History aficionados know Morristown as the home of Morristown National Historical Park, where important Revolutionary War sites like Fort Nonsense and the New Jersey Brigade Area are located.
But in addition to its history, the city is flush with great hotels and restaurants perfect for a corporate meeting or special event, and offers plenty for attendees to do in their off-time.
What to Eat
Blue Morel Restaurant and Wine Bar combines the finest seasonal ingredients from local, regional, organic and sustainable farms with the culinary creativity of chef Dennis Mathews and chef Thomas Ciszak. “Even though our menu changes based on the season, two of our most popular dishes have remained on the menu since our opening—Chili-Cinnamon Chilean Sea Bass and the Horseradish-crusted Crab Cakes,” says Richard Ramos, general manager. For private dining, Blue Morel features the Wine Room, which seats up to 18 guests in an intimate and sophisticated setting. The Wine Bar offers more than 70 wines by the glass and half glass tastings and is available for receptions for up to 30 people.
Situated within a 1917 mansion, Jockey Hollow Bar and Kitchen offers a seafood-centric menu with American influences and has a raw bar, the Rathskellar, and lounge. “We have five distinct dining areas ranging from finedining to an oyster bar to an outdoor patio with an à la carte menu,” says Rocco Petriello, assistant general manager and events director. “In our basement, we offer a German-style restaurant and we also use that space for meetings and events.” There are also two rooms upstairs that can be utilized for meetings of 24 or less. “We serve great food and have great service in a unique location,” Petriello says.
End of Elm is known for serving small plates and craft cocktails. “The idea is that patrons order multiple, shareable dishes to encapsulate the overall experience of the atmosphere,” says owner Paul Haley. “Everything from the kitchen and the bar is created using fresh ingredients.” Signature dishes include tuna pizza, arepas, and chicken and waffles. The restaurant features a large copper-topped communal table, great for hosting business meetings or a casual gathering with friends. “The communal table makes it the perfect place to hold a meeting—as does the small intimate setting and banquette booth seating,” Haley says. “Meeting guests will get a customized menu and also a dedicated server and bartender for parties of 20 or more.”
Where to Stay
Originally known as the Morristown Inn, the Best Western PLUS Morristown Inn has been a part of Morristown’s history for the past 30 years. “We are known as a cozy home away from home for our leisure and corporate guests,” says Susan Yates, director of sales and marketing. “With only 60 rooms, we know our guests by name and we have created a warm and inviting sanctuary with freshly baked cookies to welcome our guests in the afternoon.” The hotel boasts four different meeting spaces with various options for setup. “Our smallest room is a boardroom set up for 10 and our largest is our 700-squarefoot Cromwell Room, which can comfortably seat 48 banquet-style, 60 theater-style, 35 classroom-style, 60 for a reception and 30 for a U-shape style,” Yates says. “We offer a speakerphone, mounted screens, an LCD projector along with podium, and A/V cart and plenty of power strips and outlets in every room.” There’s plentiful parking with the conference rooms just off the steps or elevator, so access is incredibly easy.
As the tallest building in Morristown, the Hyatt Regency Morristown offers stunning views of the town and surrounding hillsides. “We’re perfectly situated just steps away from the Morristown Green, the manicured and busy park at the center of historic down – town,” says Ilemona Salifu, director of sales and marketing. “The hotel’s upscale loca – tion is surrounded by more than 60 popular options for restaurants, world-class shopping and entertainment venues, all within a short walk from the hotel.” The Hyatt Regency Morristown has more than 31,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, including four large ballrooms. The hotel can accommodate vari – ous types of functions, from executive board meetings and interview sessions to celebratory receptions. “We pride ourselves on our ability to deliver clever and concise service,” Salifu says. “Within their meeting planner surveys, our clients consistently offer positive feedback regarding our colleagues, citing our service as one of the reasons they continue to return.”
Blue Morel Restaurant and Wine Bar is situated inside The Westin Governor Morris, which itself offers elegant rooms to accom – modate up to 400 guests for larger events and meetings. “Whether you’re hosting a large corporate event or an intimate business meet – ing, our dynamic, modern venue spaces offer tremendous flexibility,” Ramos says. “Benefit from our state-of-the-art amenities and friendly, professional service and relax know – ing that your meeting in Morristown will be a total success.” The amenities, technology and audio-visual equipment at the hotel can support any sized meeting to a large state of the art conference. “We offer superior Wi-Fi to connect to the internet, as well as audio and video conferencing equipment,” Ramos says. “Other services include 70-inch flat panel displays to deluxe stage lighting and sound all handled by a professional and knowledgeable audio-visual team.”
What to Do
If you love history, Morristown is the place to be. Mark Sutherland, manager of historic sites for the Morris County Park Commission, says people should stop by the Historic Speedwell, known as the “Birthplace of the Telegraph.” The Factory Building where it was invented is now a National Historic Landmark. “The site currently preserves 8 acres, five original structures (the Vail Home, the Factory Building and three outbuildings), and three historic homes,” he says. “The surrounding buildings preserve what is left of the estate of Stephen Vail, owner of the once-thriving Speedwell Ironworks, which were located nearby.” There are two rentable meeting spaces at Historic Speedwell—The 1849 Carriage House, which can hold up to 60 people, and the L’Hommedieu House meeting room, which is a more modern space located in the restored early 19th century L’Hommedieu House, which can hold up to 32 people.
And no trip to Morristown is complete without a visit to the Morris Museum, which has numerous exhibition rooms full of memories from the past. It’s best known for its Murtogh D. Guinness Collection of Mechanical Musical Instruments and Automata (robotic figures of animals and people). Space can also be rented at its entrance pavilion, which can accommodate up to 140 guests seated and up to 200 for a cocktail reception. Several of the museum’s other exhibition rooms are also available to rent. “The juxtaposition of our intimate, over 100-year-old mansion and fresh, modern spaces will make your event a unique experience in a timeless setting,” says Amy von Sternberg, events manager.
