Priory hotel Expanding (Pittsburgh: appointed, apartment, receptions) - Pennsylvania (PA) - City-Data Forum

pman · 10-08-2009, 11:58 AM

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The Priory Hotel will expand next year from 24 units to 41 when it adds a new three-story building on the site of an apartment building that burned early this year at 1608 Pressley St. in Deutschtown.
The Historic Review Commission approved the plan yesterday.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09281/1003861-53.stm#ixzz0TMu2GkNw

Pitt Chick · 10-08-2009, 01:27 PM

Nice!

Hopes · 10-08-2009, 08:05 PM

I attended a wedding at the Priory. It was disappointingly tacky---the building and the wedding setup---everything.

Chichappens · 10-09-2009, 02:46 AM

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Originally Posted by Hopes

I attended a wedding at the Priory. It was disappointingly tacky---the building and the wedding setup---everything.

wow! I never been inside but the website http://www.thepriory.com/galleries.asp (broken link) does not look tacky......tell us more.....being in the place in more real then those photos.

ditchdigger · 10-09-2009, 05:26 AM

I did some work in their parking lot, and while I was there, the lady in charge showed me the Grand Hall. Later, I got to go to a wedding there. I don't even know the parameters for the word "tacky" as it applies to weddings, but I thought the facility was pretty impressive. My impression was more on the "wow" side...

Hopes · 10-09-2009, 07:07 AM

The carpeting is ugly. The paint is just layered over old paint. The mauve colors are bla. There are huge metal fire doors right next to tables. There are two rows of large columns going through the center of the room that prevent everyone from seeing each other or the wedding itself.

As for the wedding setup, I thought it was tacky to watch a wedding while sitting casually at a reception table while people drank alcohol! That's right, the bar was open before the wedding and only closed during the actual service. Afterwards, the DJ was set up on the alter!

Just imagine taking an old Catholic church, tearing out all of the pews, laying carpeting and putting tables in place of the pews, with a bar over near the confessionals. That's basically what this place is. I'm fairly liberal, not very religious, and I thought it was rather offensive.

Chichappens · 10-09-2009, 07:14 AM

Yah I have to say that does sound VERY tacky....

robrobrob · 10-09-2009, 08:13 AM

I was at a wedding there. It wasn't tacky. I thought it was nice. The wedding ceremony was outside and was clearly casual. This isn't for everyone and if you prefer a more formal cermony you would hate it. I personally think the place is nice for a smaller reception. If the reception is too big then your can't have a separate cocktail area, which I prefer, and people are having there cocktails standing around the reception tables.

ditchdigger · 10-09-2009, 08:24 AM

It was a wedding reception that I attended there. My relatives are perfectly happy to find their own places to drink before the ceremony.

I'm not really equipped to comment on matters of what's ugly or bla. It's just kind of not on my radar.

For them that's too lazy to explore the website, here's the link directly to the Grand Hall page: The Priory Hotel : : Pittsburgh's Grand Hall (http://www.thepriory.com/grand.asp - broken link) Not a lot of pictures, but I still think it's impressive.

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There are two rows of large columns going through the center of the room that prevent everyone from seeing each other or the wedding itself.

I guess it must've been tacky when it was a church too then.

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Just imagine taking an old Catholic church, tearing out all of the pews, laying carpeting and putting tables in place of the pews, with a bar over near the confessionals. That's basically what this place is. I'm fairly liberal, not very religious, and I thought it was rather offensive.

So what would you have done with the building, or just done differently?

Hopes · 10-09-2009, 09:00 AM

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Originally Posted by ditchdigger

It was a wedding reception that I attended there. My relatives are perfectly happy to find their own places to drink before the ceremony.

Before, not during.

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Originally Posted by ditchdigger

For them that's too lazy to explore the website, here's the link directly to the Grand Hall page: The Priory Hotel : : Pittsburgh's Grand Hall (http://www.thepriory.com/grand.asp - broken link) Not a lot of pictures, but I still think it's impressive.

Pictures hide a lot---like the paint job and the big blinds that cover the both of the plywood side walls. It was mere painted plywood covering the side windows when I was there. On the website, most of the pictures are of the back of the church, not facing towards the alter. There is one picture that shows the alter in the background with the large maroon colored walls. It's so bland compared to the rest of the room. It's an empty alter. Even long drapes agains the back wall of the alter would pull the room together better. Sure, the ceiling and the few remaining stained glass windows are beautiful. It's just not pulled together very well.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ditchdigger

I guess it must've been tacky when it was a church too then.

It's not big enough for a large receiption, but people pack guests in there and put them behind pillars. There are better options for large receptions in Pittsburgh.

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Originally Posted by ditchdigger

So what would you have done with the building, or just done differently?

They should have restored the stained glass windows on the side walls instead of covering them. Something else should have been done with the alter area. A real bar should have been built somewhere---the entry hall would be a good place for a bar. The paint colors and carpeting should blend better. There's blue and cream everywhere and then suddenly dark maroon walls on the alter. The placement of the dance floor in the middle of the room is all wrong.

This place is nice for a small reception. The wedding itself should be held elsewhere---even outside in the garden is better. It's very awkward to have the wedding and the reception in the same room. As I mentioned, the alter was used for the wedding and then switched to the DJ while the guests are in the room. Since the dance floor is in the middle of the room, all tables were surrounding the dance floor, which meant most tables were behind columns causing three fourths of the guests couldn't even see the wedding ceremony since the center area with the dance floor has the best view---but no tables were there since the tables were set up for the reception, not the wedding.

It was simply set up badly for a wedding/reception. When we got our invitation, we were excited to go to the Priory. All of our friends, who were also guests there, were equally disappointed. However, the bride was beautiful---that's all that really counts.