CITY BEAT
Durham, N.C.
Building Frenzy
In October 2005, city fathers met to discuss a $53 million expansion of the Durham Civic Center; the plan would add an adjacent hotel. The 98-room Four Points by Sheraton opens this March. The Rizzo Conference Center wraps up an $18 million expansion in April that will add 60 guest rooms and 10,000 square feet of meeting space. Under construction is the 2,800-seat Durham Performing Arts Center, to open in March 2008.
Orlando
New Acquisitions
The 584-room Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes, and its sister property, the 998-room JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes, are being acquired by CNL Hotels & Resorts. A $10 million capital improvement program for the Ritz-Carlton will include a new 14,100-square-foot ballroom to open this fall. The Renaissance Orlando Resort has completed a $6.5 million renovation of its 48,228 square feet of meeting space and outdoor pool area.
CA, Santa Clara
In December, the Westin Santa Clara was rebranded the Hyatt Regency
Santa Clara, and a $10 million renovation project commenced.
Adjacent to the Santa Clara Convention Center, the hotel has 505
guest rooms and 60,000 square feet of meeting space.
MN, Minneapolis
The Sheraton Minneapolis Midtown Hotel, the first featuring the
chain’s new design, opened last December with 136 guest rooms and
five meeting rooms. The new Sheratons are full-service and upscale,
with residential-style guest rooms and bathrooms.
NV, Las Vegas
Half of the 1,350 guest rooms at the South Coast Hotel and Casino
opened in December. The rest, plus a spa and fitness center and an
event area, will be added this summer. The hotel has 150,000 square
feet of meeting and banquet space, including an 80,000-square-foot
exhibit hall.
NM, Albuquerque
The Sandia Resort & Casino finished a $122 million renovation
and expansion that included the construction of a 228-room hotel
and 35,000 square feet of meeting space. Sandia now offers 10
meeting rooms plus a 27,000-square-foot ballroom. The expansion
also added the 12,000-square-foot Green Reed Spa.
PA, Coraopolis
The Wyndham Pittsburgh Airport has been redubbed the Pittsburgh
Airport Marriott and will undergo a $10 million renovation
beginning this month. The 316-room hotel, with 12,000 square feet
of meeting space, will update all guest rooms, public spaces and
more.
Fortified. The Hilton Washington Dulles Airport
in Herndon, Va., finished a $40 million, 18-month renovation and
expansion project, which added 155 new guest rooms and 12,000
square feet of meeting space, bringing the hotel’s totals to 449
rooms and 40,000 square feet. The conference center can be secured
for top-secret meetings and can host groups of up to 1,000. (703)
478-2900; www.hilton.com
TN, Memphis
A three-year, multimillion-dollar renovation is complete at the
464-room Peabody Memphis. Work included the overhaul of all guest
rooms and meeting rooms, as well as expansions of the exhibit hall
and the grand ballroom. The property offers 80,000 square feet of
meeting space.
TX, Dallas
In January, Hilton Hotels Corp. assumed management of the
1,610-room Wyndham Anatole Hotel and reflagged it the Hilton
Anatole Hotel. The property has 341,000-plus square feet of meeting
space, including a 1,000-seat auditorium, six ballrooms and 76
meeting rooms.
TX, San Antonio
A $5 million renovation is complete at the Marriott Plaza
San Antonio. Work included a redesign of all 251 guest rooms and
suites as well as the hotel’s public spaces and restaurant. The
hotel has 14 meeting rooms totaling 16,000 square feet.