Prom gets an upgrade
Biltmore hotel offers CHS its largest, fanciest ballroom to accommodate what is shaping up to be a memorable night
The Crystal Ballroom in the Biltmore Hotel is a glamorous space that holds up to 800 guests with 6,300 square feet. It boasts a 30-foot high, hand-painted ceiling and incredible balconies.
Colton, CA—”We’ve got good news and bad news,” representatives from the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles told ASB Director Alexandra Buskirk on Monday morning during a surprise—and surprising—phone call.
The bad news first: ASB’s booking of Biltmore’s Gold Room was not going to be large enough to accommodate the 292 guests, including chaperones, that will be traveling to the historic hotel on Saturday night for the annual prom.
But then they shared the good news: At no extra charge, the Biltmore decided to offer Colton High’s students use of their extravagant Crystal Ballroom.
When the senior class first started scoping out potential sites for this year’s prom, they were originally enchanted by the ballroom. “When we sent information over to our booking people who help us book prom, I was like, ‘Oh, we want the Crystal Ballroom,” said Senior Class President Denise Diaz. “But once they got back to us, they were like, ‘Hey, because you typically only get like 220 people that go to prom, they have the Gold Room, which is smaller and would more accommodate your needs.’”
However, things changed when this year’s prom tickets went on sale. This year’s sales exceeded expectations, with ASB selling 270 tickets to the event, requiring the Biltmore to consider capacity restrictions for their Gold Room.
This wasn’t all the historic hotel had to offer, though. “They’re gonna give us the adjacent Tiffany Room to check in everybody,” Buskirk shared. “So, it’s like super gorgeous. I think the cosmos was in our favor.”
Members of the senior class felt similarly. “When I found out it was a shocker,” said Luis Ceja. “I thought we were going to be in the main room, but then finding out that it was the Crystal Ballroom and seeing how it looked . . . it looks glamorous!”
Stephanie Alvarez, this year’s Homecoming Queen, was also shocked. “I was in shock, to be honest because I didn’t expect it to go through like that. It’s a good thing. I’m really excited.”
“I’m more excited than ever to go to prom,” said Link Crew leader Gabriela Flores. “It was amazing for ASB to be able to upgrade us to a new room.”
Samay Ramachhita, who is in ASB, was proud of the work leadership did setting this event up. “It’s a great thing for us because now we get the original venue and we have more people attending prom.”
Prom is on Saturday night, April 29 from 7-11 p.m. at the Biltmore.
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Jeremiah Dollins is in his third year as adviser for the award-winning Pepper Bough, Colton High School’s official source of news and entertainment....