Site Scene

Florida

• Pier House Resort and Caribbean Spa in Key West is renovating its 142 guest rooms and some public areas, slated for completion at the end of October. There are six new one-bedroom suites featuring infinity balconies and flat-screen televisions. The resort is located in the heart of historic Old Town. For more information, call 305.296.4600 or visit www.pierhouse.com.
• The 408-room Mainsail Suites Hotel & Conference Center is adding 17,500 square feet of meeting and conference space to the Tampa condo-style hotel. The new $10 million meetings complex will feature 16-foot ceilings, 6,500 square feet of ballroom space, new audiovisual projection equipment, a 4,500-square-foot patio and a gazebo. The expansion project is set to be complete by September 2009. For more information, call 813.243.2600 or visit www.mainsailtampa.com.

• The first phase of a 10-year, multimillion-dollar expansion is complete at Lake Lanier Islands Resort. The 1,100-acre Atlanta area resort is home to the Legacy Lodge & Conference Center, 30 lakeside cottages and two golf courses. Renovations were made to the Legacy Lodge & Conference Center, formerly known as Emerald Pointe Hotel & Conference Center, which offers 21,000 square feet of flexible meeting space. The 22 meeting rooms and 221 guest rooms offer complimentary high-speed wireless access. Legacy Lodge’s Grand Ballroom accommodates up to 300 attendees. Located adjacent to the hotel are six new upscale Legacy Villas, each 4,500 square feet. The upper level features two king suites and a common area with stacked stone fireplaces and decks overlooking the lake, while most of the lower level bedrooms include fireplaces and patios with views. For more information, call 770.945.8787 or visit www.lakelanierislands.com.

• New Orleans’ Astor Crowne Plaza is undergoing a multimillion-dollar renovation. The hotel is upgrading its 707 guest rooms, including 28 suites. The hotel offers 30,000 square feet of meeting space, outdoor balconies overlooking Bourbon, Canal and Iberville streets, as well as 10,500 square feet of ground floor retail space on Canal Street. The renovation is slated for completion in November. The Executive Lounge on the hotel’s club level floor will undergo a transformation that will double its size, as is the fitness center, which will expand to twice its size. There will also be three meetings rooms added, each with 700 square feet, expanding the facilities to 32,000 square feet. For more information, call 504.962.0500 or visit www.astorneworleans.com.

• The 400-room Raleigh Marriott City Center opened in August, and is attached to the new 500,000-square-foot Raleigh Convention Center. The 16-story hotel features 400 rooms, including 20 suites and more than 15,000 square feet of meeting space. Space includes a 9,000-square-foot grand ballroom and another 6,000 square feet of individual/breakout meeting rooms. The hotel and convention center offer a 30,000-square-foot ballroom and more than 150,000 square feet of meeting space. The hotel offers a business center, high-speed Internet access and 32-inch flat-panel plasma televisions in each room. For more information, call 919.833.1120 or visit www.marriottraleigh.com.
• The Doubletree Hotel Rocky Mount, located 50 miles from Raleigh-Durham in the Coastal Plains area, recently debuted. The 166 guest rooms and suites include complimentary wireless high-speed Internet and 32-inch flat-screen televisions. The hotel is adjacent to the Gateway Convention Center, combining for more than 10,000 square feet of meeting and banquet space. The convention center also offers a ballroom for receptions up to 500 guests. For more information, call 252.937.6888 or visit http://doubletree1.hilton.com.

• The new 102-room Country Inn & Suites By Carlson Oklahoma City Airport opened, featuring an indoor pool, whirlpool and fitness center. Other amenities include a complimentary 100-person-capacity meeting room. The hotel offers a variety of guest rooms, including standard rooms, studio suites, one-bedroom suites and Jacuzzi suites. All rooms feature complimentary high-speed Internet access and 32-inch flat-panel televisions. For more information, call 405.605.8300 or visit www.countryinns.com