically prepared exactly what they wanted. Not only did both those couples have their weddings at Hudson Grand, several of their friends chose the venue for their own weddings after getting glowing recommendations.
Smaller family groups can enjoy all the amenities at Sleepy Hollow Hotel while being together in one place. “We just booked a family reunion for July,” said Suchard. “The whole family is coming for the grandfather’s birthday. They’re sleeping over one night, having a great dinner and breakfast in the restaurant. They’re going to use the pool and the gym and have a great time.”
Sleepy Hollow Hotel welcomes weekend guests when they aren’t fully booked for an event. “More than half the year, we have availability for someone wanting to get away for a weekend, whether you’re a single, couple or family,” said Suchard, “You have Friday night seuda, Shabbos day meal, seuda shlishit, melave malka and we throw in Sunday breakfast as a little treat. Our shul is always open.”
Hudson Bistro is open for dinner Sunday through Thursday starting at 5:30 p.m.. Look for more on Hudson Bistro coming up in The Jewish Link.
For more information, visit https://sleepyhollowhotelny.com. To book any kosher event including a wedding; corporate or organization function; family gathering or a weekend stay, or to make dinner reservations, call 914/358-8200.
