CITY BEAT
Schaumburg, Ill.
Center in the Works
Schaumburg is stepping out of Chicago’s shadow with the rise of the Schaumburg Convention Center. To open in mid-2006, it will feature a 100,000-square-foot exhibit hall, a 28,000-square-foot ballroom, 20,000 square feet of meeting space and a 2,400-seat performing arts center. The facility will be anchored by the 500-room Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel, with 48,600 square feet of meeting space. Marriott International will manage both the center and the hotel.
Shreveport, La.
A City in Bloom
Opening in January 2006 is the $70 million Shreveport Convention Center, with 118,000 square feet of exhibit and meeting space. In mid-2006, a 315-room Hilton will open, connected to the convention center. Meanwhile, October will mark the debut of Chimp Haven, a 20-acre sanctuary for retired laboratory animals. In August, light-rail trolley service began running the length of Louisiana Boardwalk.
CA, San Diego
The 120-room Homewood Suites by Hollywood San DiegoDel Mar opened
in May with 1,700 square feet of meeting space.
CT, Hartford
The 409-room Hartford Marriott Downtown, with 13,500 square feet of
meeting space, opens this month. The hotel has an 8,300-square-foot
ballroom, a rooftop pool and spa area, and a 183-seat restaurant.
The property connects to the Connecticut Convention Center, which
opened in June with 140,000 square feet of exhibit space.
GA, Brunswick
The InterContinental Hotels Group opened the 103-room Holiday Inn
Brunswick I-95 in June. The property offers more than 12,000 square
feet of function space, a 1,440-square-foot meeting room and
complimentary high-speed wireless Internet access.
IL, Chicago
In July, the 398-room Crowne Plaza ChicagoMetro opened in the West
Loop neighborhood, offering eight meeting rooms and 8,000 square
feet of meeting space.
REFLAGGED. The Radisson Knoxville (Tenn.) became the
Crowne Plaza Knoxville in June. Within walking distance of the
Knoxville Convention Center, the 197-room hotel has two ballrooms
totaling 10,000 square feet of exhibition space, two meeting rooms,
a 3,000-square-foot fitness center and a business center. The hotel
will complete a $1.5 million renovation by year’s end. (865)
522-2600; www.ichotelsgroup.com
MI, Detroit
The 245-room Marriott Detroit Metro Airport and the
225-room Detroit Marriott Southfield wrapped up renovations to all
guest rooms and meeting space in June. Marriott Detroit Metro
Airport offers 14 banquet rooms and 6,600 square feet of meeting
space; Marriott Southfield has six meeting rooms and 4,368 square
feet of meeting space.
MN, Oakdale
The 116-room Hilton Garden Inn St. Paul/Oakdale opened in June. The
hotel offers three meeting rooms totaling 1,200 square feet and is
attached to the Prom Center, which has 13,000 square feet of
flexible meeting space.
MO, St. Charles
The Embassy Suites Hotel St. Louis/St. Charles opened last month
with 296 rooms and 5,200 square feet of meeting space. The hotel is
attached to the 150,000-square-foot St. Charles Convention Center,
which opened in April.
VA, Hampton
The new 295-room Embassy Suites at Hampton Roads Convention Center
opened in July. Groups can meet in the connecting,
344,000-square-foot convention facility, which debuted in
April.
WA, Vancouver
The new 226-room Hilton Vancouver Washington is about 12 miles from
Portland International Airport. The hotel offers nearly 30,000
square feet of flexible meeting and function space, including a
13,000-square-foot ballroom, plus a fitness center.