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A look inside an exclusive AmEx cardmember event, where attendees enjoy luxury hotel accommodations and meals prepared by award-winning chefshttps://www.businessinsider.in/miscellaneous/a-look-inside-an-exclusive-amex-cardmember-event-where-attendees-enjoy-luxury-hotel-accommodations-and-meals-prepared-by-award-winning-chefs/slidelist/68502320.cms2019-03-20T20:35:51+05:30

A look inside an exclusive AmEx cardmember event, where attendees enjoy luxury hotel accommodations and meals prepared by award-winning chefs

Mar 20, 2019, 20:35 IST

After going through security — the operating airline had representatives escorting attendees of the AmEx event to the front of the line — and stopping very briefly in the lounge, we were taken to gate B23 in JFK's terminal 4. From there, we boarded buses, which drove us to the remote stand where the chartered Boeing 767 was parked.

One of the benefits of a chartered aircraft is that it can be configured for exactly what the client needs.

Each seat — which could recline far back and had foot and leg rests — had a large pillow, warm blanket, and custom in-flight menu waiting on it.

Here's the menu. I ordered the chicken, which was tasty, but I only had a few bites in the end — I slept through most of the flight.

There was a bit of a wait after we got on board, as we waited for another busload of passengers and the flight crew finished their preparations.

After a quick and comfortable flight, we landed at Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, and taxied to the private and charter area. We walked down from the plane ...

... And straight onto two buses waiting on the tarmac to take us to the hotel.

A short ride later, we arrived at the hotel, the Condado Vanderbilt. A luxury hotel that first opened in 1919, the beachfront property is included in the AmEx Fine Hotels and Resorts program.

We arrived and bypassed the normal front desk. Instead, there was a private check-in area in one of the hotel's event spaces. This was a smart idea — it sped up the check-in process for us, and it meant that the people from the AmEx event didn't get in the way of other guests checking in. There was a casual reception on the balcony outside, overlooking the ocean, but I forgot to take a photo.

After a drink and chat with other reporters in San Juan for the opening weekend, I went upstairs to check out my room.

The suite had two large sitting areas, essentially dividing the non-bedroom into living and dining areas.

Here's another view from the sitting area.

The bedroom was big, with a king-sized bed, a dresser, television, and closet.

Here's a closer look at the bed.

The rest of the day was free time for cardholders on the trip.

After dinner, we went to the Luis A Ferré Performing Arts Center, where Hamilton's opening-night performance was underway.

Breakfast at the hotel was included as part of the event, so the next day started with views of the Atlantic Ocean in the hotel's sunlit breakfast room.

Since the event was centered around AmEx's "Shop Small" initiative in Puerto Rico, there were shuttle buses made available between the hotel and the Old San Juan shopping district.

A café and chocolate shop called Chocobar was a definite highlight.

At around 3:30, all of the event attendees met in the hotel lobby for a big, multi-course "Dine Small" reception.

The reception was held outdoors at La Arcada, an event space.

Cardholders were greeted with a piña colada as they walked in.

There was a social cocktail event to start, featuring passed appetizers, and a full bar in the back of the space.

As the cocktail hour (it was actually more like a half hour) wound down, we all made our way to the tables and found our places.

After a few presentations ...

... It was time for dinner.

The first course was a thick celery soup with foie gras and black truffle butter, prepared by Wilo Benet.

Next came a delicious beet salad, also featuring goat cheese, toasted almonds, mandarin orange peel, and a honey vinaigrette. The salad was created by chefs (and sisters) Yareli and Xoimar Manning.

Next came a fantastic smoked swordfish crudo by chef Jose Enrique.

The fourth course was a fantastic pork dish, followed by a chocolate coconut rum cake, both by chef Mario Págan.

Hamilton's curtain time was fast approaching, so we hopped onto the charter buses and took a short ride to the theater. The bus stopped a couple of blocks away, and we walked up the rest of the way.

It looked like there wasn't a bad seat in the house — but the AmEx attendee seats were undoubtedly fantastic. They were about a third of the way back from the stage in the orchestra level.

The production was fantastic, and seeing Lin Manuel Miranda in the show's titular role was something special.

After the show, there was a private reception outside of the theater for the AmEx attendees, which included a meet and greet with Miranda and other cast members. Miranda was only there briefly, but still took the time to take photos with any attendee who wanted.

The next morning, attendees had breakfast at the hotel, before heading back to New York's JFK airport. I took a separate flight, as I had prior work commitments elsewhere, but I was told that it was the same exact type of plane and flight experience as it was on the way down. Before they left, attendees were given a special souvenir package from the show.

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