Illinois
- The new Aloft Chicago City Center will open in June 2013 in Chicago’s River North neighborhood near the Loop business district. The hotel will offer 272 guest rooms and two meeting spaces, the largest measuring more than 1,900 square feet. For more information, call 312.661.1000 or visit www.aloft.com.
- The former Sutton Place Hotel closed in December and will reopen in 2013 as the Thompson Chicago, following a renovation. The Joie de Vivre property located in the Gold Coast will offer 246 guest rooms and a new signature restaurant. For more information, visit www.thompsonhotels.com.
- Chicago’s former Hotel 71 along the Chicago River was acquired and will be renovated and renamed the Wyndham Grand Chicago Riverfront. Wyndham will manage the 437-room property. For more information, visit www.wyndham.com.
Indiana
- White Lodging has plans to develop a $27 million Hyatt Bloomington City near downtown. The lodging company aims to begin construction on the 168-room hotel in spring 2013. For more information, visit www.whitelodging.com.
- The $39 million Alexander Hotel opened in Indianapolis. The design-focused Dolce property offers 157 gest rooms, 52 suites and 16,500 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting facilities. For more information, call 855.200.3002 or visit www.thealexander.com.
- The Indianapolis Zoo is building a $30 million International Orangutan Center. The zoo offers numerous venue spaces, including a party pavillion accomodating 1,000 guests for coctails, a 5,000-square-foot conservatory and it’s popular dolphin dome. For more information, call 317.630.2001 or visit www.indyzoo.com.
Iowa
- A newly constructed 93-room Hampton Inn Iowa City/University Area opened near the University of Iowa campus. For more information, call 319.339.8000 or visit www.hamptoninn.com.
Michigan
- Bicycle Street Inn & Suites on Mackinac Island is scheduled to open in May and will be the first new construction project on the island in several years, offering 36 guest rooms including several large suites. Visitors can explore the seasonal resort destination through available group tour packages. For more information, visit www.bicyclestreetinn.com.
Ohio
- The 33,000-square-foot Horseshoe Cincinnati casino will open downtown in March. Operated by Caesars Entertainment, the venue will offer 33,000 square feet of flexible banquet space, including a 19,000-square-foot ballroom. Three restaurants will be accessible from the street. Construction began in 2011, and the completed property expects to draw 6 million visits annually. For more information, visit www.cetmeetings.com.
- The updated Westin Cleveland Convention Center will open in summer 2013, near the new Cleveland Medical Mart and Convention Center. The former Crowne Plaza hotel has 481 guest rooms, a full-service restaurant and 26,000 square feet of function space. The property will undergo a $64 million renovation. For more information, visit www.starwoodhotels.com.
Wisconsin
- The former Clearwaters Hotel in Marshfield is under new ownership and scheduled to reopen in spring 2013. Now managed by Marshfield Hospitality, the 103-room hotel offers meeting and banquet space. For more information, visit www.inndevmgmt.com.