CITY BEAT
McAllen, Texas
New Center Opens
In March, the new McAllen Convention Center opened for business in this city at the southern tip of Texas. The center features 175,000 square feet of meeting space, including a 61,400-square-foot exhibit hall. City officials, who rejected several bids for a full-service, supporting headquarters hotel, are continuing to evaluate their options. Opening by year-end is a 100-room Homewood Suites by Hilton.
Jackson, Miss.
In the Works
In summer 2006, the city broke ground on the new $61 million, 264,500-square-foot Capital City Convention Center, set to open downtown in fall 2008. Connected to the Mississippi TelCom Center, the center will feature a 60,000-square-foot exhibit hall. Combined, the two facilities will offer a total of 120,000 square feet of meeting space. Also opening in 2008 is the 140-room Embassy Suites Jackson/Ridgeland, which will offer 6,000 square feet of meeting space.
AR, Little Rock
Hotel: La Quinta Inn
& Suites Little Rock Downtown. Renovations to be
completed: summer. Price tag: $4 million.
Rooms: 260. Meeting space: 5,500
square feet. Key changes: upgrading guest rooms,
lobby, meeting and public spaces.
IL, Rosemont
Hotel: Hyatt Regency
O’Hare. Reopened: February. Price
tag: $60 million. Rooms: 1,100.
Meeting space: more than 110,000 square feet.
Key changes: newly designed public spaces and a
new restaurant and bar, along with upgraded and additional meeting
facilities, all of which will be completed in time for the grand
opening celebration on May 1.
MD, Bethesda
Hotel: Bethesda
Marriott Hotel. Renovations completed: December
2006. Price tag: $12 million.
Rooms: 407. Meeting space: more
than 16,000 square feet. Key changes: renovated
guest rooms, fitness center, lobby and Grand Ballroom
(Congressional Ballroom refurbishes this summer); added a new
Italian restaurant.
Coastal comforts.Starwood Hotels & Resorts
Worldwide Inc. debuted a new resort off the Atlantic coast in Palm
Beach County, Fla., last month. The $210 million Resort at Singer
Island features 239 all-suite guest rooms, a 2,500-square-foot
poolside and oceanfront terrace, a spa, fitness and business
centers, restaurants, a jogging path and 4,000 square feet of
meeting space. (561) 340-1700; www.luxurycollection.com
NY, New York City
Hotel: Sheraton New
York Hotel & Towers. Renovations completed:
January. Price tag: $10 million.
Rooms: 1,747. Meeting space:
60,000 square feet. Key changes: upgraded guest
rooms and redesigned several key areas, including the Presidential
Suite, 14,000-square-foot Metropolitan Ballroom, 3,000-square-foot
Lenox Ballroom, restaurant and fitness center.
OH, Columbus
Hotel: Crowne Plaza
Hotel Columbus-Dublin (formerly a Clarion).
Opened: January. Price tag: $4
million. Rooms: 217. Meeting
space: 14,083 square feet. Key changes:
The roster of top-to-bottom changes includes upgrades to the
meeting space, guest rooms, restaurant, public corridors,
carpeting, furniture and the main entrance. All work is on track to
be completed by this spring.
TN, Memphis
Hotel: The Westin
Memphis Beale Street. Opened: March. Price
tag: $40 million. Rooms: 203.
Meeting space: 6,768 square feet. Key
features: fitness center, business center with
complimentary high-speed wireless Internet, gift shop, restaurant,
bar and Starbucks coffee shop.
WA, Federal Way
Hotel: Courtyard
Seattle Federal Way. Renovations completed:
January. Price tag: $1.3 million.
Rooms: 160. Meeting space: 1,640
square feet. Key changes: upgraded guest rooms,
lobby and restaurant, as well as revamped meeting space.