Omaha
- Omaha Marriott (402.399.9000; www.marriott.com) completed a $7 million renovation of its 300 guest rooms in February. The property offers 12,000 square feet of meeting space.
- The 414-room Doubletree Hotel & Executive Meeting Center (402.346.7600; www.doubletree.com) underwent a $4 million upgrade to its guest rooms and public spaces in 2008. The downtown property offers a 30,000-square-foot, IACC-accredited conference center.
- Courtyard by Marriott Aksarben Village (402.951.4300; www.marriott.com) debuted in March with 134 guest rooms. The property is located across the street from Scott Conference Center.
- The 114-room Holiday Inn Downtown (402.516.6683; www.ichotelsgroup.com) opened in February. Meeting space can accommodate 400 people.
- Omaha Baseball Stadium (www.visitomaha.com) broke ground in January. The new 24,000-seat facility will serve as home to the NCAA Men’s College World Series for the next 25 years. The $128 million stadium is located downtown, across from the Qwest Center and the arena. Completion is scheduled for spring 2011.
- Skyfari, a new feature at Henry Doorly Zoo (402.733.8401; www.omahazoo.com), is slated for completion this spring. It will consist of an open-air chairlift that will allow visitors to view animals such as giraffes, cheetahs and monkeys from above.
- The Durham Museum (402.444.5071; www.durhammuseum.org) will debut its new Mutual of Omaha Theater this spring. The renovated, state-of-the-art theater will seat 50 people for films focusing on the history of Omaha, and it will also be available for special events.
- Joslyn Art Museum (402.342.3300; www.joslyn.org) will unveil its new sculpture garden this summer. The garden will include work by internationally known sculptors such as Kenneth Snelson, John Henry and George Sugarman.
- The Garden of Memories will open this spring at Lauritzen Gardens, Omaha’s Botanical Center (402.346.4002; www.omahabotanicalgardens.org). The new garden will provide a quiet place for meditation and reflection, ornamented by a water feature and a bronze sculpture of a Canada goose.
- A 153-room Hilton Garden Inn (800.HILTONS; www.hilton.com ) is scheduled to open this fall near the Mid-America Center. Meeting space will include a 3,200-square-foot ballroom and three other breakout rooms. The property will offer amenities such as an indoor swimming pool and a fitness center.
- The 62-room Microtel Inn and Suites (712.256.2900; www.microtelinn.com) opened in April near two outdoor shopping centers and a cinema.