Alabama

Birmingham
A new 254-room Westin hotel is under construction next to the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex. The property will have 7,000 square feet of meeting space and is expected to open in early 2013.

The 757-room Sheraton Birmingham Hotel recently completed a $21 million renovation, which included a full renewal of the lobby, guest rooms and meeting spaces, along with the installation of complimentary Wi-Fi access. The hotel offers 350,000 square feet of meeting and exhibition space, including a 25,000-square-foot ballroom.

The 329-room Wynfrey Hotel, which opened in 1986 and is one of the area's premier convention properties, is set for a major renovation and name change. The hotel first will undergo a multimillion-dollar overhaul of its guest rooms and public spaces, which is expected to begin this fall and be completed by early next spring. When the project is done, the property will officially become a Hyatt Regency.

Meeting Hotels
Major properties with meeting space in Birmingham include the 757-room Sheraton Birmingham Hotel, 329-room Wynfrey Hotel, 298-room DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Birmingham, 295-room Birmingham Marriott, 259-room Renaissance Ross Bridge Resort, 242-room Embassy Suites and 205-room Hilton Birmingham Perimeter Hotel.

For a more complete listing of area hotels, visit mcvenues.com.

Convention Center
The Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex; exhibition space, 220,000 square feet; number of meeting rooms, 74; (205) 458-8400

Airport Transit
Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport, about a 10-minute drive to downtown. Transfer cost by taxi, $17; by shuttle (reservation only), about $59

Taxes
Room tax, 14%; sales tax, 10%; total tax on hotel rooms, 14%

Group Venues
Gabrella Manor, a Birmingham estate built in the late 1930s and now an official landmark, can accommodate private groups of up to 300 in a variety of indoor meeting spaces, as well as outdoor areas ranging from an intimate courtyard to a beautifully landscaped lawn. In-house catering is available. (205) 833-9754

A former iron factory, the Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark offers several sites for gatherings, including the Casting Shed, which holds up to 2,500 people standing or 900 seated, and the Water Tower, with a capacity for 350. On a nice day, the Spray Pond can host up to 300. Surrounding all are the ghosts of the heavy metal machinery that helped build Alabama. (205) 324-1911

Contact
Greater Alabama Convention & Visitors Bureau, (800) 458-8085

Mobile

The 251-room Mobile Marriott currently is undergoing a $5 million renovation of its guest rooms, restaurant, public spaces and 15 meeting rooms.

Coming in 2013 on the downtown waterfront is GulfQuest, a new national maritime museum celebrating the Gulf of Mexico with exhibits on local history, industry and lore. The 90,000-square-foot facility, with approximately 6,000 square feet earmarked for meetings, will become the centerpiece of Mobile Landing, a burgeoning mixed-use development that already houses the Arthur Outlaw Convention Center and the Alabama Cruise Terminal.

Meeting Hotels
Properties include the 374-room Renaissance Riverview Plaza Hotel Mobile, 238-room Battle House Renaissance Mobile Hotel & Spa, 202-room Holiday Inn, 170-room Admiral Semmes Hotel and 159-room Holiday Inn Bellingrath Gardens. For more area properties, visit mcvenues.com.

Convention Center
Arthur R. Outlaw Mobile Convention Center; exhibit space, 317,000 square feet; meeting space, 94,000 square feet indoors, 45,000 square feet outdoors; (251) 208-2100

Airport Transit
Mobile Regional Airport, a 20-minute drive to downtown. Transfer cost by taxi, $22-25; by shuttle, $18 one way

Taxes
Room tax, 14%; sales tax, 9%; total tax on hotel rooms, 23%

Group Venue
The vintage World War II battleship USS Alabama, now permanently docked in Memorial Park, can host 500 in the Fantail deck, while 1,200 can dine among historic warplanes in the Aircraft Pavilion. (251) 433-2703

Contact
Mobile Bay Convention and Visitors Bureau, (251) 208-2000; mobile.org