Arizona
British Columbia
California
- FireSky Resort & Spa in Scottsdale, formerly Caleo Resort & Spa, debuted in April. The Caleo was purchased by Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants in December 2005 and has been undergoing renovations and enhancements since that time. New features include a lobby and lounge with a 28-foot-tall fireplace, free Wi-Fi resort-wide, and yoga and meditation TV channels, as well as evening wine tastings and in-room spa treatments. Guests can also make use of the resort’s 3,500-square-foot Jurlique Spa. For more information, call 480.945.7666 or visit www.fireskyresort.com.
- On March 1, The Phoenician completed a $5.5 million enhancement of its 60 guest rooms, private lobby, pool, cabanas, and meeting space in The Canyon Suites building, which is separate from the main resort. For guests in the building, the resort offers a personal Phoenician ambassador to take care of their needs; daily wine tasting with the master sommelier; and a chauffeured Mercedes to take guests to the spa, golf course or shopping. For more information, call 480.941.8200 or visit www.thephoenician.com.
British Columbia
- The Sidney Pier Hotel & Spa, an upscale boutique hotel on Vancouver Island’s Saanich Peninsula, opened in May, offering 55 guest rooms, all with ocean and mountain views, including nine suites with full kitchens. The Pier also features a waterfront restaurant and lounge, street-side cafe, 2,050-square-foot spa and salon, 1,000 square feet of meeting and banquet space that can accommodate groups from six to 60, and a 300-square-foot boardroom for up to eight people. For more information, call 250.655.9445 or visit www.sidneypier.com.
- The Oswego Hotel debuted in May in Victoria’s residential neighborhood of James Bay. The 80-room boutique hotel also offers 16 studio, 49 one-bedroom and 15 two-bedroom suites, all with fully equipped kitchens, bathrooms and living areas. There is also a garden terrace, 20-seat boardroom, fitness facilities, and evening wine tastings. For more information, call 866.602.1447 or visit www.oswegovictoria.com.
California
- In April the former Wyndham San Diego at Emerald Plaza converted to the Westin San Diego. The 436-room hotel has undergone an extensive $10 million renovation of guest rooms and public space. The property offers flexible meeting space for groups of up to 500 and features a 100-foot-high lobby atrium. For more information, call 619.239.4500 or visit www.starwoodhotels.com.
- Following a multimillion-dollar renovation, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide opened the Sheraton La Jolla Hotel, formerly a Radisson property. The Sheraton La Jolla, owned and operated by San Diego-based Bartell Hotels, offers 252 fully refurbished guest rooms and upgraded meeting and banquet facilities that can accommodate up to 250 people. For more information, call 858.453.5500 or visit www.starwoodhotels.com.
- San Francisco’s Argent Hotel is now The Westin San Francisco Market Street, following an extensive renovation of the hotel’s 676 guest rooms and suites, the restaurant and bar, lobby and entryway. The Westin also adds a new outdoor dining and lounge space, complete with a fire pit. Other additions include 3,000 square feet of meeting and event space. The hotel offers 20,000 square feet of event space, including a 9,040-square-foot Metropolitan Ballroom that can accommodate receptions of up to 1,200 guests, while groups of 12 to 150 people can be hosted in its 14 meeting rooms. For information, call 415.974.6400 or visit www.westin.com/marketstreet.
- San Francisco’s Hyatt at Fisherman’s Wharf recently completed a $6 million renovation of its 313 guest rooms and fitness center, as well as a complete lobby redesign. The newly designed guest rooms feature a 32-inch flat-screen LCD TV and deluxe baths. King rooms feature a luxurious oversized rain-shower, while the lobby redesign includes new white leather walls as well as the addition of a fireplace. For more information, call 415.563.1234 or visit www.fishermanswharf.hyatt.com.
- The Colony Palms Hotel, in Palm Springs, originally named The Colonial House when it opened in 1936, reopened in April after an extensive $15 million renovation. The renovation encompasses 56 redesigned guest rooms, including 10 casitas with two-person outdoor bathtubs, and three suites with private entrances, as well as a new poolside restaurant and spa facility. For more information, call 800.557.2187 or visit www.colonypalmshotel.com.