Illinois
- The 556-room InterContinental Chicago O’Hare debuted in September. The hotel features a variety of amenities, including 70 executive and VIP suites with soaking tubs, an art gallery and the InterContinental Club Lounge. The hotel also features a 275-seat, live entertainment venue which will play host to a variety of musical and comedy acts. Groups can book functions in the hotel’s 53,000 square feet of meeting and event space, including four grand ballrooms and nine private boardrooms. For more information, call 847.544.5300, or visit www.icohare.com.
- Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago in September unveiled 53 spa guest rooms at The Spa at Trump. These accommodations range from 600 to 900 square feet, and feature spa-style touches such as herbal-scented neck and eye pillows and a signature bath menu. For fitness enthusiasts, spa guest rooms include a yoga kit and a Technogym Wellness Rack. Guests will have unlimited access to the Trump Health Club, and can utilize the heated indoor swimming pool. Personal training and nutrition sessions are also available. For more information, call 312.588.8000 or visit www.trumpchicagohotel.com.
- The Fairmont Chicago recently completed a $50 million renovation, including a new lobby, renovated and expanded guest rooms and an 11,000-square-foot spa. The hotel offers 687 guest rooms and suites, 84 of which are dedicated to Fairmont Gold, an exclusive hotel within a hotel that is suited for business and luxury travelers. The hotel also offers 62,000 square feet of meeting and function space, including three ballrooms. The Imperial Ballroom offers over 16,000 square feet of meeting space, while the 5,000-square-foot Moulin Rouge ballroom is one of Chicago’s most famous meeting spaces. The Fairmont Chicago can also host green meetings with its new Eco-Meet program and serves food from locally sourced producers. The hotel’s spa can customize a variety of treatments into meetings programs with specially designed spa breaks. For more information, call 312.565.8000 or visit www.fairmont.com/chicago.
- The SpringHill Suites Chicago Waukegan/Gurnee recently opened with five floors, 120 suites and 346 square feet of meeting space. The suites offer a separate living area, 37-inch flat-screen televisions and free wireless high-speed Internet. The lobby offers custom lighting, music, moveable walls and changeable graphic panels to create different environments throughout the day. Guests can also enjoy Escape, the new modern lounge that serves wine and spirits, and the outdoor terrace illuminated by a fire pit and enclosed by a living green wall. For more information, call 847.688.9800 or visit www.marriott.com.
Minnesota
- The building boom that’s seen three new hotels open this month in downtown Minneapolis has carried over to the suburbs with the opening of the Westin Edina Galleria. The 225-room hotel is part of a $100 million condominium and hotel high-rise connected to the Galleria shopping mall. The 18-story tower has 11 floors of condos atop the hotel. The hotel has 9,100 square feet of flexible event space, including a ballroom for as many as 350 people. The amenities on the ground floor include a pool, a fitness center and a restaurant. For more information, call 952.567.5000 or visit www.starwoodhotels.com.
- Treasure Island Resort & Casino’s new event center opened Aug. 30 and will feature a lineup of national entertainers. The showroom is part of a $50 million entertainment addition at the Welch-based resort, which also features 230 hotel rooms and a 24-lane bowling alley complete with an arcade and lounge. For more information, call 800.222.7077 or visit www.treasureisland casino.com.