Alabama
- The 87-room Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Montgomery Airport South opened three miles from Montgomery Regional Airport with 59 rooms, 28 suites and a boardroom. For more information, call 334.281.6882 or visit www.fairfieldinn.com.
Florida
- Starwood brook ground on the 188-room Aloft Orlando Downtown. The hotel is expected to open in 2013, with more than 5,000 square feet of meeting space, and will be located in the former 110,000-square-foot Orlando Utilities Commission building adjacent to City Hall. For more information, visit www.starwoodhotels.com/alofthotels.
- Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Tampa completed a $75 million expansion. The hotel has 256 rooms and the casino now features more than 190,000 square feet of gaming, with 5,000 slot machines, 110 table games and 50 poker tables. For more information, call 813.627.7625 or visit www.seminolehardrock.com.
- Sheraton Tampa East opened following a $9 million renovation. The former Crowne Plaza hotel has 250 rooms and more than 30,000 square feet of renovated meeting space, including 21 meeting rooms, a 5,000-square-foot ballroom and a poolside pavillion. For more information, call 813.623.6363 or visit www.sheraton.com/tampa.
- The 262-room Westin Resort at Tarpon Point Marina is scheduled to open this year in the Cape Coral community. The property first opened in 2009 as The Resort at Marina Village and will undergo an extensive renovation and Westin conversion. The resort will include 16,000 square feet of function space, a 4,000-square-foot spa, dining venues and views of the Gulf of Mexico. For more information, visit www.westin.com.
North Carolina
- Aloft Downtown Asheville opened in August in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The hotel has 115 guest rooms and a meeting room. For more information, call 828.232.2838 or visit www.starwoodhotels.com/alofthotels.
Tennessee
- White Lodging broke ground on the 255-room Hyatt Place Nashville/Downtown. Slated to open late 2013, the new hotel will include 3,600 square feet of meeting space and be located near Nashville’s new convention center, which is scheduled to open in spring of the same year. For more information, visit www.place.hyatt.com.
Texas
- The Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier is now open, complete with a roller coaster, carnival rides, midway games and a Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. restaurant. The $60 million theme park can host meetings and private events. Groups of more than 25 are eligible for discounts. For more information, call 409.766.4920 or visit www.pleasurepier.com.
Virginia
- The 343-room Crystal City Marriott in Arlington near Reagan National Airport unveiled its $7 million redesign, which includes the new Marriott Greatroom lobby concept with seating nooks, communal tables, televisions, computers and a restaurant and bar. Much of the redesign utilized recycled materials. The hotel offers 10,000 square feet of meeting space and 11 function rooms, including the 3,450-square-foot Potomac ballroom with a maximum seating capacity of 400. For more information, call 703.413.5500 or visit www.marriott.com.