Buffalo
The Buffalo Niagara Convention Center has undergone a $7 million facelift. Among the enhancements are a new façade and renovations to the 64,400-square-foot exhibit hall. The center has a total of 110,000 square feet of meeting space.
A 96-room Courtyard by Marriott will open in the former Donovan State Office Building. The property, which will occupy three floors of the building, is set to open late next year. At press time, details on meeting space were not yet available.
The 396-room Hyatt Regency Buffalo, connected to the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center, recently completed a $15 million renovation. Included in the project were the addition of the Spa Alexis and an indoor rooftop pool. The property's guest rooms, 21,000 square feet of meeting and event space, and all public areas were upgraded as well.
The Embassy Suites Buffalo has added 29 guest rooms, bringing its total room count to 182. The property has eight meeting rooms.
The historic former Hotel Lafayette currently is under renovation. Scheduled to reopen by year's end, the revamped building will feature restaurants, shops and a boutique hotel with 30 guest rooms.
Frank Lloyd Wright's Darwin Martin House is approaching the completion of a $50 million restoration. The Prairie-style complex remains open for tours during construction.
To-Do List
• Spectacular Niagara Falls, just 20 minutes from Buffalo, is one of North America's greatest national treasures. Attendees can board the famed
Maid of the Mist for a half-hour boat ride through the scenic falls.
• Buffalo features notable American architecture from the late 19th and early 20th centuries; OpenAir Autobus and Buffalo Tours offer guided tours.
• Try the spicy hometown favorite, Buffalo wings, at the place they were first served: Anchor Bar.
Photograph: ©iStockphoto.com/LICreate
Meeting Hotels
Properties include the 486-room Adams Mark Buffalo-Niagara, 396-room Hyatt Regency, 182-room Embassy Suites, 168-room Holiday Inn Buffalo-Downtown, 140-room Hampton Inn and Suites Downtown, and 28-room The Mansion on Delaware Avenue.
Convention Center
Buffalo Niagara Convention Center; exhibit space, approximately 64,400 square feet; number of meeting rooms, 21. (716) 855-5555
Airport Transit Buffalo Niagara International Airport, 10 miles from downtown Buffalo. Transfer cost by taxi, $35; by shuttle, $1.75
Taxes
Room tax, 5%; sales tax, 8.75%; total tax on hotel rooms, 13.75%
Group Venue
The charming Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society building at 25 Nottingham Court was erected in 1901 to serve as part of the Pan-American Exposition. Today the facility functions as both a museum and library devoted to the preservation of the history of Western New York. Groups of up to 300 people are accommodated. (716) 873-9644
Contact
Buffalo Niagara Convention & Visitors Bureau, (800) 283-3256
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For a full listing of New York State's vast tourist attractions, check out
iloveny.comAlbany
At press time, plans for the New York State Convention Center were awaiting approval from Gov. Andrew Cuomo. The proposed facility will have 60,000 square feet of exhibit space, two ballrooms and 22,500 square feet of meeting space.
The Crowne Plaza Albany City Center will be reflagged as a Hilton following a $14 million renovation. The 384-room property has 24,000 square feet of meeting space. The renovation will be completed next year.
Verona
Turning Stone Resort & Casino, about 30 minutes from Syracuse, has completed a renovation of all of its 709 guest rooms. The property has approximately 100,000 square feet of meeting and event space, along with two spas and a total of five golf courses, including three championship layouts created by famed designers Tom Fazio, Robert Trent Jones Jr., and Rick Smith.