Florida
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Doubletree Hotels recently opened the brand’s largest hotel in Orlando. Spanning 28 acres, the 1,094 room Doubletree Resort Orlando-International Drive underwent a $35 million transformation from the International Plaza Resort and Spa. Resort amenities include three pools; three dining options, including a full-service restaurant and outdoor eateries; an upscale bar; 60,000 square feet of flexible event space ranging from ballrooms to covered garden verandas; a 24-hour fitness center; and a business center. The resort’s guest rooms include more than 20 suites, ranging from junior-, one- and two-bedroom configurations to the property’s premium suites. Guest rooms feature 32-inch, LCD flat-screen televisions, MP3-compatible stereo clock radios and high-speed wireless Internet access. The Oceans Conference Center in the main building of the resort totals more than 20,000 square feet of function space, with the largest ballroom on-property at 12,000 square feet. Nearby, the freestanding Lakes Conference Center provides nearly 13,000 square feet of event space, including executive conference rooms, an outdoor patio and prefunction space. Other amenities include a nine-hole miniature golf course and a full-service day spa. For more information, call 407.352.1100 or visit www.doubletreeorlandoidrive.com.
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Hyatt Regency Clearwater Beach Resort and Spa will debut in February. The property will be the centerpiece of Beach Walk, a new $30 million revitalization project featuring a half-mile active pathway for shopping, dining and entertainment. Accommodations will consist of 250 deluxe, one- and two-bedroom suites featuring 42-inch flat-screen televisions, full kitchens and private balconies overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. Amenities will include a spa, 24-hour fitness center, 30,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space, one resort pool deck with 20 air-conditioned poolside cabanas and a pool and hot tub area on the Sky Terrace atop the 16th floor. For more information, call 727.373.1234 or visit http://clearwaterbeach.hyatt.com.
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Loews Miami Beach Hotel is undergoing a $50 million renovation slated to be finished by the end of the year. Located in South Beach, the hotel showcases 790 guest rooms and suites, a palm tree-lined promenade, oceanfront pool, more than 65,000 square feet of meeting and function space, a spa and fitness center, and seven restaurants and bars. The renovation consists of three parts: a transformed lobby and porte cochere with a cascading water wall along one side, a new ice cream shop and retail space, and new guest rooms, bathrooms and hallways. Bathrooms in the suites will have upgraded amenities, including flat-screen televisions embedded in the mirrors. The guest room desks will have their own panel to plug in a laptop, iPod and other electronics. The lobby will feature a1,007-gallon, 20-foot long L-shaped aquarium stocked with locally collected fish. For more information, call 305.604.1601 or visit http://www.loewshotels.com.
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The Westin Lake Mary, Orlando North, located just north of Orlando in the suburb of Lake Mary, opened in November. The hotel features 253 guest rooms and suites, a 24-hour fitness center, Westin in-room spa program, wireless high-speed Internet access, business center services and 14,000 square feet of meeting and event space, including an outdoor landscaped courtyard and a 7,700-sqaure-foot grand ballroom. All areas of meeting space are equipped with wireless high-speed Internet access. For more information, call 407.531.3555 or visit www.westin.com/lakemary.
South Carolina
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Holiday Inn Express and Suites Mount Pleasant-Charleston opened in November. This newly constructed hotel is applying for LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council later this year, which will make it the first hotel in South Carolina to receive this certification. The 116-room hotel features special in-room amenities such as free high-speed Internet access, Jacuzzi tubs and 32-inch flat-panel televisions, as well as a business center, wireless Internet access throughout the hotel, an outdoor pool and a fitness center. For more information, call 843.375.2600 or visit www.hiexpress.com.