Why here?
The country's Mid-Atlantic region is rife with projects that will add new options for planners. In the nation's capital, some $9 billion in development is under way, while Maryland's MGM National Harbor promises to draw groups and gamblers when it opens late next year.
NOTABLE RESORTS
• Resorts Casino Hotel in Atlantic City is wrapping up a $9.4 million expansion that will add 12,000 square feet of function space. Once complete, the property will have 64,000 square feet of meeting space.
• The 318-room Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in Southwestern Pennsylvania is adding nine holes to its Mystic Rock golf course. The expansion will be complete in 2017.
GAME ON
Maryland's $1.3 billion MGM National Harbor will offer 308 guest rooms, more than 125,000 square feet of gaming space and 27,000 square feet of function space upon completion in late 2016.
WATERGATE REDUX
The 340-room Watergate Hotel will reopen this fall after being closed for the past seven years for a $125 million revamp. The property will have 27,000 square feet of function space and a rooftop bar.
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Local Update
• Work continues on the massive CityCenterDC, in the heart of the District. The 10-acre, 2.5 million-square-foot mixed-use complex will comprise 295,000 square feet of retail outlets, 515,000 square feet of office space, 1.5 acres of public space and more. It will span seven buildings over three city blocks. A completion date remains fluid at press time, but plans call for the opening in 2018 of a 370-room Conrad hotel, the luxury brand's first foray into the nation's capital.
• Following a $200 million renovation, the Old Post Office will reopen as a Trump hotel in 2017. The 271-room luxury property will feature street-level restaurants, a café, a library, a fitness center and a 4,000-square-foot Mar-a-Lago spa by Ivanka Trump. Meeting space will total 36,000 square feet, including a 13,000-square-foot grand ballroom.
• A mixed-use complex is being planned on the site of a more than 200-year-old fish market along D.C.'s southwest waterfront. The project will offer a riverfront boardwalk feel and will feature a 450-foot public pier, restaurants, offices, live music venues and two hotels. The first property to open, in 2017, will be the 278-room Wharf InterContinental, featuring meeting space, an infinity pool and a 5,000-square-foot roof deck overlooking the Potomac.
• The Four Seasons Hotel Washington, D.C., recently began a $13 million renovation of its 222 guest rooms and suites. Rooms will be outfitted with the chain's "Fat and Sexy" beds, a selection of bed toppers, a pillow and sleep menu, and new décor once complete in September. Additional hotel amenities include a pool, a fitness center, a spa and several dining options.
• The Embassy Row Hotel finished a $15 million renovation this past March. The Dupont Circle property's 231 guest rooms were redesigned, as was the on-site fitness center. The hotel features a rooftop bar and a heated saltwater chlorine pool overlooking the city, as well as more than 8,000 square feet of function space.
• The Mayflower Hotel, which opened in 1925, joined Marriott's Autograph Collection this past July. In May, the landmark property completed a $20 million renovation of all 583 guest rooms. The hotel offers approximately 43,000 square feet of function space.
• The Washington Marriott Wardman Park completed a renovation of its 1,048 guest rooms, 104 suites, concierge lounge and public spaces. Guest rooms now have new furniture and 1920s art deco treatments. The property has more than 195,000 square feet of function space.
Room Revamp
In May, the JW Marriott Washington, DC, finished a multimillion-dollar renovation of its 750 guest rooms, which now feature new furnishings, upgraded Wi-Fi and new tech options. The property has 37,000 square feet of function space.
Meeting Hotels: Group properties in D.C. include the 1,152-room Washington Marriott Wardman Park; 1,175-room Marriott Marquis Washington, D.C.; 1,070-room Hilton Washington; 888-room Grand Hyatt Washington; 836-room Omni Shoreham Hotel; 807-room Renaissance Washington, DC, Downtown Hotel; 750-room JW Marriott Hotel Washington, DC; and 583-room Mayflower Renaissance Washington, D.C.
To find and compare hotels, and send RFPs, visit mcvenues.com.
Convention Centers: Walter E. Washington Convention Center; meeting space, 125,000 square feet; exhibit space, 700,000 square feet; number of meeting rooms, 70. (202) 249-3000
National Conference Center; exhibit space, 265,000 square feet; number of meeting rooms, 250; (703) 729-8000
Airport Transit: Reagan National Airport, 15 to 20 minutes from downtown. Transfer cost by taxi, about $20; cost of Metro to downtown varies according to exit point, about $2.50
Dulles International Airport, 45 minutes from downtown. Transfer cost by taxi, $65-$80
Taxes: Room tax, 14.5%; sales tax, 5.75%; total tax on hotel rooms, 14.5%
Group Venue: The Mansion on O Street is a private boutique hotel, club, museum and conference center offering historic Gothic ambience in Dupont Circle. Originally built in 1892, the venue spans five interconnected townhouses and offers meeting and event space for up to 160 guests. Fun fact: The building has more than 100 rooms with more than 70 secret doors. (202) 496-2020
Contact: Destination DC, (202) 789-7000
FRESH rooms at the inn
The historic Hunt Valley Inn, just 25 minutes north of Baltimore, has been renovated (including guest-room revamps) and rebranded as the Hunt Valley Inn, a Wyndham Grand. The 392-room hotel offers more than 30,000 square feet of function space, several dining options, an indoor/outdoor pool and free Wi-Fi.
WHAT'S DOING IN PENNSYLVANIA
The Kalahari Resort offers
an African safari vibe. The 238-room Mohegan Sun Pocono is now a member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts as part of the brand's Lifestyle Collection. The property has its own 20,000-square-foot convention center, an indoor swimming pool, a fitness center, and a full-service luxury salon and spa. The hotel's gaming facilities include 91 table games and 2,300 slot machines and electronic table games.
The Valley Forge Casino Resort opened its new Valley Beach Poolside Club in June, featuring a 20,000-square-foot poolside club, an open-air bar, private cabanas, an entertainment stage and a sandy beach. The casino also has some 600 slot machines and 50 table games, in addition to a 100,000-square-foot convention-center facility for groups. A 160-room casino tower and adjacent 326-room Radisson property offer overnight accommodations.
The 457-room Kalahari Resorts and Conventions, Pocono Mountains, is now open in Pocono Manor, Pa. The African-themed resort includes a 100,000-square-foot convention center, an outdoor water park, three signature dining experiences and 6,000 square feet of retail. A 30,000-square-foot family entertainment center offers mini-bowling, arcade games and black-light mini-golf.