Elite Event: Element Hotel Tour & Photography Crash Course

The event itself was 5 star. Good idea for Unilocalers to do something different than food. although there was food there which was a big plus.
I thought it neat to have a photographer do a crash course. I learned a few things… and I am super excited to try em out.
Only thing I did not like was that it was difficult to tale pics of the rooms as there were way too many folks in the already small space
I am going to go thru these pretty fast… my focus will be the hotel.
Food was good. Cheese dip… good. I loved the potatoes… perfect blend of ingredients. Hated the mushroom deal… it was bland. Dessert pudding… yummy… and I like the funnel cake fry thingy.
Ok. So the hotel was a certified green building. Which is awesome! First impressions of the hotel is that the location is awesome for someone who wants to do a little stay-​cation in Omaha or visitors to Omaha. The hotel was clean.
My honest review of the hotel!!!
I walked into the hotel… the lady who was preparing the food looked at us (mom and I) and told us that the front desk would help us… the guy that came in behind us… she asked if he was there for Unilocal… Maybe we don’t look like Unilocalers *Kanye shrugs*
The hotel is very modern. It really isn’t my taste. But for a short stay… it would be awesome. I like the home-​y feeling… especially on long stays… I want to feel like at home… If one has modern décor… then I guess they would feel at home.
Anywho… the rooms were SUPER SUPER small for an extended stay. Most hotel rooms that I’ve stayed were much larger than this.
Maybe I am a snob when it comes to hotels… This summer– my family and I have stayed in more than 20 hotels… Therefore, I am nearly an expert at hotel critiquing lol JP.
I was a little disappointed that the hotel did not have a pool or a jacuzzi. For extended stay… It would be nice to get off work and unwind. Esp since one is away from home… brings comfort. ;)
Room service is not offered… not a huge deal … but it would be nice… but it is nice to have the nearby restaurants and Crave to offer delivery to the hotel.
Bathrooms were extremely nice.
For a green hotel… I was very shocked that they used paper towels in the bathroom and not the hand dryer (in the lobby).
Wouldn’t go out my way to come stay at the Element but it was clean… so I would not completely take it off my list when traveling.

This was my first Unilocal event as an Elite, and I’m already looking forward to many more! Overall, the event was great — the food provided by Element was all really tasty, especially the crab dip and chips, and the Nutella dessert, and they had a great beer selection as well. Andy’s crash course offered some great tips and other Unilocalers asked some great questions, but it was hard to hear Andy at times when others were talking in the background. Having never been at the hotel before, getting a tour was great. I liked that we got to see all of the different types of rooms, and was pleasantly surprised to hear how affordably priced they are for being a somewhat upscale and unique hotel. I loved the idea of the photo contest, but the tour moved a bit too fast and our group was a bit too large to have time to snap some of the shots that I wanted. Other than those couple of minor things, it was a great first event as an Elite, and I’m looking forward to interacting with more of you soon, and seeing everyone’s photo contest entries!

Another Elite Event and I have no sadness here. After walking all over Midtown Crossing trying to navigate from the garage to the entrance, I was stoked to finally get in. Upon arrival I always find Will S to thank him for putting a great event together and this was no different. The décor was quite nice as I am a fan of soft lime green and contemporary lines.
Andy Explained proper composition and the delicate ‘thirds’ balance to have great photos. He was even polite in response to my query about taking photos of plates like many of us Unilocalys do. thanks Andy!
The beer selection worked well and I was told the wine was also pretty good. Having nothing vegan except the celery for the crab dip and little vegetarian items was quite saddening. It would be great to have an equal opportunity to eat great food, but I understand trying to make the masses happy.
The tour was fun and I took pictures like a flurry. I even caught Jason G smiling! I think I might post that one!
The rooms were kind of small and felt crowded, but there are a lot of amenities like a sink, stove, and microwave that take space. the views of midtown are just that. I could see so many places that I used to live. great memories and times.

Another great Elite Event at Element Hotel put on by our CM Will S. I somehow got turned around in the subterranean parking garage and ended up walking a lot farther than I needed to and consequently I missed out on the fresh appetizers. What was left were OK, not much past just OK. The photography workshop was very helpful and the tour of the facility made me wish hotels like this were around when I was a Rock and Roll Road Warrior! A very cool, laid back vibe to the place, environmentally friendly and right in the middle of a midtown mecca for entertainment and eats. I would highly recommend Element to anyone visiting the Big O! Thanks for another Home Run Will!

Will definitely knows how to put on a great Unilocal event. This event was definitely a lot more relaxing than some other events.
My wife and I walked into the hotel and immediately saw Will to the left. We walked over and were greeted as we normally are by Will. Then he told us about the cool, new Unilocal schwag. So Jess and I go to the table, get a glass or two and head on over to a table to sit down.
There was a tiny buffet with about 5 things so we helped ourselves. The ‘buffalo’ crab dip was awesome and the salmon roll ups were great. And the free beer and wine is always welcomed. The odd thing was that there were actual hotel guests in the line with us, waiting to get food as well. We later learned that the hotel has that small buffet and drink selection for all hotel guests to partake in Mondays — Thursdays; which is very cool and I’ve never seen that from a hotel before.
After eating, we were treated to a short photography crash course from Unilocal’s Andy L. He is pretty knowledgeable and his information was good.
After that we went on a small tour of the hotel, looking at some of their rooms, which all looked very nice. When I asked what the rates were for certain rooms, I was happy to hear that the rates are pretty good compared to other hotels who don’t even offer the same amenities. the lady who took us on the tour, the Director of Sales, was extremely nice. We also saw a meeting room and the fitness center.
All in all, another great event set up by Will. Can’t wait to see what’s in store for next month!

I attended my first Unilocal event at The Elements Hotel. Fantastic hotel… I really like that they are so «green» in everything they do. The happy hour beer, wine and snacks were delicious, and everyone at the hotel was so friendly. The gal that gave us a tour of the hotel was very knowledgeable and really did a great job of explaining the hotel’s concept in making a guest feel at home and comfortable. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this place to family and friends when they come in town. Great location with lots of restaurants and things to do within walking distance. Even a grocery store next door to whip up your own meal in your room and take advantage of the kitchen that comes in some of the rooms!
Thanks to Unilocal and to The Elements Hotel for a fun and informative evening!

This having been my second Elite event, I definitely was not disappointed! will did a nice job of putting all of this together and setting everything up once again! The evening began with an assortment of appetizers and drinks! I’m not sure what all everything had in it, but it was all very good! I especially enjoyed the chocolate mousse cups as a nice «dessert».
Andy L. then gave us a nice little crash course in photography! Having seen him behind the camera at several other events, it was great to hear him talk about his passion and to give some great tips to all of us.
After the crash course, we were then led on a tour of Element, which was outstanding! I’ve only ever driven by the hotel, but had never stayed there. The rooms were gorgeous, with some of the bigger rooms having full-​sized refrigerators, microwaves, and sinks in the kitchen area. There was also a large fitness center, featuring equipment from nearby Life Fitness. I even noticed that on the bicycle machine, you can plug your phone in and charge it while you pedal!
All-​in-​all it was a great night! Thanks again to Will, Andy, and to the staff of Element for showing us a wonderful time!

I am so glad everyone enjoyed the hotel reception! I suggested this opportunity in order for you fellow Elites to experience the hotel I love!
Will made it a huge hit, and i was glad to see such a good turn out and great new gear! Very sad I had to miss the photo tutorial to keep working!
A few brag points:
We offer the happy hour and a free breakfast to ALL guests, in addition to the free shuttle, bike rentals, Wii, and wi-​fi. I know that as a student on a budget, those extras go a long way toward making my stays a happy one.
There are other hotels with happy hours, which frequently offer basic beers and a bowl of popcorn. I’m proud that we have a more unique selection of offerings, and are always working to satisfy our guests! Our green initiative makes it difficult to label every food item since our creative chef is always putting out new food, but the reception hostess (usually me) is always available to answer any food questions when asked!
It sounds like a few people weren’t thrilled to share an Elite event with hotel guests, and I apologize for not foreseeing that! My hope was to impress you with business as usual, rather than something different than what you would experience as a guest. We offer rotating food and beer selections 4 days a week!
I’m excited for the photo contest entries to finish pouring in! Good luck, and thank you all for coming out and having such great things to say about the hotel!

Sparkling Green Tea Tonic Tour: Great Elite event in limited spaces, glad it was limited to 20. Thanks Will and special guest speaker Andy.

Another fun and interesting Elite event… beautiful hotel… the rooms were great, especially the suite… Andy did a fine job of explaining how to take a good photo, although I’m sure I’d have heard it firsthand had I not been jibber jabbering with another Unilocaler lol… the tour was actually fun since it’ll be awhile before I can afford to stay here… better start collecting those cans and bottles lol… some excellent new Unilocal schwag, my fave being the pint glass… can always use another pint glass… my only issue was I’d have liked it if the appetizers and dessert was just for us Unilocalers… missed out on the mousse and was a bit bummed lol…

3^rd Unilocal elite event for myself and yep Will still gots it! This one was probably the chillest event yet, but still had delicious free food and drinks! I wish we could have gotten a run down on the food items, but I still sampled them all to represent the good Unilocaler in me! Seemed to be a smaller crowd which I enjoyed and had new swag, including the Unilocal pint glasses, mugs, and reusable to go cups! Andy gave us on tips on how to photograph our delicious Unilocal foods and we got to tour the eco friendly hotel, which I was always curious about! Hotel happy hour food and drinks and bike rental (along with bike helmets) included with your night’s stay! As always can’t wait for the next Unilocal event!

Fun Unilocal event at the Element hotel. We got treated to drinks and snacks and had a great little session on taking photos with Andy. Some great apps mentioned for the iphone are camera+ and PS express to edit.
Loved the tour of the hotel, it was cool to find out that they allow pets, are ecofriendly and use recyclable items to build it, and you can rent bikes as a guest.