July 4th Week Special Packages

We're running some great package specials at our Priory Hotel website for July 4th week (July 2 through 6).  See the city at a great rate with your package, and add additional nights for just $129 per night plus tax, per double occupancy.  You can check out the specials here.

Some Fun New Specials for Spring

We've got some fun specials coming up for May and June, celebrating some of the great events that Pittsburgh has to offer.  Check out our Specials page on our Priory Hotel website for more information and details!

We're having fun with overnight specials involving shows at Stage AE, including the upcoming Foster the People concert, concerts at the PPG Paints Arena, and the ever-fantastic Three Rivers Arts Festival.   The TRAF features top notch musical talent nightly - absolutely free!  Check out the concert line up here.

Save yourself the headache of driving home after your event, or treat yourself to a staycation at the Arts Fest - we're here for you!

Mothers Day Special Package

We're celebrating Mothers' Day with a great special package which will surprise and delight any Mom in your life!  It combines spa treatments, champagne, dinner at the Carlton restaurant and some other fun surprises.  You can find out more details at our Specials page on our Priory website.  You can check it out here.  You can book the special Mothers' Day week or buy a certificate to use throughout the year!

Pens-Caps Special Package!

Coming to town for the NHL playoffs?  Stay at the Priory at our special rate of $129 (plus tax) per night and enjoy a special snack and your choice of two glasses of wine, beer of your choice, or specialty cocktail when yo show your game tickets at our Monks' Bar, the smallest bar in Pittsburgh!  This offer is valid from April 30 thrugh May 3, and may be redeemed every night you stay! 

And don't forget, the Priory offers:

* Complimentary shuttle service to and from the game

* Complimentary parking

* Complimentary Wi-Fi

* Complimientary expanded continental breakfast

Please note that this apecial may not be used in conjunction with any other special offers, and priced per double occupancy.  Offer is valid only on April 30-May 3.  Contact our Front Desk at (412) 231-3338 to make your reservations today.  

#3 on the List!

Check this out! The Priory Hospitality Group's The Mansions on Fifth came in #3 on the list of 10 Epic Adventures Every Pittsburgher Must Take Before They Die.

Meet Andy Warhol Special Package

The Priory Hotel is featuring another special package to kick off the start of Spring! Get in touch with your artsy side and experience the famous works of Andy Warhol! To book call (866)-3Priory or (412) 231-3338

A Great Night Out Special Package

The Priory Hotel has decided to feature a couple of packages to celebrate the start of Spring! One package we are showcasing is Our Great Night Out Special Package. It is the perfect way to spend an evening enjoying the sights and bites of Pittsburgh. For more information please call 866-3PRIORY or 412-231-3338.

Saving Sacred Spaces Summit!

We're delighted to be hosting the Young Preservationists of Pittsburgh's Saving Sacred Spaces Summit from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday, March 23.  A group of panelist, including your's truly, will be discussing the preservation and repurposing of churches and other religious structures.  For more information, click here.

Pugilists Visit the Priory Again

We're hosting the second annual North Side versus the Outside fundraiser for the Steel City Boxing Club this Friday, September 9.  The event starts at 6 p.m., and will feature a variety of boxing matches featuring members of the Steel City Club taking on fighters from throughout the city.  We hosted this event last September, and it was a lot of fun and spectators had a chance to see some dedicated youth practice the sweet science.  Tickets are $40 for a seat and $20 for standing room.

Here's a link to the event's Facebook page.

Andy Russell in the House

We were pleased to host Steeler great, former linebacker Andy Russell.  Andy received an award from the Homeless Children's Education Fund at it's annual Champions for Children Event, which we were delighted to host this year.

Wine Party at the Priory

We had a great time at our August wine party.  The weather was great, and our old friend Joey DiSalvo came to talk about the 7 Collefrisio Vineyards (from Abruzzi, Italy) wines we tasted.  Joey, who also owns and operates DiSalvo's Station event space and restaurant  is a friend and colleague through the Pennsylvania Restaurant and Lodging Association, where Joey served as Chair in 2009 and I'm proud to serve as Chair this year.  Thanks to Joey and his colleague Vance Kaloz for some fantastic wines and a fun and educational night!

Priory Hotel Featured in National MSN Article

Microsoft Network (MSN.com) ran a recent story entitled Fifteen Affordable U.S. Cities to Add to Your Bucket List.  Pittsburgh, not surprisingly, was among them.  In the piece on Pittsburgh, travelers are directed to try Meat and Potatoes for dinner, the Warhol Museum for a tour stop, and our Priory Hotel for lodging, the only hotel mentioned in the Pittsburgh portion of the piece!

PRLA Good Neighbor Awards

I was really honored, in my capacity as Chairman of the statewide Pennsylvania Restaurant & Lodging Association, to have the opportunity to deliver our two Restaurant Good Neighbor Awards at the PRLA's Spring Meeting.  The winners were the Springfield Restaurant Group, near Pittsburgh, and Lehigh Valley Restaurant Group.  Both are doing great works in assisting their communities.  Congratulations to them!

Acquiring the Westinghouse Castle

We were very pleased this week to have acquired the Westinghouse Castle in Wilmerding, near Monroeville.  This historic building was constructed by George Westinghouse in the early 1890's to serve as the offices for his air brake factory.  Our plan is to convert the building into a hotel, event facility and restaurant, which honors the legacy of George Westinghouse and the workers who built this region.

You can see a Post-Gazette story on the acquisition here.

Here is a link to the Castle's Facebook page.

Craft Beer Week Special at the Priory Hotel!

It's Craft Beer Week in Pittsburgh, and the region has an ever-growing collection of craft breweries, some small and some not-so-small.  Our Priory Hotel is featuring an overnight special to let guests sample the offerings of Craft Beer Week from our central location.  The CBW planners have a wide variety of events planned throughout the week, all of which look to be a great deal of fun!  

Our special package includes a $50 certificate for dinner at the famed Church Brew Works, as well as a chilled bucket of four bottled microbrewed beers available to our guests at check in. Guests may also use the Priory Hotel's shuttle to take you to and from the Church, as well as to other center city locations holding Craft Brew Week events!  

  

Package price:  King room - $199 per double occupancy, plus tax; Queen room - $179 per double occupancy, plus tax.  Additional nights are available at a rate of $139 for a King room and $119 for a Queen (exclusive of tax).  

For more information, visit our website here, or call 866 3PRIORY to speak with one of our Front Desk Associates.   

For information about CBW Events, click here.  

For a Post-Gazette story on CBW, click here.

April Al Fresco Wine Party is April 21!

            Sometimes we feel a little crazy here at the Priory Hotel and Grand Hall, and April showers and April Fools only makes it worse!  So we’re breaking the mold on our traditional wine tasting format for our April event -- it's not a wine tasting, it's a WINE PARTY!  Instead of riffing on a theme with a single host, we’re busting open our vaults to produce a potpourri of different wines from around the world that you can taste and sample at your leisure.  If you like one wine, stick to that one.  If you want to sample a variety, do that.  You’re in control!

And instead of pairing wines with a particular plate, we’re trying out something different – an old fashioned southern Seafood Boil!  This traditional recipe, served family style, includes a savory broth thick with shrimp, mussels, clams, sausage, whole corn, potatoes and a variety of veggies.    We’ll also be serving fresh garlic toast, fresh fruit and cheese, and cheesecake pops for dessert. 

Among the wines that we’ll be offering: 

·         Drusian Dru Cru Sparkling (Valdobbiandena, Italy)

·         Villa Sarndi Prosecco (Treviso, Italy)

·         Villa Sandi Rose Brut (Crocelledel Montello, Italy)

·         Bogle Essential Red (California 2013):  Blend of old vine Zinfandel, Syrah, Cabernet and Petit Syrah

·         Cosentino “The Dark” Red Blend (Lodi 2013)

·         Paso Del Sol Camenere (Central Valley 2010)   

·         Briar Valley Lemberger (Bedford, PA 2011)

·         Cosentino “The Franc” (Lodi 2013):  Cabernet Franc

·         Dante Marramiero Dry Rose (Cerasuolo D’Abruzzo 2014)

·         Vignal Chardonnay (Venezie 2012)

·         Lima White (Vinho Verde, Portugal 2013):  100% Laureiro

And we’ll be offering other special guest wines as well (no 1982 Chateau Margaux, though, so don’t get your hopes up).   

                Music will be by Ray Lanich and his axe, a fan favorite at the Priory.  We’ll be outside, good Lord willing!  

                Doors open at 6:00 p.m., and the party begins at 6:30 p.m.  Tickets are $60 per person.  Please contact Gene Lucente at gene@thepriory.com with questions or to make reservations.  

Priory Celebrates 100th Anniversary of the Easter Rising

Our Grand Hall will be hosting events on Friday, April 15 and Saturday, April 17 commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Easter Rising, the ultimately doomed takeover of the General Post Office in Dublin by a hardscrabble team of farmers and scholars fighting for Irish independence.  While ultimately not successful in the short run, this brave and valiant corps of volunteers set the fuse which started the War of Irish Independence, which created the Republic of Ireland.  The Easter Rising Committee of Pittsburgh is organizing these events, which range from dramatic readings to sporting events.  Details are below:

For online event ticket purchases, please visit www.pittsburghremembers1916.com
For paper ticket sales, please contact: Rich O’Malley @ 412-401-3945

Pittsburgh 1916 Easter Rising Committee, LLC
~ Schedule of Activities for 100^th Anniversary of the Easter Rising ~
"Kids under age 12 - admission is free at all events"

“WEEKEND GOLD ADMISSION TICKET”
~ Admission to ALL Easter Rising Activities listed below~

Friday, April 15^th: “Setting the Stage” – Priory’s Grand Hall
Saturday, April 16^th - Noon: “GAA Football & Hurling” – Cupples Field
Saturday, April 16^th – 7:30 PM: “Pittsburgh Irish Ceili” – Teamsters Temple
Sunday, April 17^th: “Putting it All Together” – Priory’s Grand Hall
Full Weekend Admission: $50.00

~ OR SINGLE PURCHASE OPTIONS ~

Setting the Stage: An Evening of History, Performance, Reflection
Friday, April 15^th 7:30 p.m.
Featuring a one-of-a-kind Pittsburgh Irish & Classical Theater (PICT) performance
Appetizers, cash bar & more….
Location: The Priory’s Grand Hall, 614 Pressley Street – North Shore
Admission: $20.00
~
Ireland’s Sporting Tradition: GAA Football Exhibition
Saturday, April 16^TH 12 p.m.
Men’s Football: Pittsburgh Celtics vs Cleveland
Ladies Football: Pittsburgh Banshees
Pittsburgh Pucas Hurling Club vs University of Pittsburgh
Location: George Cupples Stadium, 800 East Carson Street – Southside
Admission is FREE
~
Pittsburgh Irish Ceili: An Evening of Irish Culture, Friendship, Music, Dance
Saturday, April 16^th 7 p.m.
Featuring Irish Seisun Musicians, Jimmy Lamb,
& the Shovlin Academy of Irish Dance
Food, soft drinks, beer & wine, BYOB
Location: Teamsters Temple, 4701 Butler Street – Lawrenceville
Admission: $20.00
~
Creating Understanding: Putting it All Together
Sunday, April 17^th 12 p.m.
Featuring Renowned Irish Author & Journalist
Tim Pat Coogan
with Michael Bartley
Presentation of Awards to Student Literary & Visual Arts Contest Finalists
Lunch included & cash bar
Location: The Priory’s Grand Hall, 614 Pressley Street – North Shore
Admission: $20.00

Dogfish Head Brewery Pays a Visit to the Priory!

We were excited to host an event for our friend Ken Vecenie of Vecenie Distributing, the master distributor in western Pennsylvania for many craft beer brands including Dogfish Head Brewery of Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.  Dogfish Head was one of the first craft brewers on the East Coast, and has expanded into a much sought after national brand, with its iconic 60 Minute and 90 Minute IPA's.

Ken and his Vecenie team hosted Dogfish Head founder Sam Calagione.  Sam is known not only as a beer craftsman, but also as a philosopher on the subject of entrepreneurship.  He addressed a group of distributors and tavern owners, and shared with them his insights into business as well as discussing the multitudes of Dogfish Head products served during the event.

Here is the Tribune-Review's coverage of Sam's presentation.

Best Places for Kimchi in Pittsburgh According to Foursquare

Foursquare listed the top 12 places for Kimchi, the Korean sauerkraut-like dish in Pittsburgh.  These are all some great places, and I'd recommend looking into them, but the absence of Sushi Kim in the Strip District is an unbelievable oversight.  Sushi Kim is hands down the best Korean in Pittsburgh!

Foursquare's list is here.

Stash: Hotels Which Were Something Else

Our Priory Hotel was one of several Stash Hotels Reward affiliated hotels in a recent e-blast article -- Out with the Old, describing hotel buildings which had been restored from other uses. The Priory Hotel, of course, had been the St. Mary's Priory, a Benedictine monastery built in 1888.  Thanks to our friends at Stash for the shout out.  

Read the article here.