The Grand Long Beach Event Center

A month ago my aunt and uncle hosted their co-retirement party for family and friends. I had never heard of The Grand so it was going to be a new facility experience for me and a momentous occasion for our family. The 3 story (I think) parking structure is right next to the building with open over-flow parking across the way. The facility sits alone on the north side of the street, a right turn off of Willow, so there's no other traffic to contend with in the complex when you arrive and leave. You cannot turn left into the driveway of The Grand. The area is surrounded by gas stations and fast food places all along Willow and the intersecting streets nearby, and the Long Beach Airport is 5 minutes away. (I only know this because, not being from Long Beach I missed the entrance then turned right at the next light and ended up driving towards the airport, fantastic looking from the outside. I've never been there, either. Funny, it was all there on Google maps but I was not paying attention because I was trying Not to get lost 🤦🏻‍♀️). They booked the Grand Premier Ballroom and it's a huge room with a giant dance floor! There were several other rooms as well but the ballroom is the largest. They invited 200 guests but 244 showed up! The Grand staff worked very Very hard to accommodate with more tables and chairs. The food was excellent, no other way to describe it. I'm still dreaming of the roast beef although dinner entree choices were roast beef, chicken breast, and fish with all the sides you can think of. There was ample room to set out the desserts that the family bought from different places and the staff kept it coming even though there were more guests than was anticipated. The restrooms were 5 star quality, clean and down the hall from the ball room. There was a bar tucked away in the corner adjacent to the buffet style layout of the food. I was so busy hanging out with family that I didn't take any photos, but I've seen the ones already on Google and they're more than adequate. If you're looking for a nice out-of-the-way venue in the city with great staff and clean facilities you've found it in The Grand. I'm wondering what our next big event will be for an excuse to go back! I might have to make one up 😉.