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Trump Tower Ribbon Cutting
29 April 2008 Send To a Friend
Yesterday Donald Trump was in town for the official ribbon cutting of Trump International Hotel & Tower. Before the ceremony, a string quartet played in the background as an army of polite servers offered hors d’oeuvres with the frequency of a child asking “are we there yet” after an hour in the car. Media from just about every local publication milled about murmuring quietly until the room was filled with press and VIPs.
After the presentation tours were offered of the hotel suites, the spa, Sixteen, and Rebar. As you’ll hear in the recording of the ceremony, this building is all about location and it capitalizes on it in spades with floor to ceiling windows. The appointments are lush, as you’d expect, yet subtle and understated, which I did not expect. I heard a few people say they wanted to move in and ask how they were expected to go home after seeing such luxury.
Despite my premier location on the aisle during the ceremony, and my inclusion in a small tour group afterwards, I wasn’t able to get many photos. Apparently I’m not aggressive enough to be a press photographer, and I’m OK with that. I was surprised at the out and out jostling and pushing during the ribbon cutting itself. A photographer on the same tour kept stepping directly in front of my camera, and if she had hit me one more time with her multiple bags without saying “excuse me” I was afraid I was going to want to toss her off Sixteen’s balcony. In contrast, the Trumps, the contractors, Alderman Brendan Reilly and everyone involved with the tower was gracious and patient.
The hotel is open now, with Trump-sized prices, ranging from $445 for a king size room with kitchen to $2000 for a two bedroom, three bathroom suite. Sixteen is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but it can be difficult to get a reservation. Rebar is the lounge on the mezzanine level, and it’s a spot I’d meet friends at for a drink.
Trump Tower Ribbon Cutting Ceremony: 
