Florida
Louisiana
South Carolina
- The Sawgrass Marriott Resort & Spa is scheduled to complete a $16 million guest room renovation later this month. The hotel, which features 508 guest rooms, suites and villas alongside 56,000 square feet of meeting space and a 20,000-square-foot spa, will update all accommodations in its main building with new decor and furnishings. Renovated rooms will include contemporary wood furnishings, larger work spaces with an ergonomic desk and chair, high-speed Internet access, plasma televisions, new mattresses and bedding, and updated bathrooms. The guest room renovations coincide with the PGA Tour’s $10 million upgrade of the THE PLAYERS Stadium Course, the signature golf course of the TPC Sawgrass golf club, and the construction of a $30 million clubhouse that is scheduled to open in May and will feature an 11,000-square-foot event lawn and nearly 11,000 square feet of meeting space, among other highlights. For more information, call the Sawgrass Marriott Resort & Spa at 904.285.7777 or visit www.sawgrassmarriott.com.
- The Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Orlando completed a $6.8 million guest room renovation in December. Each of the hotel’s 650 guest rooms and suites was updated with new carpeting, artwork and decor; luxury furnishings, including a new bedding package; and technological upgrades such as 32-inch flat-panel televisions and MP3 landing stations with connectivity to an in-room stereo. Located adjacent to the Universal Studios and Universal’s Islands of Adventure theme parks, the AAA Four Diamond Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Orlando features more than 6,000 square feet of meeting space, including a 3,000-square-foot ballroom, a 9,000-square-foot function lawn, additional meeting facilities at the nearby Hard Rock Cafe and Hard Rock Live, high-speed Internet access, a full-service business center, a 12,000-square-foot pool with a sand beach and underwater stereo, a fitness center, five restaurants and lounges, and more than $1 million worth of rock ’n’ roll memorabilia on display throughout the property. For more information, call 407.503.ROCK or visit www.hardrock.com.
- The Orlando Airport Marriott is scheduled to complete a $12.5 million renovation this month. The renovation project includes transforming the hotel lobby into the property’s signature “Great Room,” which will feature different zones in which guests can work, socialize or simply relax. Each of the hotel’s 486 guest rooms will be updated with new decor, Marriott’s signature Revive bed and bedding package, soundproof windows, and upgraded bathrooms with granite vanities. In addition, the completion of the project will mark the debut of the hotel’s 3,500-square-foot Capri Ballroom, as well as a makeover of the property’s other meeting facilities, its fitness center and the hotel lounge. The Orlando Airport Marriott features 26,000 square feet of meeting space, wired and wireless high-speed Internet access, an indoor/outdoor swimming pool with a whirlpool, two restaurants, and complimentary airport shuttle service. For more information, call 407.851.9000 or visit www.marriott.com/mcoap.
Louisiana
- The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans reopened in December following a 15-month, $100 million renovation and restoration project necessitated by the effects of Hurricane Katrina. From the first to the 15th floor, all aspects of the hotel were refurbished and/or improved upon, from guest room amenities to public areas and meeting facilities to the hotel’s signature restaurant. Located on Canal Street in the heart of the French Quarter, the now non-smoking hotel features 527 guest rooms and suites, including accommodations on a newly created Club Level; 35,000 square feet of meeting space; Melange, the hotel’s new signature restaurant; live local entertainment; and an expanded 25,000-square-foot full-service spa, spa cafe and fitness center that is scheduled to open in March. For more information, call 504.524.1331 or visit www.ritzcarlton.com.
South Carolina
- The Inn at Palmetto Bluff recently opened The Wilson Sports Campus. The new tennis center and sports complex features eight Har-Tru surface tennis courts situated around two croquet lawns and two bocce courts, as well as a 2,715-square-foot tennis pro shop and pavilion. Located in South Carolina’s Lowcountry region, between Charleston and Savannah, Ga., The Inn at Palmetto Bluff, part of the Auberge Resorts luxury collection, features 50 cottage and cottage suite accommodations; numerous two-, three- and four-bedroom rental homes; more than 5,500 square feet of meeting space; a Jack Nicklaus Signature championship golf course; three restaurants; high-speed Internet access; and numerous outdoor activities, including canoeing, kayaking and boating. For more information, call 843.706.6550 or visit www.palmettobluffresort.com.