Destination Guides
California
by Michael C. LoweJanuary 1, 2012
Why Here?
California continues to see major developments in relation to its meetings infrastructure across the state, from a $120 million expansion and renovation of San Jose's convention center to the $543 million expansion of Orange County's John Wayne Airport.
Busy Bees
The Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa installed beehives on the property's perimeter that will produce around 250 pounds of honey a year, to be used in the hotel's menu items.
San Jose
The San Jose McEnery Convention Center
received approval for a $120 million expansion and renovation in April
2011. The facility now is in the process of adding 125,000 square feet
of function space, bringing total event space at the venue to
approximately 550,000 square feet. The convention center will remain
open throughout the construction, which is expected to be completed in
fall 2013, at which time the center will apply for LEED Silver
certification.
The 234-room Crowne Plaza San Jose Downtown will
complete a $7 million renovation and rebranding later this month,
turning it into the Hyatt Place San Jose Downtown. The property,
which offers 7,000 square feet of meeting space, is directly across the
street from the city's convention center.
Meeting Hotels
Properties include the 805-room Fairmont San Jose, 512-room Holiday Inn
San Jose, 512-room San Jose Airport Garden Hotel, 506-room San Jose
Marriott, 505-room Doubletree Hotel San Jose, 355-room Wyndham San Jose,
353-room Hilton San Jose, 239-room Hyatt Place San Jose Downtown,
213-room Hotel Valencia Santana Row and 196-room Radisson San Jose
Airport.
Convention Center San Jose Convention Center; exhibit space, 143,000 square feet; number of meeting rooms, 31; (408) 792-4194
Airport Transit
Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport, approximately three
miles from the center of the city. Transfer cost by taxi, $15-$20
Taxes
Room tax, 10%; sales tax, 9.25%; total tax on hotel rooms, 10%, plus a
Convention Center Funding District Tax of 2% to 4% and a $0.75 to $2 per
night hotel business and improvement fee (based on location)
Group Venues
The Winchester Mystery House
was built by Sarah Winchester, heiress of William Winchester, who was
treasurer of the Winchester Repeating Arms Co. According to legend,
Sarah believed she was haunted by the spirits of those killed by the
firearms made by her husband and built this bizarre house to ward them
off. The result is a bewildering network of stairways to nowhere and
windows that open into brick walls. The Winchester Room can be used for
meetings of up to 65 or receptions of up to 150, while groups of up to
100 can rent out the outdoor space, which includes gardens and a
restored greenhouse (408) 247-2101
A five-minute walk from the convention center, Parkside Hall
offers 30,000 square feet of exhibit space with 24-foot-high ceilings.
The venue can accommodate up to 1,800 people. (408) 792-4194
ContactTeam San Jose, (800) 726-5673