Grand Openings May 2016

renovations

• The Wyndham Garden Shreveport (La.) has completed a multimillion-dollar renovation of its 267 guest rooms and 1,500 square feet of meeting space, including the newly redesigned 6,400-square-foot grand ballroom.

• The 392-room Sea Island Resort on the coast of Georgia has debuted a new 63-room Garden Wing and the 5,000-square-foot Mizner Ballroom. The property has a total of more than 51,000 square feet of flexible, high-tech event space.

• The Renaissance Chicago Downtown Hotel has finished an $8 million renovation that refreshed all 560 guest rooms, added a new ballroom with views of the Chicago River and an additional 4,000 square feet of meeting space, and more.

• The 1,470-room Hilton Orlando has unveiled 11,000 square feet of new meeting space that includes the Key Largo and Key West meeting rooms (adjacent to the 15,000-square-foot Florida Ballroom), prefunction space and an additional registration desk.

• In Hawaii, the 258-room Mauna Kea Beach Hotel has unveiled its new Kaunaoa Ballroom, with 3,500 square feet of indoor function space and an expansive outdoor prefunction space. Together with sister property the Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel, the two hotels offer a total of nearly 150,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space.

• A propertywide renovation has been completed at the 335-room Kimpton Hotel Palomar DC in Washington, D.C. All rooms were redone, as well as the public and meeting spaces. Other new touches include a new bridal suite, which can be used as a hospitality suite The hotel has 10,000 square feet of meeting and event space, all of which was redesigned in early 2015.

• A 1,500-square-foot meeting space called the Overlook has opened at Cloud Camp, the 12-cabin mountaintop retreat at the 800-room Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colo. On the road to Cloud Camp, the Overlook features high ceilings, a covered front porch and a back deck for up to 70 people; the space has views out to Pikes Peak and downtown Colorado Springs.

• The Liberty Hotel, a Starwood Luxury Collection property in Boston, has finished upgrading all 298 guest rooms. The accommodations at the Beacon Hill hotel, once the infamous Charles Street Jail, have been redone by interior designer Bill Rooney. The offers a 2,400-square-foot patio for outdoor events, plus 6,000 square feet of indoor meeting space.

• The AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center in Austin, Texas, has completed renovations to its 297 guest rooms, adding 48-inch flat-screen TVs with U-verse and DVR, double-pillow-top mattresses, more electrical outlets, USB at the bedside and desk, and more. A member of the International Association of Conference Centers, the facility will open the adjacent Robert B. Rowling Hall in July 2017 with a 15,000-square-foot ballroom, 5,000 square feet of prefunction space and a 5,500-square-foot banquet kitchen. Currently, the center has 40,000 square feet of meeting space.

Dazzling debut. Within steps of the Puerto Rico Convention Center, the 149-room Hyatt Place San Juan/City Center has opened, featuring a resort-style swimming pool, complimentary WiFi, the Coffee to Cocktails Bar and a 24-hour StayFit Gym. The hotel also offers more than 3,165 square feet of meeting space.

MORE DEBUTS
• In Florida, the 183-room Hyatt House Naples/Fifth Avenue has opened on the banks of the Gordon River. Features include guest rooms with state-of-the-art media and work centers; a full-service restaurant and a fresh food market; a 24/7 fitness studio with a "cardiac theater" featuring sweeping views of the surrounding marina; a zero-entry pool and 3,160 square feet of function space. The property is about a half-hour drive from Southwest Florida International Airport.

• About 30 miles north of Houston, the 302-room The Westin at The Woodlands has opened with a full complement of parent company Starwood Hotels & Resorts' amenities, including Westin Heavenly Beds in guest rooms and the Westin Workout gear-lending program. In-house dining takes place at Current, with contemporary American dishes, and the Sidebar lounge for upscale appetizers. For group gatherings, 11 dedicated meeting spaces span 5,795 square feet.

• The 50-room Vintro Hotel South Beach, the second hotel in Florida for the Curio-A Collection by Hilton brand, has opened just steps from the colorful nightlife in Miami's historic Collins Canal district. The art-deco property, a transformation of the original Park Avenue Hotel that debuted in 1934, includes amenities such as a large rooftop sundeck with a jetted infinity pool; complimentary bike rentals; the Vintro Kitchen serving local craft dishes; and a terrace, rooftop lounge and pool area for private events of up to 50 people.

• In San Diego, the 135-suite SpringHill Suites by Marriott has opened in close proximity to the San Diego Zoo, SeaWorld, Old Town and Mission Bay. Features include in-room flat-screen TVs with Netflix and Hulu; on-site Chargepoint electric-vehicle charging stations; the 24/7 lobby Market, and 754 square feet to accommodate meetings and functions of up to 45 people.

• The 126-room Langford Hotel, built in the former Miami National Bank building and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, has debuted in downtown Miami. Guest rooms feature furnishings that evoke various decades of the building's life, including 1920s-style sinks, 1940s-era valet stands and headboards in 1950s style. The property has four meeting spaces; all are equipped with WiFi, flat-screen televisions, and A/V and Bluetooth technology connections, as well as white-oak floors and Khouri Guzman furnishings. Other offerings include the Pawn Broker rooftop bar, which offers a 360-degree view of downtown.

• In Arizona, the 126-room Aloft Scottsdale has opened with a 24-hour business center, the Live at Aloft Hotels entertainment club, complimentary wireless and wired Internet access in all guest rooms and 456 square feet of meeting space.