Maryland
Choice Hotels’ Ascend Collection added three boutique properties in the Baltimore area;
Inn at Henderson’s Wharf, founded in 1893 and available for buy-outs; the waterfront Pier 5, with 7,153 square feet of function space; and the Admiral Fell Inn, with 80 updated guest rooms and 4,232 square feet of group space.
Massachusetts
The Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate is slated to open in Boston in early 2014 as a “dynamic center of non-partisan learning and engagement.” The goals of the center will include educating the public about the government and promoting civic engagement. The building is on track for LEED certification and will include a museum area and conference spaces.
New Jersey
The 340-room Teaneck Marriott at Glenpointe is scheduled to complete its renovation this month. The lobby and restaurant were previously upgraded, and the most recently project updated the property’s 26,500 square feet of function space. The 18 meeting rooms were upgraded with new air walls and AV equipment.
New York
The former Hilton New York will now be known as the New York Hilton-Midtown, to allow groups and visitors to more easily identify its Manhattan location. The 1,981-room property offers more than 150,000 square feet of meeting, banquet and conference space.
A 239-room Fairfield Inn & Suites opened in Midtown Manhattan with meeting space for small groups.
Pennsylvania
The 581-room Loews Philadelphia Hotel completed a $14 million renovation of all 581 of its guest rooms. Located in the restored Philadelphia Saving Fund Society building, the property offers 42,000 square feet of meeting space, including three ballrooms and 14 conference rooms.
The Hotel Hershey opened a reinvented dining space named The Circular. The room was designed in its circular shape by Milton S. Hershey to avoid obstructed viewings and seating solo diners in corners. Once a dance floor, the center portion of the space is now a bar and interactive pastry kitchen.
Quebec
Montreal’s Rio Tinto Planetarium was completely modernized this year and in April new immersive theaters were unveiled. Viewers can be enveloped by two new shows, Continum and From The Earth to the Stars, that blend science, technology and emotion. The complex also houses a Biodome, Insectarium, botanical garden and a variety of unique event rental spaces, including theaters, gardens and greenhouses.
Washington, D.C.
The 57-room, all-suite Graham Georgetown opened following a renovation of the former Hotel Monticello. Group events can include gatherings on the rooftop bar or private dinner parties. The venue often attracts diplomats from the nearby embassies.