During my recent stay at M Social, Beast & Butterflies hosted an especially dynamic event for the property: M Social Collective: New York Edition, an immersive, two-day experience created around US Open Fan Week. The New York activation was the third chapter of M Social Collective, following previous editions in Penang and Paris. The concept is designed to bring the M Social brand to life through connection, discovery and authentic local experiences, adapting to the personality of each destination. By bringing together artists, designers, athletes, musicians, creators and other cultural voices, the platform transforms M Social hotels into dynamic spaces for collaboration, self-expression and exchange.

The collective kicked-off with an exclusive evening celebrating tennis, wellness and culture, transforming Beast & Butterflies into the ultimate US Open-themed destination. Guests were treated to an intimate panel discussion with professional tennis players Yannick Hanfmann and Hamad Medjedovic that explored athlete performance, wellness, recovery and biohacking routines. The conversation was moderated by founding Chief Instructor at Barry’s Bootcamp, Keoni Hudoba, and also featured co-founders of Coffee + Chill, Liz Lindenmeier and Micah Lundstrom, in addition to Northeast Territory Manager and Lead Beekeeper Kristen Rydberg of Alvéole.

Following the discussion, guests were treated to a meet-and-greet with the athletes and a Coffee + Chill experience on the hotel’s terrace that included a few rounds of pickleball with Hanfmann and Medjedovic, coffee, cocktails, light bites, DJ sets and even post-recovery ice plunges and IV therapy stations. For Coffee + Chill co-founders Lindenmeier and Lundstrom, being able to connect tennis enthusiasts to celebrate one of the most exciting moments on the tennis calendar amidst all the energy of Times Square is one example of why they created their social wellness club.

Day two of the M Social Collective began on the terrace with a mini-session of agility and recovery tips with M Social Resident Trainer Keoni Hudoba followed by breakfast with the US Open players, which included a juice bar. Later that morning Avéole Lead Beekeeper Rydberg invited guests to meet the bees and taste a variety of their honey. Created to support local biodiversity and NYC’s urban ecosystem, Bee Social, M Social’s active rooftop beehive activation, houses tens of thousands of honey bees in partnership with urban beekeeping specialists Alvéole. The honey is used to create specialty, in-house, bee-inspired cocktails and spritzes at Beast & Butterflies. The family-friendly rooftop space, Bee Social, lets guests view bees, learn about urban pollination, and buy jars of the hotel’s local honey from the gift shop. The M Social Collective experience wrapped with an hour-long, healing sound bath meditation led by Sound Off Experience.

More and more, travelers are seeking experiential travel over leisure travel. Luxury is being defined as a state of mind more than a room category. M Social Collective demonstrates how a hotel can become an extension of a cultural conversation happening around it. Whether you are visiting for the US Open, Broadway premieres, fashion week or other cultural happenings, that flexibility is part of the appeal of choosing to stay at M Social New York Times Square. It’s about bringing different communities together and creating a distinctly New York interpretation of what a modern hotel can be.