New York
- The Empire Ballroom at the Grand Hyatt New York recently completed a $12 million renovation. Originally built in 1917, it was the place where President John F. Kennedy accepted the Democratic Party nomination for president in 1960, Martin Luther King, Jr. gave a speech in 1956 and former President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton celebrated her victory of the New York Senate race. The 18,000-square-foot space accommodates 100 to 1,500 guests and can be divided into five meeting units. For more information, call 212.883.1234 or visit www.newyork.grandhyatt.com.
- The InterContinental New York Times Square is slated to open in July. The 36-story new-build hotel will total 607 guest rooms, each averaging 350 square feet. The hotel will offer 29 corner suites with expansive views of the city and a 2,700-square-foot duplex presidential suite. Plans call for 10 meeting rooms totaling 10,000 square feet of flexible meeting and event space, including a 4,000-square-foot ballroom. Additionally, there will be 25 flexible suites that can be utilized as event space. The property will be the largest new-build hotel to achieve LEED certification. Amenities will include a concierge lounge, 24-hour business and fitness centers, wired and wireless Internet in guest rooms and public areas, 42-inch HDTV flat-panel televisions and touch-screen computers in all guest rooms. For more information, call 800.315.2621 or visit www.ichotelsgroup.com.
- The Gansevoort Hotel Group will open its fourth property this summer with the upscale Gansevoort Park Avenue NYC, to be located on 29th Street and Park Avenue South. The 249-room will feature a rooftop pool with a tri-level bar and views of the Empire State Building, six event spaces, a fitness room, a spa with a yoga studio and an Italian restaurant and lounge. For more information, call 212.730.0100 or visit www.gansevoorthotelgroup.com.
- Glenmere, the 1911 Hudson Valley home of the Goelet family, reopened in January as a new luxury hotel offering 19 rooms and suites located on 150 landscaped acres. Most rooms have working fireplaces, and many offer terraces with views of the grounds and gardens. All guest rooms feature Bluetooth compatible flat-screen televisions, DVD players, iPod docking stations and high-speed Internet access. A spa is in the works for later this year. For more information, call 845.469.1900 or visit http://glenmeremansion.com.
Ontario
- The Thompson Toronto is slated for a May opening this year. The 102-room hotel marks Thompson Hotels’ first international property. The hotel will include 30,000 square feet of feet of event space, a signature restaurant and a sushi restaurant. The property will be situated next to a mixed-use development in the King West Village neighborhood. For more information, call 212.204.6465 or visit www.thompsonhotels.com.
- The Holiday Inn Barrie Hotel & Conference Centre, located in Barrie, in February completed a multimillion-dollar hotel renovation project. The renovation was focused on revamping the lobby space, dining and lounge and 108 of the hotel’s 161 guest rooms. Each room features new 32-inch flat-screen televisions. For more information, call 705.728.6191 or visit www.hibarrie.ca.
Pennsylvania
- The Radisson Plaza-Warwick Hotel Philadelphia recently completed a five-year, multiphase $22 million renovation. The final phase of the renovation included an additional $2 million investment for the transformation of the hotel’s mezzanine level prefunction area and meeting rooms. In 2007, the 301-room hotel completed a $20 million renovation that encompassed the hotel lobby, Grand Ballroom and guest rooms. For more information, call 215.735.6000 or visit www.radisson.com/hotels/paphily.