CITY BEAT
Lexington, Ky.
Hotel Improvements
With the 2010 World Equestrian Games coming here, the 409-room Griffin Gate Marriott Resort & Spa is undergoing a renovation and debuted a new spa in June; the 365-room Hyatt Regency Lexington is getting a facelift, to finish in 2009; and a 267-room resort hotel will be built next to Kentucky Horse Park in nearby Frankfort, in time for the games.
CA, San Diego
Hotel: The Setai San
Diego (formerly The Diegan). Reopened: December.
Rooms: 161 plus 24 condos. Meeting
space: approximately 10,000 square feet. Key
changes: an amphitheater seating 40 people, a ballroom, an
indoor pool and a 5,000-square-foot penthouse suite available for
special events.
CA, Sonoma
Hotel: The Lodge at
Sonoma. Renovations completed: October.
Price tag: $2 million. Rooms:
182. Meeting space: 22,000 square feet.
Key changes: the addition of flat-screen TVs, iPod
docking stations and new fixtures in all guest rooms; new fitness
center equipment, and more treatment rooms at the property’s
Raindance Spa.
FL, Key West
Hotel: Beachside
Resort & Conference Center. Opened: October.
Rooms: 222. Meeting space: 6,000
square feet. Key features: The seven-acre
waterfront property offers two restaurants, two bars, a fitness
center, a private beach, a pool and a helicopter pad. A 20-slip
boat dock is in the works for next year.
GA, Atlanta
Hotel: Ellis Hotel
(formerly the Winecoff Hotel). Reopened: October.
Price tag: $28 million. Rooms:
127. Meeting space: 1,400 square feet. Key
features: a Southern-style restaurant, a women-only floor,
a business center and high-speed Internet access.
MI, Detroit
Hotel: MGM Grand
Detroit. Opened: October. Price
tag: $800 million. Rooms: 400.
Meeting space: 30,000 square feet. Key
features: The first of the city’s three 400-room casino
hotels to be completed offers a 20,000-square-foot spa, a Wolfgang
Puck restaurant and an assortment of upscale retail options.
NY, New York City
Hotel: Jumeirah Essex
House. Renovations completed: October.
Price tag: $90 million. Rooms:
515. Meeting space: 11,610 square feet.
Key changes: All guest rooms and the lobby area
have received a soft-goods makeover; the Spa at the Jumeirah Essex
House was added, and the 900-square-foot health club was
revamped.
RI, Providence
Hotel: Renaissance
Providence Hotel. Reopened: October. Price
tag: about $100 million. Rooms: 272.
Meeting space: 10,000 square feet. Key
features: a restaurant and lounge, a 24-hour fitness
center and the 4,900-square-foot Symphony Ballroom.
VA, Washington
D.C.
Hotel: Crowne Plaza
Tysons Corner (formerly Holiday Inn Tysons Corner).
Rebranded: October. Rooms: 316.
Meeting space: 10,000 square feet. Key
features: Adjacent to the Executive Conference Center, the
hotel features two restaurants, a business center, a 24-hour
fitness center with an Olympic-size pool and complimentary wireless
Internet access in all public spaces.
WA, Seattle
Hotel: Sheraton
Seattle. Renovations completed: October.
Price tag: $130 million. Rooms:
1,258. Meeting space: 75,000 square feet.
Key changes: an additional 420 guest rooms,
expanded ballrooms and meeting space, new catering facilities and
artwork by renowned glass sculptor Dale Chihuly.