CITY BEAT
Vail, Colo.
Putting on a Fresh Face
Vail Resorts Inc., the town of Vail and private developers have begun work on a $1 billion renovation of the popular resort destination. Projects on tap include $60 million worth of public improvements, converting the parking structure next door to the Vail Marriott into a hotel, and leveling two buildings to make room for a new 162-room hotel, an outdoor ice rink and a shopping plaza. Completion is slated for 2010.
Rosemont, Ill.
Expansion Completion
This month, the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center unveils its new $17 million expansion. The 40,000-square-foot addition brings the center’s total meeting and exhibit space to 880,000 square feet. The 503-room Holiday Inn Chicago O’Hare International is undergoing a major overhaul. Upon completion, the hotel will be reflagged a Crowne Plaza. In June, the 467-room Radisson Hotel O’Hare completed a near $1 million soft-goods renovation of all guest rooms.
CO, Denver
The 11-story, 196-room JW Marriott Denver at Cherry Creek opened in
June at the center of the neighborhood’s quickly transforming
Clayton Lane project. Among the property’s 5,660 square feet of
meeting space is a 3,000-square-foot grand ballroom. A full-service
spa and salon is expected to add about 9,300 square feet to the
property in September.
HI, Waikiki
The 99-room Ilima Hotel, a serene yet central property two
blocks from Waikiki Beach, has added three new meeting rooms off
the lobby, totaling 1,600 square feet.
MA, Boston
The 220-room Jurys Boston Hotel opened in the heart of Back Bay
last month. Set in the city’s police headquarters of the 1920s, the
$60 million property blends local history, Irish character and a
sleek, modern elegance. For meetings, the newcomer offers five
rooms, ranging in size from 318 to 1,212 square feet.
Water world. Just minutes away from Palm
Springs, the 215-room Miramonte Resort & Spa of Indian Wells,
Calif., recently unveiled The Well, a 12,000-square-foot spa
featuring 19 relaxation suites, four mud bars, a Watsu pool and a
cornucopia of treatment options, including hydrotherapy and
breathing workshops. (760) 341-2200; www.miramonte-resort.com
NY, New York
The Grand Hyatt New York has spent $65 million on a cool,
contemporary new look, and the 1,336 guest rooms have been
renovated accordingly. Also new is the 5,000-square-foot Manhattan
Ballroom, bringing the total meeting space at the property to
55,000 square feet.
TX, Corpus Christi
June marked the opening of the 86-room Homewood Suites by
Hilton Corpus Christi. Ten minutes from downtown’s international
airport, the property offers
a 700-square-foot meeting room equipped with wireless Internet
access.
TX, Houston
The 600-room Adam’s Mark Houston has been reflagged as the Houston
Marriott Westchase after $18 million of recent renovations to both
public and private areas, giving the property the atmosphere of a
sophisticated Texas living room. The hotel provides 40,000 square
feet of event space, including the 10,000-square-foot grand
ballroom and 20 additional meeting rooms.
WI, Sheboygan
Newly planted on the beaches of Lake Michigan in
Sheboygan’s Harbor Centre district is the 183-room Blue Harbor
Resort & Conference Center. The property, which celebrated its
grand opening in June, offers 16,900 square feet of meeting space
and 4,600 square feet of prefunction space. Between meetings,
attendees can enjoy a range of leisure activities, from the
40,000-square-foot indoor water park to the variety of treatments
at Elements an Aveda Concept Spa.