The party looked like a wedding or a big birthday, but it was a very different celebration a few weeks ago as the Holiday Inn Plainview, an iconic hotel just off the Long Island Expressway, held a grand opening after J Group acquired it for $21 million.
Local and state officials, along with well-wishers, celebrated at the Jan. 26 ribbon cutting following an extensive renovation.
U.S. Rep Tom Suozzi, state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph Saladino, Glen Cove Mayor Pamela D. Panzenbeck and Nassau County GOP Chairman Joseph Cairo
all were there to celebrate.
“The Holiday Inn Plainview has been a landmark for many years,” DiNapoli said in the lobby. “Under this new leadership and management, it’s been beautifully refurbished. This is going to be a destination for Long Islanders and people visiting Long Island.”
Guests danced, ate and celebrated at the party complete with catering, a DJ and decorations. J Group Corp. Chairman Shudh Parkash Singh said it was an “honor and a pleasure” to welcome officials and guests to the new “Holiday Inn property we acquired in Plainview,” which he described as the “most convenient location on Long Island.”
Following a major renovation, this longtime Long Island presence now boasts everything from newly renovated rooms to a revamped Aura Ballroom.
The hotel also includes Bistro 495 restaurant, a sports bar, a 24-hour fitness center, an outdoor swimming pool, cocktail rooms and a presidential suite.
In addition to welcoming guests, it hosts corporate conferences, reunions, receptions, celebrations, and meetings in its eight meeting rooms, which total 6,572 square feet and can accommodate up to 250 guests.
The centrally located Holiday Inn also is used by a large number of business travelers, as well as leisure travelers and family visitors.
The hotel has the biggest banquet room of any Holiday Inn in Nassau County and is located at Exit 46, near companies such as Canon, Geico, Capital One, Bank of America, Mattress Firm, Leviton, and Grumman Studios.
“We made a lot of changes,” said Sartaj Singh, president of Holiday Inn Plainview and Shudh Parkash Singh’s son, of the full-service hotel. “Our goal is to give the best amenities to guests out of any hotel on Long Island with the most competitive rates.”
The facilities include AV equipment and catering, all at a centrally located venue. The hotel’s food and beverage department is operated by Remo & Priyanka.
“It’s really nice here. We would recommend it to our customers, people getting married, sweet sixteens, people having a party,” said Kristina McLeod, who runs TablewearNY. “The interior is more modern than some of the catering halls.”
Shudh Parkash Singh said he first saw Holiday Inn Plainview many years ago and was immediately impressed by it, including a location that he still sees as second to none.
“As a new immigrant working 12 to 16 hours a day I’d go to city, driving on the Long Island Expressway,” Shudh Parkash Singh said. “Every time I passed by Exit 46, I saw this sign and admired the location. I never thought I would own it one day.”
The grand opening was held in the Aura Ballroom, the catering hall designed for parties and other events.
“It’s got good carpet, wallpaper, chandeliers,” said Priya G, who helps run the ballroom. “Everything is new.” Remo Bala, who also helps run the Aura Ballroom, said the venue attracts people to events from far away.
“People come from all over the world,” he said.
In addition to a wide range of events, the venue has been attracting Southeastern Asian weddings, which can last as long as a week.
“Internationally, India is known for its hospitality,” Shudh Parkash Singh added. “We are a culturally hospitable community.”
The company also developed and owns what Shudh Prakash Singh says is the first ethnic South Asian shopping center in the country, the Kundan Mall in Hicksville.
“There was a need for that. There wasn’t any place where you could go and get everything,” Shudh Parkash Singh said. “Our vision was to have everything South Asian, Indian, Pakistani, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, in one place. It’s a South Asian shopping center. It has become a community hub.”
