Grand Openings January 2015

Renovations

• The 484-room Renaissance Dallas Hotel has unveiled 50,000 square feet of meeting space, including a 16,000-square-foot grand ballroom. The expansion also features the 10,000-square-foot City View Terrace.

• The 212-room Shores Resort & Spa in Daytona Beach Shores, Fla., has completed a six-month, propertywide revamp that included a refresh of its more than 20,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor function space.

• In Colorado the Lodge at Vail, A RockResort, has completed a renovation of 56 of its 160 guest rooms, adding all new furniture and soft goods. The property has a 6,000-square-foot ballroom and can accommdate receptions for up to 290.

• The 300-room Ritz-Carlton, St. Louis, has renovated its 12,750-foot grand ballroom, installing fresh plush carpeting, cut crystal chandeliers and new color schemes. The hotel has a total of more than 30,000 square feet of meeting and event space, including a 3,300-square-foot amphitheater equipped for live videoconferencing, tiered desktop seating for 140 and an elevated stage with rear-screen projection.

• A yearlong, $10 million renovation has been completed at the Crowne Plaza Charlotte Executive Park in North Carolina. Upgrades include a modernized lobby and restaurant; complimentary, high-bandwidth Wi-Fi; enhancements to the property's 300 guest rooms, and renovations to the property's 16,000 square feet of meeting space. Also improved are the fitness center, pool and outdoor pavilion, which has two fire pits.

• Le Méridien Indianapolis has emerged from a $13 million renovation of its iconic 1928 building at 123 South Illinois St. The 12-story, 100-room boutique property now offers complimentary Wi-Fi, ergonomic workspaces and flat-screen TVs in guest rooms, in addition to a new fitness center and more than 2,600 square feet of upgraded meeting space. The project also included a new 160-seat Spoke & Steele restaurant, which serves American cuisine and craft cocktails.

• In Long Beach, Calif., the 197-room Hotel Maya, a DoubleTree by Hilton, has opened its new Lagunita waterside pavilion and Vista del Mar reception area. The 6,400-square-foot pavilion features a cathedral-style ceiling adorned with five oversized chandeliers and two 13-foot-tall floor-to-ceiling glass walls overlooking the waterfront and city. The space can accommodate up to 600 for a reception. The pavilion is entered via Vista del Mar, an outdoor pre-function space spanning 10,000 square feet and including furniture, a fire pit, an alfresco bar and more. Together, the two new spaces can host up to 1,000 people and add to the hotel's previous total of more than 30,000 square feet of flexible indoor and outdoor meeting space.

Distinctive debut. The 380-room Thompson Miami Beach opens this month within a 1940s art deco tower near the cafés and boutiques of Lincoln Road. The property has 47,000 square feet of meeting space divided among seven venues, celebrity chef Michelle Bernstein's Seagrape restaurant, two pools (left), a spa and more.

More Debuts
• The 328-room JW Marriott Houston Downtown has opened in the landmark Samuel F. Carter Building, which dates from 1910. Among the hotel's offerings are a curated art collection from local and international artists; the Main Kitchen restaurant helmed by award-winning chefs Erin Smith and Sharon Gofreed; the 806 Bar & Lounge; the first-ever Spa by JW; complimentary Wi-Fi and iPads in all guest rooms; and a total of 16,000 square feet for meetings spread among nine spaces, the largest of which can accommodate up to 308 people.

• In Palm Beach, Fla., the former Omphoy Ocean Resort has been transformed into the new 134-room Tideline Ocean Resort & Spa.The hotel, Kimpton's fifth in the Sunshine State, features dining at Brandon's by the Beach, a swimming pool ringed by shaded cabanas, a 24-hour fitness center, the Babor Beauty Spa and complimentary guest bicycles. The property's flexible meeting space can accommodate events of up to 300 people.

• In Northern California, the 199-room Four Points by Sheraton San Jose Airport is now open, featuring the RSVP44 Restaurant and Lounge, which offers classic American dishes by famed executive chef Ruben Perfetto. The property's six meeting rooms offer a total of 4,700 square feet of indoor space, and another 3,000 square feet is available for outdoor events. All guest rooms feature free high-speed Wi-Fi, ergonomic desks and flat-screen TVs, among other conveniences.

• In North Carolina, the 300-room Le Méredien Charlotte has opened, within walking distance of the city's Uptown Business District. The property has 55,000 square feet of event space shared with the adjacent 305-room Sheraton Charlotte Hotel, including the 16,000-square-foot Symphony Ballroom.

• The 389-room Gran Meliá Xian has opened in Xian, China, in the new Qu Jiang district, with meeting space for up to 500 people. The hotel also features three restaurants, two bars, a Red Level Lounge, a fitness center, a swimming pool and the YHI Spa.