The 1961 Renovation

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The 1961 Renovation

The Stacy-Trent Hotel

Meeting and Eating at the Stacy-Trent

In March, 1960, plans were announced to convert the Stacy-Trent's huge main lobby and lounge into new ballrooms. The move was intended to provide additional meeting and dining space in Trenton, as the Hotel Hildebrecht had recently rented its entire mezzanine level (to include its ballroom) to the State. According to Robert K. McPherson, operator of the Stacy-Trent, "this new arrangement...will make use of a good deal of space now being wasted. It will also mean that banquets will be better than ever at the Stacy-Trent."

The expansion, which was completed in January, 1961, was said to give the Hotel Stacy-Trent the most extensive banquet and meeting facilities in the Central New Jersey and Bucks County area. As of that time, the Stacy-Trent offered the following facilities, listed by room name and displaying the number of individuals the room could accomodate:

Rooms Meetings Banquets

Grand Ballroom 750 550

Terrace 450 300

Empire* 350 250

Garden* 250 150

Lawrenceville* 150 100

Reception 150 100

Capitol* 100 75

Studio 60 45

Princeton 50 35

Hunt 35 25

Willow* 35 20

* reflect new rooms created by the expansion

The January, 1961 issue of Trenton magazine had the "Hotel Stacy-Trent Expansion" as its cover story. The article paints a marvelous portrait of words in describing the new rooms, based on observations made during a special preview party on January 6, 1961, attended by hundreds of business, governmental and civic leaders. Some of the descriptions are reprinted below:

Empire Room: "Guests were greeted in the elegantly appointed Empire Room, located on the former ground floor lounge area. Blue, gold-trimmed columns along the walls give this room an air of stateliness. Adding to that impression are custom-painted drapes of varying shades of blue...Conservative gray blue panels at the base of the walls contrast tastefully with soft white walls...With nearly 2,100 square feet of floor space, the Empire Room is ideal for banquets with a 250 capacity, regional sales conferences, formal dances, and industrial shows. A smooth stone floor with a blue and white diamond design makes for an appropriate surface for dancing or for heavy industrial exhibits."

Garden Room: "The well-named Garden Room is situated on the Ballroom level directly above the Empire Room. With delicate French doors opening into garden scenes along the wall, the new room makes a delightful setting for weddings, for dinners on festive occasions, and meetings of medium size...Pale yellow walls, sky blue ceiling, and green gold leaf trimmed columns contribute further to the garden-like appearance."

Lawrenceville Room: "The largest (of the three new rooms) is the attractive Lawrenceville Room, which can house a banquet of 100 - like that of the popular Reception Room. The Lawrenceville Room gives a rich appearance with its oak based beige walls, maroon carpets, and custom drapes."

Capitol Room: "The Capitol Room has a headquarters look to it. Blue and gold trimmed panels are neatly set against gray walls, and a coat of arms insignia stands above the windows."

Willow Room: "The Willow Room, as the name would suggest, is done in shades of green with scenes of willow clusters along the walls. This is the smallest of all the meeting rooms, designed for meetings and luncheons with a maximum seating of 20."