Destination Dispatch
- Buckingham Companies and Dolce Hotels and Resorts announced their new business hotel will be named The Alexander Hotel Indianapolis in honor of architect Alexander Ralston, who designed Indianapolis’ urban plan in 1920. The 209-room hotel will offer 16 meeting rooms totaling 16,000 square feet and plans to be certified by IACC. The hotel’s construction is part of the $155 million CityWay mixed-use development project and is planned to open this fall. For more information, visit www.thealexander.com.
- In an effort to cut costs and streamline organizational procedures, the not-for-profit Chicago Convention & Tourism Bureau and the city’s Office of Tourism will merge to become a single tourism entity. The merger could save as much as $1.3 million, which they plan to invest in a unified Chicago marketing program. The new organization launches in July and will aim to increase the number of annual visitors to Chicago from 40 million to 50 million by 2020.
- ALHI acquired its first Wisconsin property by adding the American Club Resort in Kohler to its MidWest portfolio of luxury hotels.The National Historic landmark resort offers 240 rooms and more than 21,000 square feet of meeting space, including a 998-seat theatre in the Grand Hall of the Great Lakes. The property also includes the Kohler Water Spa and a championship golf course that has hosted the PGA Championships, the U.S. Women’s Open and the Ryder Cup. For more information, visit www.alhi.com or www.americanclubresort.com.
- Potawatomi Casino Bingo Casino announced plans to construct a 20-story hotel that would be the third-largest hotel in downtown Milwaukee. If zoning approval and financing are secured, the hotel could open by spring 2014. The Potawatomi Casino draws 6 million annual visitors and the hotel would substantially expand their regional draw. For more information, visit www.paysbig.com.
Kudos
- The Cobo Center in Detroit earned Green Venues Michigan Steward certification. The 622,500-square-foot meeting facility implemented environmental initiatives including establishing a green committee, stepping up its property-wide recycling efforts, installing induction lighting in exhibit halls and purchasing at least 30 percent post-consumer recycled paper products. Recognized by the Michigan Energy Office, the program provides assistance to facilities looking to implement green strategies involving air quality, energy efficiency, solid waste reduction, toxic waste management and water conservation. For more information, visit www.michigan.gov/energyoffice or www.cobocenter.com.