Alabama
- Marriott opened the 150-suite SpringHill Suites Birmingham in the former Hyatt Place building. Located near the University of Alabama-Birmingham, Legion Field and the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, the hotel offers high-speed Internet access and amenities for business travelers. For more information, call 205.322.8600 or visit www.springhillsuites.com.
Florida
- Kimpton’s 186-room Surfcomber Hotel Miami will open in South Beach in early December. Located close to the Miami Beach Convention Center and 15 minutes from Miami International Airport, the hotel has 200 feet of beachfront and a poolside cabana for hosting receptions and social events. A conference room can accommodate up to 50 people and has views of the pool and the Atlantic Ocean. For more information, call 305.532.7280 or visit www.surfcomber.com.
- St. Regis Bal Harbour is set to open Jan. 19 with over 11,200 square feet of indoor function space. Groups may book the elegant Astor Ballroom or choose from multiple boardrooms. Available outdoor spaces include pool and patio settings, and an exclusive 2,800-square-foot Presidential Suite is accessed by private elevator. For more information, call 305.993.3300 or visit www.stregisbalharbour.com.
Louisiana
- The symbolic reopening of Hyatt Regency New Orleans took place Oct. 19, more than five years after the hotel was severely damaged by Hurricane Katrina. The $275 million overhaul repaired damage and modernized the hotel, which now has 1,193 guest rooms, 24-hour fitness facilities, a 2,000-square-foot Starbucks and a 24-hour market. For groups and planners, it boasts 200,000 square feet of meeting space, including two 25,000-square-foot ballrooms, 64 meeting rooms and 21 executive boardrooms. For more information, call 504.561.1234 or visit www.neworleans.hyatt.com.
- Renaissance Baton Rouge opened this fall with 13,000 square feet of meeting space, 13 meeting rooms and a 7,500-square-foot ballroom. The 256-room property is the first suburban construction of a full-service hotel in Baton Rouge since the 1970s and offers visitors a spa and the Tallulah Crafted Food and Wine Bar, which serves indigenous local cuisine. For more information, call 225.215.7000 or visit www.renaissancebatonrouge.com.
Texas
- Omni Dallas Convention Center Hotel opened in mid-November with 1,001 guest rooms, including 67 luxury suites and three presidential suites. In addition to being linked via skybridge to the 1 million-square-foot-plus Dallas Convention Center, the hotel offers 39 meeting rooms and two ballrooms with a total of 110,000 square feet of function space. The on-site restaurant Texas Spice serves farm-to-table meals, and the hotel is built to LEED Silver certification standards. For more information, call 214.744.6664 or visit www.omnihotels.com.