annual celebration

Last year one of my friends wanted to take me to the Brown Palace in Denver for my birthday. But she wanted to wait until December so it would be decorated for Christmas. We had such a good time that we decided to make it an annual event! And my friend made reservations last month for today.
Today the waitress told us it was a miracle we could be there. The hotel was shut down until last week due to a fire in the basement, and then the boiler blew and the heat did not return until last night, and this morning one of the other restaurants on site was flooded. We felt blessed indeed to be able to enjoy an elegant lunch in such a beautiful and historic place.