City Beat
Houston
City Adds Rooms, Space
In October, the George R. Brown Convention Center added 130,000 square feet of exhibit space, bringing total event space at the center up to one million square feet. This month, the center is joined by an attached headquarters hotel, the 1,200-room Hilton Americas
Houston, which offers 91,500 square feet of meeting space. Also in October, the 300-room Sugar Land Marriott Town Square opened.
Milwaukee
New and Improved
Last month, the 4,100-seat Milwaukee Theatre reopened following a $42 million renovation. Also being revamped is the old Pabst Brewery, which is being turned into a mixed-used complex opening in 2005 near the convention center. Meanwhile, one of two headquarters hotels, the 484-room Hyatt Regency Milwaukee, will renovate its meeting space this winter. Across town, near Marquette University, the 189-room boutique Ambassador Hotel is undergoing a
$3 million upgrade.
CA, Long Beach
Work is under way on a new $5 million executive meeting
center at the 393-room Long Beach Hilton. Hotel officials expect
the 12,000-square-foot facility to be accredited by the
International Association of Conference Centers when it opens early
next year, at which point the Hilton will offer more than 32,000
square feet of meeting space.
CA, Woodland Hills
A renovation and expansion is taking place at the Warner
Center Marriott in this suburb of Los Angeles. The hotel’s 16,000
square feet of meeting space is being upgraded with Wi-Fi Internet
access, and 13 guest rooms are being added, bringing the total room
count at the property to 476 upon the project’s completion this
month.
OK, Oklahoma City
Groundbreaking is set for next summer for the $35 million
Embassy Suites HotelOklahoma City. The 245-suite property, in the
Bricktown neighborhood, will open in January 2006 with 12,000
square feet of meeting space.
OR, Corvallis
In October, a Hilton Garden Inn opened in this city, approximately
90 miles south of Portland. The property features 128 guest rooms
and two meeting rooms and is adjacent to the Oregon State
University Conference Complex, which has 80,000 square feet of
meeting space plus a 1,200-seat auditorium.
NOW ROOMIER. In September, Nemacolin Woodlands
Resort & Spa broke ground on the 42-room Falling Rock Lodge, an
addition to the existing 295 rooms at this western Pennsylvania
retreat. The lodge, to open next summer, will include a
50,000-square-foot clubhouse and 1,350 square feet of meeting
space, giving the property a total of 24,350 square feet for
meetings and functions. (800) 422-2736; www.nemacolin.com
SC, Columbia
In September, the Embassy Suites Hotel Columbia/Greystone
wrapped up a three-year renovation project. The 214-suite hotel
underwent a $6 million upgrade to public areas, guest rooms and the
hotel’s more than 15,000 square feet of meeting and function
space.
TN, Nashville
The 2,881-room Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center
rolled out a series of technological upgrades in September,
including check-in from the airport, high-speed Internet access in
Opryland’s 600,000 square feet of function space, and a new system
of electronic locks in the meeting area for greater security. By
next fall, Wi-Fi hot spots will be added to public spaces
throughout the hotel.
TX, Frisco
Ground was broken in September on a new Embassy Suites HotelFrisco
and the adjacent 100,000-square-foot Frisco Convention Center. When
it opens in conjunction with the center in spring 2005, the $40
million hotel will offer 320 guest suites and approximately 7,500
square feet of on-site meeting space. The city of Frisco is about
30 miles north of Dallas.