CITY BEAT
Montgomery, Ala.
New Convention Center
The Montgomery Riverfront Renaissance picked up steam in January with the groundbreaking for an $85 million convention center and adjacent 300-room headquarters hotel. The center, a renovation of the Montgomery Civic Center, will have 93,000 square feet of meeting space and a 2,000-seat theater. The project is expected to be completed by February 2007. Also transforming the riverfront are new entertainment venues, shops and restaurants.
Houston
Recent Arrivals
The 448-room Hilton HoustonPost Oak, formerly a Doubletree property, reopened last month following an extensive $14 million modernization. The hotel now features 30,000 square feet of meeting space, a new executive lounge and wireless Internet access throughout. In other area news, George Bush International Airport opened its new International Arrivals Building in January, part of the facility’s ongoing $2.6 billion expansion.
CT, Hartford
The 392-room Hilton Hartford came back to life last month
after a $34 million renovation. The reworked property is connected
via skywalk to downtown’s Hartford Civic Center and offers 15,000
square feet of meeting space.
FL, Lake Buena Vista
Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort opens an 86,000-square-foot
exhibit hall this month. Alongside its 1,921 guest rooms, the
property now will be able to provide 220,000 square feet of
function space, all on one level.
MA, Boston
Last month marked the finish of $10.5 million in
renovations to the 500-room Hyatt Regency Boston. After a
reflagging last year and an overhaul of 20,000 square feet of
meeting space, the hotel turned to renovating guest rooms, which
now bear a contemporary French influence.
Vitale signs. San Francisco’s newest boutique arrival came
last month with the hotly anticipated Hotel Vitale, a 199-room
chic-fest with circular suites and 1,600 square feet of function
space for small but posh events. Also on site: Spa Vitale, a
penthouse-level blend of cool and soothing, and Americano, an
Italian restaurant with its own aromatherapy garden. (415)
278-3700; www.hotelvitale.com
MA, Brewster
The 429 acres of Cape Cod’s Ocean Edge Club & Resort received a
$5 million renovation last month, reworking all 335 guest rooms,
public spaces, golf grounds and meeting space, which now includes a
new 12-seat boardroom. Property perks include 700 feet of private
beach, six swimming pools, a spa, and 14,500 square feet of meeting
and event space.
MD, Annapolis
The Loews Annapolis Hotel unveiled a new regatta theme in
February, after a $5 million renovation. Those who lack the stomach
for a real cruise can seek their thrills from the newly nautical
“staterooms,” which offer updated bathrooms as well.
NV, Las Vegas
The 2,726-room Wynn Las Vegas opens this month, adjacent
to the Sands Expo and Convention Center. The 217-acre ode to
indulgence offers an 18-hole golf course (the Strip’s one and
only), 18 restaurants, two car dealerships and 200,000 square feet
of meeting space.
VA, Virginia Beach
The 291-room Hilton Virginia Beach Oceanfront opens this month,
unveiling 10,050 new square feet of meeting space. From the
ground-floor array of boutique shops to the rooftop infinity pool
20 stories up, the property promises to grace any meeting with a
breath of fresh, fashionable air.
MB, Winnipeg
Formerly the Radisson Suite Airport, the 160-room Hilton Suites
Winnipeg Airport opened anew in February, following a $5 million
overhaul that gave guest rooms a complete redesign as well as
complimentary wireless Internet access.