Illinois
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The Elysian debuted in December as Chicago’s first home-grown luxury hotel brand. Located in the city’s Gold Coast area, the hotel offers 188 guest rooms and suites, featuring fireplaces, furnished outdoor terraces and private bars. Situated above the hotel’s open-air courtyard is the 14,000-square-foot Elysian Spa & Health Club. The hotel also features two restaurants and bars and 4,500 square feet of function space, including four meeting rooms. For more information, call 312.646.1300 or visit www.elysianhotels.com.
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Two hotels in McHenry County recently underwent major renovations and expansions: The 197-room Holiday Inn Chicago-Crystal Lake completed a $4 million renovation to the entire building, both inside and out, from the guest rooms to the ballroom, and from the lower level to the seventh floor. The project added two meeting rooms and a lower lobby area, bringing the total meeting and banquet space to 19,500 square feet. Upgrades were made to the fitness room and the indoor pool. Guest rooms were outfitted with flat-screen televisions. The hotel features complimentary Wi-Fi in guest rooms. The Hampton Inn McHenry added a second meeting room and 40 guest rooms, increasing its total meeting space to 1,500 square feet and guest rooms to 117. For more information on the Holiday Inn, call 815.477.7000 or visit www.hicrystallake.com; or call the Hampton Inn at 815.578.1900 or visit www.hamptoninn.com.
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Canyon Capital Realty Advisors acquired Chicago’s Hotel 71, a 437-room, 40-story independent hotel located in the downtown area, fronting the Chicago River and a block from Michigan Avenue. Canyon’s plans include a renovation of the guest rooms, restaurant, bar and public spaces, and the remodel and expansion of the hotel’s meeting facilities. For more information, call 312.346.7100 or visit www.hotel71.com.
Michigan
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Candlewood Suites, Kalamazoo recently debuted. The 95-room hotel includes the Gazebo Grill, a 24-hour fitness center and a library with free movies and music. The property also offers complimentary Wi-Fi. The property is situated near the Kalamazoo County Expo Center and Fairgrounds, the Air Zoo Museum and Miller Auditorium. For more information, call 269.270.3203 or visit www.ichotelsgroup.com.
Minnesota
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The new $21 million Seven Clans Casino, Hotel and Event Center near the south boundary of the Red Lake Nation is slated for a grand opening in January. The hotel offers 40 rooms, 20 of which have fireplaces. There are hot-tub rooms and large master suites. The complex also features an event center with a capacity of 800 in straight-row seating or 350 to 400 in banquet-style seating, a 75-seat restaurant, a 30-seat patio for outdoor dining and a gaming hall. The gaming hall will provide players with 300 machines, four blackjack tables and two poker tables. With the opening of the new facility, the current gaming hall built on the north side of the Red Lake Humanities Center will close. Because alcohol is illegal in the Red Lake Nation, only non-alcoholic drinks will be served. For more information, call 888.679.2501 or visit www.sevenclanscasino.com.
Missouri
- The Raphael Hotel in Kansas City recently completed a $10 million renovation, restoring the historic building, adding a fitness club and meeting space and slightly increasing the number of guest rooms. The Raphael was built in 1927 as a nine-story apartment building. It was converted to a 123-room hotel in 1975.Three guest rooms were added, bringing the total to 126.The Blue Beacon Boardroom features an executive conference table that seats up to 12.The Plaza View Meeting Room accommodates 36 for classroom functions or 40 for banquet dining. In addition, select signature suites featuring a parlor equipped with a dining table may be used for small meetings. The hotel’s Chaz Restaurant & Lounge is available for receptions, dinners, cocktail parties, banquets and private meetings. For more information, call 816.756.3800 or visit www.raphaelkc.com.