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Site Scene

British Columbia
  • West Coast Suites, on the University of British Columbia campus in Vancouver, reopened late summer after an extensive renovation. The $4 million renovation includes guest room upgrades, adding 26-inch LCD flat panel televisions and wireless Internet to each suite. For more information, call 604.822.1000 or visit www.ubcconferences.com.

California
  • San Diego’s Grand Del Mar opened in October as a 249-room resort on the Los Penasquitos Canyon Preserve. The resort features a Tom Fazio-designed championship golf course; two outdoor tennis courts; a 21,000-square-foot spa; four swimming pools; and more than 20,000 square feet of meeting space, including a 10,000-square-foot ballroom divisible by six. For more information, call 858.314.2000 or visit www.thegranddelmar.com.

  • La Bellasera Hotel & Suites recently debuted, becoming the first luxury boutique hotel in Paso Robles. The hotel offers 60 luxury suites, as well as a restaurant and spa. La Bellasera also boasts a 2,100-square-foot meeting facility, the Paso Robles Conference Center, which seats up to 175 and features both wired and wireless Internet. The Spa at La Bellasera offers both in-room spa therapies as well as a treatment center. For more information, call 805.238.2834 or visit www.labellasera.com.

  • The Sunset Marquis Hotel and Villas in West Hollywood is undergoing a $20 million expansion, featuring a new spa and dining facilities and the construction of 40 new villas, including the two-story Presidential Villa. Other upgrades include additions to The Studio, a commercial recording studio located in the hotel. The project is set for completion by the end of this fall. For more information, call 310.657.1333 or visit www.sunsetmarquishotel.com.

Colorado
  • The four-story, 500-room Crowne Plaza hotel in Colorado Springs, formerly a Sheraton, recently opened following a $12 million renovation. The Crowne Plaza Colorado Springs features 16 suites, including eight loft suites and a presidential suite with living and dining area, as well as 43,000 square feet of meeting space with 28 meeting rooms. Other amenities include an indoor pool, fitness center and high-speed wired and wireless Internet access in guest rooms and public spaces. For more information, call 719.576.5900 or visit www.crowneplaza.com.

  • By winter, the 200-room Vail Plaza Hotel & Club is slated to open, with a 7,000-square-foot conference center and two grand ballrooms with 10 breakout rooms. The new resort is a $150 million redevelopment of the former Vail Village Inn. There will also be a small boardroom available for corporate retreats and a spa. For more information, call 970.477.8000 or visit www.vailplazaclub.com.

Hawaii
  • The Ohana Waikiki Beachcomber began an expansive $12.1 million refurbishment, with the first phase to include all 493 guest rooms. Renovations to the hotel’s top floors, which started in July, will be completed by late 2007, with all the room renovations finished by February 2008. For more information, call 808.922.4646 or visit http://ohanahotels.com.

  • All 310 guest rooms at the Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort on the Big Island are on the books for a facelift. The improvement project, anticipated to take six months, will include soft goods and added benefits such as free high-speed Internet access. Hotel guests will not be impacted by the project, as the work flow will be isolated from occupied rooms. For more information, call 808.322.3441 or visit www.outrigger.com.

Montana
  • Kalispell’s West Coast Outlaw Inn was purchased by Kalispell Hospitality Company, which recently began a major re-model of the hotel, including its 218 guest rooms, restaurant and 12,000 square feet of meeting space. The property, now independently owned, was also renamed The Outlaw Hotel. It will remain open during the renovations, which are slated for completion June 2008. For more information, call 406.755.6100 or visit www.outlawhotel.com.

New Mexico
  • Eldorado Hotel & Spa in Santa Fe is nearing completion of a $10.5 million renovation, with the final product set to debut in November. The hotel lobby and 219 guest rooms are being redone, as are its 20,000 square feet of meeting and function space, including Santa Fe’s largest ballroom. For more information, call 505.988.4455 or visit www.eldoradohotel.com.

Washington
  • The Sheraton Seattle Hotel in October unveiled a $130 million expansion project, including its new Union Street Tower. The tower adds 420 guest rooms and 16 meeting rooms for an additional 12,000 square feet of function space. The addition of this tower makes the Sheraton Seattle the state’s largest-capacity hotel, with a total of 1,258 guest rooms. Other renovations at the hotel included the expansion of its lobby prefunction areas and ballrooms. The Metropolitan and Grand ballrooms can accommodate 800 and up to 1,400 guests, respectively. For more information, call 206.621.9000 or visit www.starwoodhotels.com.

Wyoming
  • Teton Mountain Lodge & Spa in Teton Village recently opened its new $7 million, three-story, 16,000-square-foot spa and fitness center. Solitude Spa’s offerings also include a rooftop studio for yoga, Pilates and other activities. In addition, Teton Mountain Lodge & Spa added 17 new rooms and suites, increasing its overall capacity to 145 guest rooms. For more information, call 307.734.7111 or visit www.tetonlodge.com.