The Digest | New Jersey Magazine
Issue link: https://magazines.vuenj.com/i/1180832
But it's not just the artists who are local. Wittmann and her team have gone above and beyond the call of duty to make e MC Hotel a living, breathing part of Montclair. ey do this by working with local brands in any way possible, many of whom have strong community roots. During my first stay at e MC Hotel, I quickly recognized just how far they'd gone. Beers on tap included everything from Magnify Brewing in Fairfield to Ghost Hawk in Clion, and an aptly named "MC Pilsner" straight from Montclair Brewery across town. At the bar, I tried my luck with one of e MC Hotel's staple cocktails, Goodfella, a whiskey drink made with lemon, orange and Amaro CioCiaro (and to my delight, a metal straw). ough the cocktail was refreshing, the real kicker was that it was made with New Jersey's Misunderstood Ginger Whiskey, the owners of which grew up right in Montclair, along with my coffee from Great Notch Roasters—another set of owners who live in town. e list goes on. e 159-room hotel, managed by Aparium Hotel Group, joins the Marriott's Autograph Collection and offers full-service dining in its 95-seat restaurant, Allegory, which only adds to the city's robust dining scene. In addition to e MC Hotel's lobby bar and restaurant is Alto—a 106-seat rooop bar and lounge—which opened in October featuring its own unique cocktails and a retro '70s vibe. From this vantage point you can see Montclair State, Lower Manhattan and even the Verrazano Bridge. Here, the team endeavors to bring in local creatives and entertainment groups for collaboration. As much as my stay at e MC Hotel felt very Montclair- inspired, being inside my fourth floor suite didn't feel like I was in town at all—and that's a good thing. What I mean is that the level of crasmanship that went into its posh design of the hotel's rooms gives one the notion of sophistication and being away (even if I can still see Whole Foods from my bedroom window). e MC Hotel's gray and light cream color palette allow its details and artwork to shine through. Mini fridges and snack bars inside each room are also outfitted with community ties such as Joe Chips, Dolce Federica and Martin's Pretzels, many of whom also live in town. V U E N J . C O M 80