The Heart of Hospitality: Our Event Team's Dedication to Your Special Moments

The Heart of Hospitality: Our Event Team's Dedication to Your Special Moments

Jenny Niesen, Director of Catering 

 

At The Hay-Adams, we pride ourselves on creating extraordinary events. As Director of Catering, I've witnessed firsthand how our staff's passion, creativity, and attention to detail transform every gathering into an unforgettable experience.

Weddings are magical; anniversary parties, vow renewals, birthday celebrations, and retirement parties are heartwarming. Holiday parties make teams feel special. And all kinds of business meetings – from receptions to shareholder events and everything in between – are flawless. 

While our stunning venue, Top of the Hay, and its unparalleled view of the White House and the city beyond is undoubtedly why events at The Hay-Adams are so unique, I’ve had more than 25 years at the hotel to determine that it's our dedicated event team that truly brings every event to life.

I’m a native of the metropolitan Washington, DC area. As the oldest child of five, I think I’ve always had an inclination to lead, to create order in high-energy situations, and to make things happen. It’s a natural fit for events that often have hundreds of details to manage and a long list of people involved, from the client booking the event to wedding planners to florists and photographers, to our own staff in food and beverage, hotel operations, and more.

I first joined The Hay-Adams as executive assistant to the managing director of the hotel. I was drawn to the hotel being at the heart of political and cultural action. (Little did I know at the time that I also had a distant link to President John Adams, as my mother discovered during a venture into family geneaology, and that I would spend most of my adult life bringing people together at a hotel built on the site of his relatives’ home!) 

I wanted to work in the realm of movers and shakers, and along the way, I discovered an affinity for hospitality. I moved on to management roles in Reservations & Guest Services and Conference Services, and then became Assistant Director of Catering. In 2023, I was promoted to Director of Catering. 

What’s really interesting, though, is that my longevity at the hotel is almost the norm. We have staff who have been here even longer. One of our doormen, José, has been part of the fabric of The Hay-Adams since 1984, and guests know and love him as he greets them and their families. Imagine their delight when they come to an evening event and he is one of the bartenders, too.

The familiarity and consistency of everyone on our staff who brings events to life is at the heart of the hospitality our clients say they feel when they work with us.

Our Executive Chef, Nicolas Legret, has worked in the hotel since 2009 and was promoted to lead all culinary efforts in 2016. It’s rare for an executive chef in a hotel to lend his experience to every event, and he does it with such attention to every detail. The Director of Banquets, John Graham, has worked here for 15 years, with broad hospitality experience previously earned in London, New York and other cities. He brings to life the idea that every event is unique and memorable.

One of our banquet managers, George, has worked at nearly every Saturday wedding we’ve held at this hotel; he’s overseen literally thousands of weddings in his career. And George is a master at making brides, their families, and every guest feel relaxed and calm so they can enjoy every moment of the wedding. Wedding planners ask for him by name and sometimes change the date of a wedding to be able to work with George.

The ability to work with colleagues that I can trust implicitly, that our vendor partners and especially our clients trust, is priceless. It’s a powerful feeling to know that each of us within the events and catering teams are delivering experiences that touch people’s hearts and become cherished memories. 

Weddings and events are complex with details and emotional expectations. Multiple people with differing communication styles are involved. Hours can feel long. But that’s what makes this aspect of hospitality so rewarding. When our banquet servers tear up at a wedding because they feel the joy the couple is sharing, or when a business client tells us how grateful they are that we helped make them look good, there’s a spark of satisfaction in being part of something greater than any one of us can achieve alone.

It's a testament to our ability to make people feel both celebratory and celebrated, that they keep coming back to us. We have clients who come back ten years after a wedding for their anniversary party, and then for their child’s college graduation party, and that child’s wedding. One client has a birthday celebration every year for her mother. Another couple were married here, then welcomed their daughter with us at her Brit Bat.

We are connected with our guests not only in the lead-up to and execution of their events, but often on a deeper level. I recently had a woman whose wedding was at Top of the Hay ten years ago come in and share with me that she is making pivotal career changes. She wanted to go into the space that had meant so much to her, because it grounded her in memories of her happiest moment.

Our events reflect the deepest desires of every client who simply wants to connect with their group in a meaningful way, for both social and business purposes. 

Thanks to the team, our events also reflect the soul of hospitality that makes The Hay-Adams a place like no other, where nothing is overlooked, and where everyone is welcome.