In these times of budgetary cutbacks and time constraints, an airport hotel may be just the ticket meeting planners need to come out ahead.
Making the choice easier is the fact that many airports around the country are sporting new and renovated hotels that are far from the bare-bones properties of old. Sophisticated meeting facilities, full-service spas and fine-dining restaurants are not uncommon features to be found in this new generation of airport properties.
“Sadly, when the words ‘airport’ and ‘hotel’ are put together, it conjures up an image of a 30-year-old hotel that you’d be afraid to sleep in,” says David Hall, general manager of the InterContinental Chicago O’Hare, a luxury property that opened in Rosemont, Ill., in September. “However, many meeting planners are looking for ways to save time and money without sacrificing quality—and we can provide that.”
The reality is that airport hotels such as the new InterContinental often rival their downtown counterparts. And, of course, they offer something most downtown hotels usually do not: quick and complimentary transportation to and from the airport.
Hall adds that being near a major hub airport such as Chicago O’Hare is proving to be a particular advantage in these days of rising airfares.
“Airfares to hub airports tend to be cheaper and there is also the convenience factor when you’re bringing in people from around the country,” he says. “And there is the further cost saving of not having to transport people downtown.”
Here’s a look at a few stand-out properties at some of the nation’s busiest airports:
Washington Dulles International Airport
As befitting the nation’s capital, some of the country’s best-equipped meetings hotels are conveniently located near Washington Dulles International Airport.
Among them is the Marriott Westfields Washington Dulles, which is seven miles from the airport and 30 miles from downtown Washington. Virginia wineries and the Udvar-Hazy Center of the National Air and Space Museum are among the nearby attractions.
With over 40,000 square feet of meeting space, including a 22,000- square-foot ballroom and 336 guest rooms, the Marriott Westfields offers unique group spaces that are decorated with antiques, artwork and marble architectural details. Business technology features, an on-site day spa and the nearby Signature Fred Couples Golf Club round out the amenities.
All-inclusive meetings packages valid through 2008 and 2009 include savings over individual goods and services prices, depending on room block and meeting space needs. The packages offer guest rooms with concierge level amenities, general session and breakout rooms, continuous coffee break service, transportation, use of the health and fitness center, and more.
“One of the things that sets us apart from a lot of hotels in the vicinity of airports is our generous amount of meeting space,” says Louis Nicholls, director of sales and marketing for Marriott Westfields. “Hotels typically sell meeting space based on guest room blocks, but with 40,000 square feet of meeting space, we can be pretty generous with it.”
Bookings made during the first and third quarters of the year get even more consideration, he adds.
A 45,000-square-foot, IACC-certified conference center with a grand ballroom, amphitheatre, boardrooms and outdoor function space are all part of the meetings space options at Lansdowne Resort, a luxury resort about eight miles from Washington Dulles.
The property sits on a tranquil site in the rolling Virginia countryside, but is also handy to corporate offices, retail outlets and major roadways. Groups can partake of team-building golf tournaments at two on-site courses and also enjoy full-service spa facilities. Free airport shuttle service is included.
Lansdowne’s Benchmark Conference Plan package includes guest rooms, three meals daily, meeting space, continuous refreshment breaks and use of the health club.
“Our proximity to Dulles airport is a major plus for us,” says Marjorie Lane, Lansdowne’s marketing director. “What we offer groups is a sort of one-stop shopping. You can do all your meetings here and enjoy 45 holes of championship golf as well. This means you can get away without going away, so you can focus on the agenda and then have a little fun, too.”
Lansdowne is a designated Virginia Green property for its efforts on behalf of environmental conservation.
Baltimore Washington International Airport
The Sheraton BWI and Westin BWI, sister Starwood properties under LTD Management near Baltimore-Washington International Airport, both opened last year with extensive meetings amenities.
Sheraton BWI has 203 guest rooms, a full-service restaurant and lounge, and 4,600 square feet of function space, including an executive boardroom. The Westin BWI has 260 rooms, a full-service restaurant and lounge, and 7,300 square feet of function space, including an executive boardroom and an outdoor area with garden and water features.
“We collaborate a lot on group business,” says Heinz Woschitz, general manager of Sheraton BWI, “because we are across from each other. Our combined meeting space amounts to 14,000 square feet.”
Both properties are participating in a Starwood incentive for meetings that are booked by the end of December and occur during 2009.
“Planners get 3 percent off master bill charges and this includes room rates, F&B and the meeting space. We also have a Starpoints singing bonus for up to 100,000 bonus points based on the buy,” Woschitz says.
Both hotels are located about two miles from the airport, with complimentary airport shuttle service. For drivers, they offer easy access from both Baltimore and Washington, D.C., via interstates I-95 and I-295. An array of popular attractions is in all directions, including Baltimore’s famed Inner Harbor, Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Annapolis and Arundel Mills Mall.
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport
With an enviable location on the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport grounds, the Hyatt Regency DFW recently completed a $43 million renovation on its over 800 guest rooms and public areas. Today, the hotel offers 92,000 square feet of meeting space, 74 meeting rooms and two new restaurants. It also has a 21,120-square-foot ballroom.
According to Larry Daniels, general manager, Hyatt Regency DFW is popular with meetings groups because of its convenient location in the center of the country, its downtown-style facilities and its budget-friendly appeal.
“Planners love the fact that they have no transportation costs to get here,” he says. “That means no cab or bus costs to go to and from downtown—or traffic. Groups can meet until 4 p.m. and catch early evening flights with no problem. From a business perspective, we have everything you need.”
F&B is also a strong suit for his hotel, Daniels adds.
The hotel even has its own wine label, Canvas, which was developed in partnership with a Napa Valley wine company owned by the Mondavi family. Hyatt guests have choices among three handcrafted, artisan varietals—cabernet sauvignon, merlot and chardonnay—inside the hotel’s lobby bar, grill and steakhouse.
Chicago O’Hare International Airport
The big news related to meetings in the vicinity of the Midwest’s largest airport is the recent debut of the $180 million, 556-room InterContinental Chicago O’Hare. Managed by Portfolio Hotels & Resorts, the hotel is just a block from the major meetings facility in the area, the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, which offers 840,000 square feet of meeting and exhibition space.
Group facilities at the InterContinental feature 53,000 square feet of meeting space that includes four ballrooms, 34 conference rooms and nine executive boardrooms. Groups of up to 1,100 people can be accommodated for receptions.
The hotel also features Museo, an art gallery spanning an entire floor that presents changing exhibits of sculpture, paintings and photography by well-known artists. Other amenities include a 250-seat cabaret theater with scheduled live entertainment, a business center, complimentary airport shuttle service, a lobby bar and three restaurants.
According to General Manager Hall, the hotel is heavily focused on meetings business, with large groups on the books for 2009 that include the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. In addition to the regular meeting space, the hotel’s cabaret theater can also be used for private events.
“We have an entertainment division that will arrange all kinds of different entertainment, whether it’s the Blue Man Group or a Rat Pack-type show,” Hall says.
He adds that the hotel’s emphasis on original art, a feature that is contrary to what might be expected at an airport hotel, is conducive to creative thinking.
“When you step outside the meeting room, you will see giant sculpture and paintings,” he says. “It’s an eclectic environment that can’t help but infuse the meeting with some inspiration.”
Los Angeles International Airport
According to Michael Krouse, senior vice president of sales for LA Inc., the city’s convention and visitors bureau, one of L.A.’s best-kept secrets is the region encompassing Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and the nearby beach communities.
“What most people don’t realize is that our airport is literally on the beach and our LAX hotels maintain the highest concentration of rooms,” he says. “More than 15,000 guest rooms in the region account for 16 percent of the city’s total room inventory.”
Among the most deluxe choices is The Ritz-Carlton, Marina del Rey. Sporting a new contemporary California nautical flair decor, the property has just renovated its 17,000 square feet of waterfront meeting space to complement its 304 guest rooms and new boutique spa with eight treatment rooms.
Hotel spokeswoman Emmie Lancaster-Wingle says the property staff includes a destination manager who creates customized events and activities on and off the property, including sailing, dinner cruises, celebrity workouts, scavenger hunts, tours, cooking classes and bike riding around the marina.
“Our activities are geared toward fun and team building, and this adds to our appeal for the incentive market as well as corporate groups,” she says.
Ritz-Carlton’s Meaningful Meetings initiative encourages groups booking 10 or more room nights in the hotel to have 10 percent of the total room revenue donated equally between the charity of their choice and to causes supported by Community Footprints, the social responsibility program sponsored by the Ritz-Carlton brand.
