Grand Openings March 2014

Renovations

• The Radisson Hotel Santa Maria (Calif.) last month finished up a $2 million revamp of its 184 guest rooms, more than 9,000 square feet of meeting space, the fitness and business centers, and more.

• In Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., the 510-room Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa has completed a multimillion-dollar renovation that touched upon most areas of the property, including new furnishings in guest rooms, two new restaurants and refreshed meeting space. The resort has a total of 56,000 square feet of flexible function space.

• The 415-room Fairmont Washington recently wrapped up a $2.6 million renovation of its 24,000 square feet of meeting space.

• The 184-room Radisson Hotel Santa Maria (Calif.) has completed a $2 million renovation that gave guest rooms new bedding, artwork, refrigerators and more. In addition, the lobby was outfitted with new furniture, flooring and wall coverings, and upgrades were made to the property's more than 9,000 square feet of meeting space, the fitness and business centers, and the lounge.

• In Ireland, the 501-room DoubleTree by Hilton Dublin-Burlington Road has reopened following an extensive US$21.6 million revamp of all guest rooms and suites, public areas, conference facilities and exterior, as well as a completely renovated executive lounge. The hotel has more than 30,000 square feet of event space, including a 13,000-square-foot ballroom.

• The 97-room Brookshire Suites Baltimore was relaunched last month after undergoing a top-down renovation to create an "edgy, modern feel" that makes the property "an urban playground for business and leisure travelers," according to Aaron Katz, president and CEO of owner Modus Hotels. Design elements include guest rooms decked out in street-art themes, including graffiti wall coverings. The hotel has nearly 2,000 square feet of meeting space.

• At the southwest corner of New York City's Central Park, the iconic Plaza Hotel has come out from under scaffolding to reveal its completely restored facade. The two-year project repaired or re-created original facade elements dating from the hotel's 1907 opening. The Plaza has 282 guest rooms, including 102 luxury suites, plus famed public spaces such as the Palm Court and the Rose Club, and 21,000 square feet of meeting space.

Dutch treat. The 93-room Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam opens this month alongside the Herengracht canal in the heart of the city. The hotel, comprising six adjoining landmark buildings dating from the 16th and 17th centuries, offers a grand ballroom that can host up to 160 people plus four meeting rooms of up to 1,680 square feet.

More Debuts
• In Queens, N.Y., the Crowne Plaza JFK Airport New York City has opened with 330 guest rooms, a 24-hour complimentary business center and an on-site Crowne Meetings Director to help planners make the most of 10 flexible function spaces, including the 1,386-square-foot Wright Brothers room overlooking JFK. Perhaps best of all, the hotel offers a free 24-hour shuttle to the airport.

• The new 97-room DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Savannah Airport debuts this month in its graceful namesake Georgia city. The property has a 1,500-square-foot fitness center and two meeting rooms measuring 900 and 300 square feet, respectively.

• The 246-room Four Points by Sheraton Brisbane has opened in the heart of this bustling city in Queensland on Australia's eastern coast. The property provides free high-speed Internet access in the lobby, a fully equipped gym, a 24/7 restaurant and about 2,700 square feet of function space.

• Coming from Joie de Vivre Hotels at the end of March is the luxury, boutique 86-room Epiphany Hotel in downtown Palo Alto, Calif., a few blocks from Stanford University. Features of the eight-story property include four rooftop hospitality suites with terraces overlooking the Santa Cruz Mountains and neighboring Los Gatos, innovative meeting spaces by design firm IDEO and a dedicated "technology concierge." The ground floor has an 80-seat indoor-outdoor restaurant and bar.

• In Japan, the Osaka Marriott Miyako Hotel opens this month with 360 guest rooms and seven meeting rooms spanning a total of 4,452 square feet. The property takes up the 38th through 57th floors of Japan's tallest building, the 60-story Abeno Harukas tower, which also officially opens this month.

• The 170-room JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul has opened as the first LEED Gold-certified hotel in the South Korean capital. Among the features are 10,570 square feet of meeting space (including a grand ballroom that can accommodate up to 750 people), an indoor pool and fitness center, and the JW Spa.