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Site Scene

Aruba
  • The 450-room, $120 million, all-inclusive Hotel Riu Palace Aruba debuted in July on the site of the former Aruba Grand on Palm Beach. The property features two pools with interconnecting Jacuzzis, a spa, casino, and two conference rooms. Each can fit up to 84 classroom style. For more information, call 011.297.586.3900 or visit www.riu.com.

Florida
  • The InterContinental Tampa opened in late August with 323 rooms, including two presidential suites, four corner parlor rooms, 17 junior suites, guest rooms with flat-panel LCD televisions and iPod docking stations, 21,000 square feet of meeting and event space, and a heated rooftop swimming pool with views of Tampa Bay. Other amenities include wireless high-speed Internet throughout the hotel. For more information, call 866.915.1558 or visit www.intercontampa.com.

  • Orlando’s Grand Cypress Resort, which recently completed a $3 million renovation of all its 146 guest rooms at the Villas of Grand Cypress, is now undertaking a $600,000 project on its multipurpose clubhouse. By late September, the 28,000-square-foot clubhouse will feature a new restaurant, upgraded golf pro shop and added touches to its public spaces. Following the clubhouse project, the resort’s South Course will reopen for tee-off, following a $1.4 million, six-month restoration project that began in April. For more information, call 407.239.4700 or visit www.grandcypress.com.

Georgia
  • Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide debuted its Four Points by Sheraton Historic Savannah, with 127 guest rooms, including 12 two-room suites, four whirlpool suites and 22 business suites. Rooms also include a 32-inch flat-screen television and complimentary high-speed Internet access. The hotel offers 2,000 square feet of meeting space and two boardrooms. It is the second Four Points property to open in Savannah, following Four Points by Sheraton Savannah Airport. For more information, call 912.790.1000 or visit www.starwoodhotels.com.

  • The Renaissance Atlanta Hotel Downtown, Renaissance Concourse Hotel and Renaissance Waverly are in the midst of more than $18 million in improvements. The Renaissance Atlanta Hotel Downtown is undergoing $6.5 million in renovations to its guest rooms, while the Renaissance Concourse Hotel near the Atlanta Airport has invested more than $5 million in upgrades to all public and meeting spaces, restaurants and guest rooms. The hotel now offers 34,000 square feet of renovated meeting space with the addition of the new 2,000-square-foot Junior Ballroom on the atrium level. Renovations at the Renaissance Waverly total $8 million, including upgrades to its spa and 60,000 square feet of meeting space. For more information, call 800.228.9290 or visit www.renaissancehotels.com.

Mexico
  • This fall Hyatt Cancun Caribe Resort will debut the 7,650-square-foot Laguna Conference Center, a new venue that can host meetings for up to 1,100. The conference center follows last year’s $20 million hotel renovation and expansion. The resort features 296 rooms and suites. For more information, call 011.52.998.848.7800 or visit www.cancun.caribe.hyatt.com.

Puerto Rico
  • El Conquistador Resort & Golden Door Spa opened the $32 million, 50,000-square-foot Grand Atlantic Conference Center this summer. The focal point of the project is the 21,090-square-foot Grand Atlantic ballroom, which can be divided into three smaller salons of 7,030 square feet. There are also eight mini-ballrooms on two levels for smaller breakout events; each can be divided in two. When combined with the resort’s existing space, the complex offers a total of four ballrooms and 74,000 square feet of meeting space. A 5,000-square-foot expansion of the banquet kitchen was completed to service the larger operation. The resort also features a 10,000-square-foot casino. For more information, call 787.863.1000 or visit www.elconresort.com.