Illinois
- A 100-room Residence Inn by Marriott is planned for Bloomington. The $6 million hotel will be part of a larger, 20-acre development. For more information, visit www.hospitalityspecialistsinc.com.
- Chesapeake Lodging purchased the W Chicago-Lakeshore for $126 million and announced it will extensively renovate the 520-room property. For more information, call 312.943.9200 or visit www.whotels.com.
Michigan
- The 900-acre Grand Traverse Resort and Spa, located outside Traverse City, completed a renovation of 237 of its 600 guest rooms and made several infrastructure and technology updates, including a new roof, the addition of a Dylan's Candy Bar cafe, new lobby furniture and the installation of new fiber-optic cables. The resort offers 86,500 square feet of function space, including 36 meeting rooms and outdoor venues. For more information, call 231.534.6000 or visit www.grandtraverseresort.com.
Minnesota
- The Commons Hotel will open in Minneapolis this month with 304 guest rooms and more than 20,000 square feet of meeting space. The property is located on the University of Minnesota campus and will offer guest experiences themed around education and discovery. For more information, call 612.379.8888 or visit www.commonshotel.com.
Missouri
- The 294-room, 12-story, Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel re-opened in September after sustaining heavy tornado damage in February. Workers replaced 3,400 panes of glass and re-carpeted the entire structure. Repairs also included upgraded thermostats in all guest rooms. The neighboring Branson Convention Center was less damaged and reopened in May. Together, the properties offer more than 220,000 square feet of meeting and exhibit space. For more information, call 417.336.5400 or visit www.bransonconventioncenter.hilton.com.
- Courtyard by Marriott Kansas City at Briarcliff opened in September. The LEED-certified property has 123 guest rooms and 7,400 square feet of meeting space. For more information, call 816.841.3300 or visit www.marriott.com/mcino.
Wisconsin
- Hilton Milwaukee restored its Monarch Lounge, which features a cocktail bar, interactive iPad work stations and live jazz piano music. The property offers 729 guest rooms and 33,000 square feet of meeting space. For more information, call 414.271.7250 or visit www.hiltonmilwaukee.com.