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New York hotels have all spent the past few months trying to outdo one another with increasingly elaborate FIFA World Cup tie-ins. But The Langham New York on Fifth Avenue may have found the simplest way to get people excited: turn the lobby into an arcade.
The luxury hotel has unveiled a new World Cup-inspired installation featuring a giant honeycomb soccer display visible from Fifth Avenue and, more importantly, a bright pink claw machine stocked with prizes that go far beyond the usual stuffed animals and plastic trinkets.
Available to hotel guests and anyone holding a match ticket, the machine is full of soccer-themed rewards, including official match balls, jerseys and cleats to tickets for World Cup games. A few lucky players could even walk away with prizes worth considerably more than a plush toy, including tokens redeemable for a two-night stay in The Langham's Presidential Suite or a year of Langham Club access.
The claw machine isn't the hotel's only World Cup attraction. For travelers looking to make a full soccer-themed getaway out of the tournament, The Langham is also offering a matchday experience package starting at more than $10,000. The package includes two lower-level tickets to a World Cup match at MetLife Stadium, a personalized jersey, official match ball and shin guards, plus a one-hour private training session in Manhattan with Fundamental Futbòl Academy and round-trip transportation.
Back at the hotel, guests will find a PlayStation 5 loaded with soccer games waiting in their room, along with accommodations in one of the property's club-level rooms and access to the Langham Club lounge. The package is available for select June match dates.
But if dropping five figures on a soccer getaway isn't in the cards, there is still the claw machine. And unlike trying to score World Cup tickets online, this game at least gives you a fighting chance.