- The 222-room Hilton Columbia Center (803.744.7800; www.hiltoncolumbia.com) is slated to open in July adjacent to the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center. The property will feature 5,000 square feet of meeting space.
- The 143-room Hilton Garden Inn Columbia/Harbison (803.407.6640; www.columbia harbison.stayhgi.com) opened in November.
- A major renovation is under way at the Columbia Inn City Centre at USC (803.799.7800; www.columbiainnusc.com). When the renovation is finished this summer, the property will be reflagged as a Courtyard by Marriott and feature 189 guest rooms and 9,000 square feet of meeting space.
- The historic Palmetto building in Columbia is currently undergoing a renovation and will open as the Sheraton Palmetto (803.251.6464; www.starwoodhotels.com) by late spring. The property has seen many uses; it was once a bank, and the old bank vault will be reborn as a martini bar. The hotel will also offer rooftop dining overlooking the city.
The 186-room Columbia Plaza Hotel (803.736.5600; www.columbiaplazahotel.com) will be reflagged as a Holiday Inn by the end of spring. The facility offers 3,600 square feet of meeting space.
- The Radisson Hotel Columbia and Conference Center (803.731.0300; www.radisson.com/columbiasc) underwent a complete renovation in 2006. The 238-room property offers 20,000 square feet of meeting space.
Spartanburg
- The 86,000-square-foot Chapman Cultural Center (864.542.2787; www.spartanarts.org) will open in October in Spartanburg. Designed for visual and performing arts, the center will also have a 500-seat theater. The three-building campus will also house a historical museum, as well as an art and dance school.
Greenville
- The 115-room Hampton Inn and Suites Riverplace Downtown (864.271.8700; www.hamptoninnandsuitesgreenville.com) opened in 2006 with more than 1,200 square feet of meeting space.
- The 180-room Drury Inn and Suites Greenville (864.288.4401; www.druryhotels.com/properties/greenville.cfm) opened in January with more than 5,000 square feet of meeting space.
- The Carolina First Center (864.233.2562; www.carolinafirstcenter.com), formerly known as the Palmetto Expo Center, was renamed in January and is undergoing $22 million in exterior and interior renovations. After the work is completed by late 2007, the center will offer more than 200,000 square feet of contiguous exhibit space and 88,000 square feet of meeting space.
Rock Hill/York County
- The Baxter M. Hood Center (803.981.7100; www.hoodcenter.com) in York County recently finished a property-wide renovation and tech upgrade, complete with new plasma screens. The center offers 40,000 square feet of meeting space.
- Last year, the 124-room Holiday Inn Rock Hill was reflagged as the Ramada Inn Conference Center of Rock Hill (803.329.1122; www.ramada.com). The property offers four meeting rooms that can accommodate up to 700 people.