The Mississippi Coast Coliseum and Convention Center (228.594.3700; www.mscoastcoliseum.com) in Biloxi reopened in January with 180,000 square feet of function space. The center plans to unveil 200,000 square feet of additional function space next year.
The Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Biloxi (228.374.7625; www.hardrockbiloxi.com) opened last June with 218 guest rooms and suites, five restaurants, shops, a full-service spa, and Hard Rock Live, an entertainment arena that can seat up to 1,400 attendees for a meeting and up to 500 for a sit-down dinner.
Formerly the Grand Casino Oasis, the Island View Casino (228.314.2100; www.islandviewcasino.com) in Gulfport opened in fall 2006 and completed phase two of construction last May, giving the resort 562 guest units, more than 83,000 square feet of gaming space, and three restaurants, including Emeril’s Gulf Coast Fish House. Discussions are under way for phase three, which will potentially include the renovation of a hotel on the south side of Highway 90, along with meeting space and a spa. Currently, the resort has small boardrooms.
The Gulfport Beachfront Hotel reopened in May as the Courtyard by Marriott Gulfport Beachfront (228.864.4310; www.marriott.com) after a $9.6 million renovation. The hotel offers 154 guest units and 6,000 square feet of meeting space.
The 798-room Margaritaville Casino and Resort (www.harrahs.com) is slated to open in early 2010 in Biloxi. The resort will include 798 guest units, a full-service spa and meeting space.
Two Commonwealth Hotels properties are slated to open this summer near Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport in Gulfport: the 137-room Hilton Garden Inn Gulfport Airport (228.863.4996; www.hiltongardeninn.com), which will offer 2,000 square feet of meeting space, and the 108-room Residence Inn by Marriott Gulfport (800.831.4004; www.residenceinn.com).
The IP Casino Resort Spa (228.436.3000; www.ipbiloxi.com) in Biloxi is planning a $100 million expansion and renovation that will include new meeting space, restaurants and shops, and the refurbishment of 78 suites. Currently, the resort offers an 18,000-square-foot ballroom that can be divided into four separate meeting spaces, and its IP Showroom is available for auditorium-style meetings.
