Chattanooga
Knoxville
Smoky Mountains Region
- The Chattanoogan (423.756.34000; www.chattanooganhotel.com) finished a major renovation in June, including updates to its guest rooms, suites, lobby, and The Foundry lounge.
- The transformation of the Chattanooga Clarion Hotel (423.756.5150; www.choicehotels.com) into a Doubletree Inn & Suites is scheduled for completion by June 2008. The new hotel will feature 157 rooms and over 7,000 square feet of meeting space.
Knoxville
- The Emporium Annex (865.523.7543; www.knoxalliance.com/aboutus/emporium.html), with 5,000 square feet of classroom and meeting space, opened in August underneath the main gallery level of the Emporium Center.
Smoky Mountains Region
- Located across the street from Pigeon Forge’s The Incredible Christmas Place, one of the nation’s top Christmas stores, The Inn at Christmas Place (865.868.0525; www.innatchristmasplace.com) debuted this year with 145 guest units and conference facilities for up to 300 people.
- Pigeon Forge’s newly opened RiverStone Resort and Spa (866.908.0990; www.riverstoneresort.com) offers 82 condos and 3,600 square feet of meeting space.
- The 241,000-square-foot Sevierville Events Center at Bridgemont (865.453.5504; www.seviervilleeventscenter.com) opened in September as the centerpiece of the Bridgemont Events & Entertainment Destination, a new development featuring hotels, waterparks, a shopping complex, two golf courses, and dining and entertainment venues.