Illinois
- The $56 million, 230-room Bloomington-Normal Marriott Hotel and Conference Center is expected to open in late September. Guest rooms will feature flat-screen televisions, and there also will be two presidential suites. Each suite will have a kitchenette, living room/dining room area, master bedroom and bathroom with a spa tub. There will also be a private dining room that can accommodate 20 to 25 people. The ninth floor of the hotel will feature a concierge lounge, which will be accessible only by patrons of the 24 rooms on the top floor. The property will also offer more than 23,000 total square feet of flexible event, conference and meeting space. For more information, call 309.862.9000 or visit www.marriott.com.
Minnesota
- The Cambria Suites Maple Grove opened in August. The 129-suite hotel offers the latest in technology, from a large-screen television in the two-story lobby to two flat-screen LCD televisions and MP3 jacks in the guest suites. The hotel also offers complimentary wired and wireless high-speed Internet access throughout the property. All Cambria Suites hotels include Reflect, a casual dining and gathering area and Refresh, a fitness center with an indoor pool and spa. In addition, all hotels offer more than 1,000 square feet of meeting space. For more information, call 763.494.5556 or visit www.cambriasuites.com.
Wisconsin
- The Crowne Plaza Milwaukee Airport recently opened. The hotel has undergone a $14 million interior and exterior renovation from the Ramada Inn and Conference Center. The five-story hotel offers 194 guest rooms and a variety of amenities, including a fitness center and business center, as well as a restaurant and lounge. The fifth floor features the executive club floor with its own lounge. The hotel also offers a comprehensive meetings program consisting of three key components: a two-hour response guarantee, Crowne meetings director and a daily meetings debrief. The hotel features more than 24,000 square feet of meeting and banquet space, including three ballrooms with more than 4,000 square feet each, two additional ballrooms with more than 2,000 square feet each and a 150-seat amphitheater. For more information, call 414.764.5300 or visit www.crowneplaza.com.
- The Hyatt Regency Milwaukee completed a $19 million facelift. Upgrades include flat-screen televisions and wireless Internet access in its 481 guest rooms and suites, a new front entrance and guest registration desk, as well as a new first-floor restaurant and lounge. Wireless Internet was also installed in the hotel’s 19 meeting rooms. For more information, call 414.276.1234 or visit http://milwaukee.hyatt.com.