Lancaster County
Hershey-Harrisburg Region
State College
- Construction began in fall 2006 on the Marriott Lancaster at Penn Square Lancaster County Convention Center (866.503.3786; www.lancasterconventioncenter.com). Scheduled to open in spring 2009, the two connecting facilities will include the 220,000-square-foot convention center, which
will house a 47,850-square-foot exhibit hall, a 9,200-square-foot ballroom, a 9,800-square-foot ballroom, 27,550 square feet of function space, and 11
meeting rooms. The 185,000-square-foot hotel will feature 300 guest rooms and 25,000 square feet of meeting space.
- The Lancaster Arts Hotel (717.299.3000; www.lancasterartshotel.com) opened in October 2006 in downtown Lancaster with 63 guest rooms and more than 1,200 square feet of meeting space.
- The Lancaster Host Resort & Conference Center (717.299.5500; www.lancasterhost.com) completed renovations of its guest units, small meeting
facilities, restaurant, and exterior in early 2007. The hotel plans to begin an upgrade of its large meeting spaces in late fall and finish the project
early next year. The hotel offers 319 guest units and 83,000 square feet of meeting space.
- Lancaster’s Best Western Eden Resort Inn and Suites (717.569.6444; www.edenresort.com) plans to finish a guest room renovation in March.
The hotel offers 276 guest rooms and 28,000 square feet of meeting space.
- Willow Valley Resort & Conference Center (717.464.2711; www.willowvalley.com) completed a lobby, indoor courtyard and conference center upgrade in February and finished renovating its guest rooms in June. The resort offers 342 guest rooms and 20,000 square feet of meeting space.
Hershey-Harrisburg Region
- The Crowne Plaza Hotel Harrisburg–Hershey (717.234.5021; www.crowneplaza.com) plans to finish upgrades to guest rooms, public space
and meeting facilities by the end of the year. The hotel has 261 guest rooms and 8,930 square feet of meeting space.
- The Hilton Harrisburg (717.237.6428; www.hilton.com) completed a fitness center renovation in late May. The hotel offers 341 guest rooms and more
than 38,000 square feet of meeting space.
- The Hilton Garden Inn Harrisburg East (717.635.7297; www.hilton.com) opened in May about 10 minutes from Harrisburg International Airport. The hotel offers 126 guest rooms and 2,870 square feet of meeting space.
- Courtyard Harrisburg West/Mechanicsburg (717.766.9006; www.marriott.com) debuted in April in Mechanicsburg, located nine miles southwest of Harrisburg. The hotel features 91 guest units and 635 square feet of meeting space.
- Construction is under way on the Hollywood Casino at Penn National (717.469.2211; www.hcpn.com), located about 15 miles from Harrisburg in Grantville. The 365,000-square-foot casino will house 2,000 slot machines, numerous dining venues and a stage for live performances on the casino floor, as well as a horseracing track for year-round betting. Discussions are under way for the construction of a 2,000-seat theater that will also serve as a meeting venue, as well as the construction of a hotel next to the casino.
State College
- The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel (814.863.5000; www.pennstatehotels.com) recently doubled its guest room count to 300 and plans to finish renovations to the last 50 of its original 150 guest units in February. The hotel offers 58,000 square feet of meeting space.
- The Nittany Lion Inn (814.865.8500; www.pennstatehotels.com) recently finished renovating its first floor and became a non-smoking hotel. The property offers 223 guest rooms and 25,000 square feet of meeting space.