Baton Rouge
- Pinnacle Entertainment is on target to open L’Auberge Casino & Hotel Baton Rouge (225.769.9329; www.pnkinc.com) next summer. The unique casino entertainment complex will feature a single-level, 74,000-square-foot casino. The 12-story hotel will offer 206 guest rooms, a rooftop pool and three restaurants. The event center will seat up to 1,600 for concerts or 800 for banquets.
- The Renaissance Baton Rouge Hotel (225.215.7000; www.marriott.com) opened in October. Located in the Bluebonnet Corridor, the 256-room hotel is the first new suburban full-service hotel in Baton Rouge in more than 20 years. The property offers 13,000 square feet of meeting space, including a 7,500-square-foot ballroom.
- The Hotel Indigo Baton Rouge Downtown Riverfront (225.343.1515; www.hotelindigo.com) opened earlier this year after a $25 million renovation. Formerly the historic Hotel King, the property boasts 93 guest rooms and views of the Mississippi River and historic Baton Rouge. Much of the original architecture and interior has been retained.
- The former Aspen Suites Hotel was converted to the Doubletree by Hilton Baton Rouge (225.925.1005; www.batonrouge.doubletree.com). The 127-room property features meeting space for up to 100 people.
- The Irene W. Pennington Planetarium and ExxonMobil Space Theater at the Louisiana Art & Science Museum (225.344.9478; www.lasm.org) just began the first phase of a $970,000 renovation. Beginning with new seats and carpeting, the overhaul will eventually include the replacement of films with large-format digital movies in high resolution and the addition of 3-D projectors. Everything will be ready for next summer’s 21st biennial conference of the International Planetarium Society.
Shreveport
- The Remington Suite Hotel & Spa (318.425.5000; www.remingtonsuite.com) recently reworked its lobby, overhauled its guest rooms and renovated its 1,750-square-foot banquet room. The lobby now features quartz flooring and exposed brick from the original building.
- The Clarion Hotel Shreveport (318.797.9900; www.clarionhotel.com) recently completed a guest room renovation. The hallways and banquet rooms also have new carpeting, and the restaurant, Robert’s Bistro, has been given a new look and a new menu.
- The La Quinta Inn & Suites Shreveport Airport (318.671.1100; www.lq.com) features newly updated guest rooms, a newly updated lobby and an exterior facelift. Renovations were completed earlier this year.