CITY BEAT
Kansas City, Mo.
Downtown Revitalization
This past April, the Kansas City Convention Center completed its $135 million expansion with the gala opening of its 46,500-square-foot ballroom. The new $200 million Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, which recently scored a coup in acquiring the Hallmark Photographic Collection, will celebrate its grand opening in October. Now under construction is the $326 million Kaufman Center for the Per-for-ming Arts, which is scheduled to open in 2009.
Providence, R.I.
Hotel Room Boom
The room drought here is officially over. The new 272-room Renaissance Providence Hotel opened for business last month, while next month, the 364-room Westin will unveil its 200-room expansion, bringing the city’s total room count up to 2,100. Another four hotel projects currently are in the planning stages, including a 206-room W, which will add yet another 704 rooms to Providence’s burgeoning hotel inventory.
AR, Little Rock
Hotel: The Capital
Hotel. Reopening: September. Price
tag: approximately $20 million. Rooms:
94. Meeting space: 6,400 square feet. Key
changes: complete restoration of hotel, which originally
opened in 1876, includes enhanced guest rooms and restaurant, new
plumbing, heating and air conditioning, and a new ballroom.
CA, San Diego
Hotel: Ivy Hotel.
Opened: May. Price tag:
approximately $100 million.
Rooms: 159. Meeting space: 20,000
square feet of event space. Key features: This new
property offers guests a rooftop bar and pool, a 24-hour fitness
center, a fine-dining restaurant, optional personal butler service
and a nightclub.
LA, New Orleans
Hotel: New Orleans
Marriott. Renovations completed: late summer.
Price tag: approximately $38 million.
Rooms: 1,290. Meeting space: more
than 80,000 square feet. Key changes:
comprehensive enhancements made to all guest rooms, the restaurant,
public spaces, the fitness facility, concierge lounge and meeting
space.
Heartland Haute.The Hilton Minneapolis, the
largest hotel in Minnesota, has completed a $22.8 million
all-encompassing renovation that upgraded its 821 guest rooms and
74,000 square feet of banquet and meeting facilities. Also new at
the property: the 7,400-square-foot Symphony Ballroom. The
redesigned SkyWater Cuisine & Cocktails reopened in April 2006.
(612) 376-1000; www.hilton.com
MD, Linthicum
Hotel: Sheraton
Baltimore Washington Air-port Hotel. Opened: May.
Rooms: 203. Meeting space: 4,600
square feet. Key features: indoor pool, fitness
room, full-service restaurant and lounge; flat-screen televisions
in all guest rooms.
Qu}bec, Montr}al
Hotel: Embassy Suites
by Hilton-Montreal. Opened: July.
Rooms: 210. Meeting space: 4,600
square feet (also across street from Palais des Congres de
Montreal). Key features: zen-inspired decor
featuring black granite floors; each suite comes with two
flat-screen LCD televisions.
SC, Charleston
Hotel: Charleston
Marriott (formerly Charleston River-view). Opened:
May. Rooms: 340. Meeting space:
14,000 square feet. Key features: comprehensive
renovation of all guest rooms, public spaces, restaurant, lounge
and meeting facilities.
TX, El Paso
Hotel: Holiday Inn El
Paso Hotel Sunland Park. Renovations completed:
May. Price tag: $2 million.
Rooms: 176. Meeting space: nearly
5,000 square feet. Key changes: upgraded lobby and
ballroom; remodeled guest rooms; new boardroom; new restaurant and
bar area with Mexican menu; new fitness/health center that
overlooks the pool.