CITY BEAT
Beverly Hills, Calif.
Commitment to Luxury
In March, voters gave the go-ahead to the luxury 214-room Montage Hotel & Public Gardens to be built north of Wilshire Boulevard. The project will include a full-service spa, 9,630 square feet of meeting space, a restaurant and a rooftop pool, plus an acre of public greenery. Nearby, the 570-room Beverly Hilton recently began a $60 million overhaul of the entire property, slated to wrap up in November 2005.
Kansas City, Kan.
Expansion Boom
In January, the Kansas City Convention Center completed a $22 million revamp of its 67,704-square-feet of meeting space; a new 46,450-square-foot ballroom is set to open in early 200. Also debuting in 2007 is the 20,000-seat Sprint Center and a $200 million expansion of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. The $304 million Metropolitan Kansas City Performing Arts Center opens in 2008, featuring a 2,200-seat multipurpose facility, a 1,350-seat concert hall and banquet space for 500.
CA, Santa Monica
The 213-room Huntley Hotel finished a $12 million redesign
in March, featuring newly stylish guest rooms and a restaurant and
a lobby created by local design celebrity Thomas Schoos. The
property, formerly the Radisson Huntley Hotel Santa Monica, has
5,000 square feet of meeting space.
CO, Colorado Springs
This month, the 316-room Cheyenne Mountain Resort unveils a $2.2
million guest room renovation and new wireless Internet access.
FL, Coconut Grove
The 179-room Mayfair House Hotel relaunches this month as the
Mayfair Hotel & Spa following $10 million in upgrades, courtesy
of new owners Kimpton Hotels. Renovations include all guest rooms
and the opening of a 4,300-square-foot spa. The Mayfair has 7,500
square feet of meeting space.
BRIGHT NEW STAR. Last month marked the opening of Kimpton
Hotels’ Hotel Solamar in San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter. The 235-room
boutique throbs with bold colors and stands within three blocks of
the San Diego Convention Center. In addition to 9,000 square feet
of on-site function space, the hotel has a 13,000-square-foot
rooftop pool and deck, plus a whole lot of chic. (619) 531-8740; www.hotelsolamar.com
FL, Miami Beach
The former Fontainebleau Hilton Resort dropped its Hilton
affiliation as of this month. Now simply the Fontainebleau Resort,
the hotel is managed by Turnberry Associates. The 36-story,
462-room Fontainebleau II Tower opened in February; plans for a
Fontainebleau III already are in the works.
MD, Hagerstown
The 210-room Clarion Hotel & Conference Center, with
30,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, finished a six-month
guest room renovation last month that included the addition of
wireless Internet.
MO, St. Louis
The Adam’s Mark St. Louis finishes a revamp this month,
overhauling bathrooms, furniture and more in all 910 guest rooms.
The hotel has 76,000 square feet of meeting space.
NM, Albuquerque
The new Embassy Suites Hotel Albuquerque opens this month,
within a mile of the Albuquerque Convention Center. The 291-room
property has its own conference center with 30,000 square feet of
flexible space, plus the on-site Spa Botanica.
NY, Buffalo
The former Four Points by Sheraton Buffalo Airport has been
reflagged as the Millennium Hotel Buffalo Airport. A $1.5 million
renovation should be complete by year’s end. The 300-room hotel
offers 12,000 square feet of meeting space.
RI, Providence
The recently renovated Providence Biltmore added an Elizabeth Arden
Red Door Spa last month. The 291-room property also offers 19,000
square feet of meeting and event space.