Illinois
- The Prairie Events Center recently opened at the Kane County Fairgrounds in St. Charles, 45 minutes from downtown Chicago. The space includes a 36,000-square-foot exhibition hall and can be customized to fit the needs of most small to midsize trade shows or events. It also offers 3,000 square feet of meeting or conference space, as well as the option to have food and beverage catered in. For more information, call 630.584.6926 or visit www.kanecountyfair.com.
- In February, the Swift Hospitality Group, based in Freeport, assumed management of the Holiday Inn Champaign/Urbana Hotel and Holiday Inn Express & Suites Urbana-Champaign. The 201-room Holiday Inn and the 74-room Holiday Inn Express received upgrades in guest rooms and public spaces. The Holiday Inn features flat-screen televisions and complimentary high-speed wireless Internet access, as well as a 17,500-square-foot banquet and conference center. Holiday Inn Express also offers free high-speed wireless Internet access. For more information, call Holiday Inn at 217.328.7900 or visit www.holidayinn.com or Holiday Inn Express at 217.328.0328, or visit www.hiexpress.com.
Minnesota
- Minneapolis-based Chambers hotel recently joined Le Meridien and is now branded Le Meridien Chambers Minneapolis. Opened in 2006 by prominent art collector Ralph Burnet, the 60-room property is considered one of the world’s top art hotels, featuring more than 250 original works. All guest rooms include 42-inch plasma televisions and complimentary high-speed Internet access. The hotel wraps around Eden, an open-air, grotto-style lounge courtyard that is open year-round and features a gas fire pit. During the winter months a portion of Eden transforms into Ice Chamber, a 256-foot bar created from 12,000 pounds of crystal clear ice. A fifth-floor lounge offers 360-degree vistas of the downtown Minneapolis skyline. For more information, call 612.767.6900 or visit www.starwoodhotels.com.
- The Radisson Hotel & Conference Center in Plymouth recently completed a year-long renovation. The renovation included upgrades to the lobby, restaurant and conference rooms. The guest rooms also received new 42-inch flat-panel televisions. Many improvements were also made to the 21,000-square-foot Radisson Fitness Club attached to the hotel property. For more information, call 763.559.6600 or visit www.radisson.com/minneapolismn_plymouth.
- Graves 601 Hotel in Minneapolis joined the Wyndham Grand Collection of Hotels and is now named Graves 601 Hotel, Wyndham Grand. The 255-room property offers more than 20,000 square feet of function space and 3,500 square feet of prefunction space. For smaller meetings, the hotel offers penthouse suites. Guest rooms feature high-speed Internet access and a 42-inch plasma television, and there is an on-site spa. For more information, call 612.677.1100 or visit www.wyndham.com.
Missouri
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Leisure Hotels & Resorts recently took over management of the 116-suite Resort & Yacht Club at Toad Cove in Lake Ozark and renamed the property Camden on the Lake Resort, Spa & Yacht Club. The hotel offers 10,000 square feet of flexible conference and event space, revamped restaurants and expanded services at the yacht club and marina. Transformations currently under way include guest room renovations and additional meeting space as well as a new restaurant. Also on-site are a yacht club and marina. Additional amenities include a fitness center and full-service spa. For more information, call 888.365.5620 or visit www.toadcove.com.
Wisconsin
- In December the aloft Milwaukee Downtown opened and was the first hotel constructed in the downtown area since 2001.The hotel offers 160 guest rooms, each with a 42-inch flat-panel television, and four meetings spaces ranging from 600 square feet to 2,200 square feet. There is complimentary Wi-Fi throughout the property. For more information, call 414.226.0122 or visit www.starwoodhotels.com/alofthotels.