More than accessible and affordable alternatives to downtown hotels, airport properties and their surroundings are evolving into full-fledged destinations where one might find IACC-certified conference centers, upscale bistros, performing arts venues, golf courses and more.
"I think the stereotype of an airport hotel being just a convenient place to stay with little to offer went out of date five or six years ago," says Chuck Goldberg, general manager of the Hilton Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport Mall of America in Bloomington, Minn.
Airport hotels offer value and convenience because of their location. But they are also in the midst of a reinvention of sorts. While they once primarily offered generic meeting space, now many sport venue options that include art galleries and outdoor spaces.
Increasingly, these hotels are competing head to head with downtown properties by offering flexibility and partnerships with local vendors and entertainment venues to bring more value than ever to planners.
Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airport
The 300-room Hilton Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport Mall of America may be one of the more unique airport properties in terms of location. Sure, it’s just three miles from the airport, but it’s also adjacent to the Minnesota Valley Wildlife Refuge in Bloomington.
"Because we are close to the refuge, we are located in a no-fly zone," says general manger Chuck Goldberg.
In addition to the peace and quiet, planners have another option for convening, thanks to the refuge. Its visitor center features 8,000 square feet of exhibit space, a 125-seat auditorium, classrooms, an observation deck and other spaces. Plus, there are a number of recreational activities at the refuge: hiking, hunting and fishing.
For adventures of the retail variety, Mall of America is a huge draw for groups since it’s just a mile away from the hotel.
"For us, it’s about leveraging what we have to offer," Goldberg says. "In this economy, our partnerships are more important than ever. We’ve tripled our packages to include everything from American Girl to golf packages."
Goldberg notes the continuing trend of shorter booking windows.
"It’s a huge gamble to possibly be stuck with a large block of rooms if the meeting is cancelled," he points out. "But it’s something we have to deal with. Everything is unstable and changeable."
That’s why Goldberg says the hotel has stepped up its marketing efforts in what he calls "back-to-basics time."
The hotel offers 22,000 square feet of event space, which includes the 7,500-square-foot Minnesota Valley Ballroom and nine meeting rooms that overlook the wildlife refuge.
Chicago O’Hare International Airport
One of the biggest developments in airport hotel news last year was the debut of the $180 million, 566-room InterContinental Chicago O’Hare. Eight months later, the hotel doubled its meetings space from 30,000 square feet to 60,000 square feet.
"We realized that we needed more meeting space to keep up with the demand," says David Hall, the hotel’s general manager. "We didn’t want to waste time getting it online."
Hall says that the demand was coming from savvy planners who realized the value of meeting at an airport hotel. He says planners appreciate the hotel’s high level of service and its proximity to the airport.
And the fact that the hotel is just one 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), doesn’t hurt, either.
Like many airport properties, the InterContinental is redefining the meaning of an airport hotel. Instead of location, location, location, think amenities, amenities, amenities.
"Just recently, over Labor Day weekend, the hotel hosted seven weddings," Halls says. "Now, weddings are vastly different than meetings, but it goes to show you that the hotel’s appeal is more than just an airport hotel with a strong focus on meetings business. It has great amenities. Guests want to spend time here."
The hotel features an art gallery, Museo, which spans an entire floor that presents changing exhibits of sculpture, paintings and photography by well-known artists. A 250-seat cabaret theater (which can also be used for private events), a business center, a complimentary airport shuttle service, a lobby bar and three restaurants round out the mix.
The hotel coordinates champagne art tours of Museo. Two docents are available to take groups on a tour of the gallery to explain the creation of some of the works.
"We can do a number of activities on the property so groups never go off-site until they are ready to depart," Hall says. "That’s a real value-add to budget-minded planners."
Miami International Airport
A $75 million overhaul is being finalized at the Marriott Miami Hotel Campus. The property includes three hotels, the Miami Airport Marriott, the Courtyard by Marriott Miami Airport Hotel South and the all-new Residence Inn Miami Airport South, which debuted this summer. The Courtyard property nearly doubled the number of its guest rooms last year.
"We’re not an airport hotel anymore," says Joaquin Cruz, director of sales and marketing for the hotel campus. "What we have tried to do is incorporate the destination of Miami into the look and feel of the hotel. Guests don’t feel like their meeting at some out-of-the-way hotel. They are in Miami."
To bring the excitement of South Florida to groups, the hotel recently erected a 52-inch "Go Board" in the Courtyard’s lobby. The LCD screen is an interactive touch screen and allows groups to find area restaurants and attractions. One touch allows guests to print out an itinerary. The large size makes it easy for a number of attendees to view at once.
Guests can also enjoy Nuevo Latin fare at the upscale Cane Fire Grille or relax at the more casual Champions sports bar. More amenities include a new fitness center and a new pool deck, which is geared for outdoor receptions.
The 830-room property added 3,000 square feet of meeting space, for a total of 16,000 square feet of space.
Cruz agrees with the Hilton’s Goldberg: Partnering with vendors and entertainment venues has become increasingly important for airport properties during the recession.
"We are arranging transportation for groups more," Cruz notes. "We are seeing what we can offer meetings, whether it’s getting them to the beach or partnering with Melreese Golf Course, which is literally across the street."
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
The location of the Crowne Plaza Phoenix Airport is convenient, but not just because it is the closest hotel to the airport. The new METRO Light Rail stops right in front of the property. The 20-mile light rail line opened at the end of 2008 and connects Phoenix, Tempe and Mesa.
"The light rail is a huge plus," says Jeff Nolte, sales manager for the Crowne Plaza Phoenix Airport.
Currently, a shuttle is available that connects the light rail system and the airport. Sky Train, a people-mover, is expected to open in 2012 and connect to a nearby light rail station. One airport station will contain an enclosed, air-conditioned moving walkway that will take travelers directly to the terminals.
Nolte says that more planners than ever are looking at the airport hotel as an affordable meeting option.
"We just don’t have the perception issue that a resort has," Nolte says.
Even though the hotel is getting more queries from planners, the property still feels the impact of the recession like most of the hospitality industry, Nolte adds.
"We are being very flexible with clients," he says. "Planners are up against tremendous pressure. The booking windows are getting shorter and shorter. It’s not uncommon to book in the month, for that month."
According to Nolte, the hotel is working to be more flexible when it comes to attrition and cancellation fees.
"Hotels are very competitive these days in terms of pricing and flexibility," he says. "It’s a rough road for everyone right now."
Like other hotel operators, Nolte finds it hard to ignore the trend for shorter and leaner meetings.
"One of the biggest trends I’m seeing is that the meetings are seriously condensed," he says. "Four- or five-day meetings are now scheduled to run two days."
Another trend is allowing attendees to be on their own more. There are fewer scheduled events and dinners on the agenda. Again, planners are looking to trim costs whenever they can. That’s where the light rail access has been a boon for the hotel.
"The light rail is a feature that planners can market to potential meeting attendees as a great way to get to attractions, shopping and nightlife," Nolte points out.
Recently, a group of about 50 meeting at the hotel took the light rail to the downtown area where they had dinner and attended a play.
The hotel features more than 8,000 square feet of space, including a 5,000-square-foot ballroom.
Washington Dulles International Airport
Meeting sites near Washington Dulles International Airport include not only a choice of hotels, but some of the nation’s most sophisticated conference centers.
They include the Executive Conference and Training Center Dulles in Sterling, Va., and the Executive Conference & Training Center, Tysons Corner, in McLean, Va. The centers are about 15 minutes apart.
According to Jim Cree, corporate director of marketing for B.F. Saul Company Hotel Division, which operates the centers, there are advantages to choosing a dedicated conference center over a hotel.
"We don’t do weddings, so attendees aren’t going to poke their pens through linen tablecloths when they’re taking notes," he says. "They sit at non-reflective tables and ergonomic chairs."
The centers, which accommodate small- to medium-sized groups, are both IACC-certified. The Dulles center offers 5,850 square feet of meeting space with five conference rooms and a newly added boardroom that can accommodate 12 people, while the Tysons Corner facility features 5,000 square feet of meeting space, including four conference rooms and one boardroom.
"The spaces are very flexible and are ideal for a wide variety of meetings, whether it’s a training session, a strategic planning meeting or a board of directors gathering," Cree says.
Three hotels, the Holiday Inn Washington-Dulles, SpringHill Suites by Marriott Dulles and Hampton Inn & Suites Washington-Dulles, make up a hotel campus adjacent to the Dulles conference center. A Best Western and a TownePlace Suites by Marriott are two additional partner hotels that are near the center.
The Tysons Corner conference center offers the Crowne Plaza Tysons Corner and the Tysons Corner Courtyard by Marriott. Each hotel offers 4,000 square feet of space, which does not include the dedicated conference center.
