Maryland
- The Chesapeake Bay Beach Club recently opened an event space known as the Breezeway. The Breezeway room features a conference area as well as a private breakout area equipped with two flat-screen televisions and a stone fireplace. The entire Breezeway is also directly connected to the Tavern Bayside, an open space situated on the water, equipped with its own bar and floor-to-ceiling windows. The conference area can also be used as a dance hall in conjunction with the adjacent Beach House Ballroom. For more information, call 410.604.1933 or visit www.baybeachclub.com.
New York
- The New York Marriott Marquis in Times Square recently unveiled part of a $39 million renovation, including an upgraded lobby with two signature restaurants and lounges. The makeover also encompasses the hotel’s nearly 2,000 guest rooms and the new 29,000-square-foot Broadway Ballroom, which seats up to 2,400 guests. More than 1,000 guest rooms have been redesigned, with the remainder to be completed by spring 2012. For smaller functions, the Liberty Room debuted in October with seating for 140 guests. For more information, call 212.398.1900 or visit www.nymarriottmarquis.com.
- Hyatt Hotels and Resorts plans to construct the 54-story Hyatt Times Square in New York City, slated for completion in 2013. The hotel will offer 487 guest rooms, including 26 deluxe rooms and 49 suites. Amenities will include a lobby bar, restaurant, rooftop terrace, sky lounge and meeting space with an adjacent terrace. Other services will include a six-treatment room Hyatt Spa and a fitness center. For more information, call 888.591.1234 or visit www.hyatt.com.
- Courtyard by Marriott Buffalo-Airport opened in September. The five-story, 139-room hotel features a lobby with flexible seating options, including private media pods with HD televisions, an open lounge area, home theater and library. Other amenities include a business center, outdoor patio with a fire pit, complimentary high-speed Internet access in guest rooms and Wi-Fi in public spaces. There is also a fitness center, as well as a meeting room for up to 70 people. For more information, call 716.633.2700 or visit www.courtyardbuffalo.com.
- The 136-room Hilton Garden Inn Watertown/Thousand Islands opened in September. The hotel features both wired and Wi-Fi Internet access in guest rooms and public spaces. There is also a complimentary 24-hour business center, a glass-enclosed pavilion lobby featuring a lounge area with a television and fireplace and a fitness center. There are several meeting rooms offering 6,350 square feet of flexible space. For more information, call 315.788.1234 or visit www.hiltongardeninn.com.
Pennsylvania
- The Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem is constructing the Event Center, slated to open in May 2012. The plans currently include 50,000 square feet of flexible multipurpose space for meetings and events. The Event Center is the latest addition to the resort, which recently launched the 300-room Sands Hotel, more than 5,000 square feet of meeting space and a new Emeril Lagasse restaurant. The development also consists of plans for 200,000 square feet of outlet shopping due to open in February 2012. For more information, call 877.726.3777or visit www.pasands.com.
- The Radisson Hotel, located in the Green Tree borough in Pittsburgh, is slated for a $15 million transformation. The property will reopen as the DoubleTree by Hilton Pittsburgh-Green Tree in November. Renovations are anticipated to be complete by fall 2012. The renovations will encompass 455 revamped guest rooms and suites and a new entryway leading guests into an updated lobby. There will also be upgrades to all public spaces and the hotel’s more than 30,000 square feet of meeting space and event facilities, encompassing 26 meeting rooms, a grand ballroom and a junior ballroom. For more information, call 412.922.8400 or visit http://doubletree1.hilton.com.
- The Courtyard Philadelphia Airport Hotel recently completed a renovation. Upgrades were made to the lobby area, including the addition of a 52-inch LCD touch-screen television offering local information. The meeting rooms have also received an update. Guest rooms received new flat-screen televisions and more renovations are planned for the guest rooms in 2013. For more information, call 215.365.2200 or visit www.courtyardphiladelphiaairport.com.
Vermont
- The 125-bedroom Hotel Vermont in Burlington broke ground in September. The hotel will feature an outdoor terrace with an open hearth that will overlook the Burlington waterfront and the 7,500-square-foot Harbor Terrace. The hotel will also offer two function rooms with a combined 1,100 square feet of space and a restaurant featuring farm-to-table cuisine. The hotel and restaurant are scheduled to open in April 2013. For more information, visit www.hotelvt.com.
Washington, D.C.
- The Park Hyatt Washington recently completed a renovation of its ballroom level. The redefined space, dubbed The Gallery, comprises the hotel’s entire lower level of 10,000 square feet of flexible event and meeting space. The meeting space can be subdivided into rooms that can accommodate 40 to 250 for receptions, while the Gallery Ballroom has a total capacity of 450 for receptions. At the foot of the hotel’s grand staircase is the new Gallery Lounge, a large alcove with seating. The prefunction Gallery foyer can host 150 and has a built-in bar area. For more information, call 202.789.1234 or visit http://parkwashington.hyatt.com.
- A 182-room Cambria Suites hotel is slated to open as part of CityMarket at O, a $300 million mixed-use development located by the convention center in downtown Washington, D.C. Construction is slated to begin this fall. The hotel will offer all-suite rooms and a rooftop with a pool, fitness center and an outdoor patio. For more information, call 800.300.8800 or visit www.cambriasuites.com.