HOUSTON
Construction will begin next year on a 1,000-room Marriott Marquis, which will be connected to the north side of the George R. Brown Convention Center. The hotel is slated for completion by mid-2016.
The Nau Center for Texas Cultural Heritage, a heritage tourism center, will break ground across the street from the convention center in late 2013.
Southwest Airlines is spending $150 million to upgrade William P. Hobby Airport into Houston’s second international gateway. The project is slated for completion in 2015.
North of Houston, the Woodlands Resort & Conference Center began a $60 million upgrade that will add a 184-room guest wing while refreshing existing rooms and the property’s 60,000-square-foot conference center. Other new amenities include a 140-seat steakhouse and a 1,000-foot lazy river attraction.
SAN ANTONIO
Set for completion in spring 2016, the $325 million transformation of San Antonio’s Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center calls for approximately 835,000 gross square feet of new construction and the renovation of approximately 78,000 square feet of existing spaces. Targeting Silver LEED Certification, highlights include a new 54,000-square-foot ballroom, the largest in Texas.
Opening in late October, the Briscoe Western Art Museum, a renovation of the former San Antonio Library, will include upscale meeting space.
AUSTIN
Now under construction just two blocks from the Austin Convention Center, the 1,012-room, convention-style JW Marriott Austin hotel will feature 110,500 square feet of flexible space. Opening in 2015, it will be Austin’s largest hotel.
Earlier this year, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts acquired Austin’s Driskill Hotel, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Scheduled to undergo a two-year, roughly $8 million renovation, the property, opened in 1888 and offering 189 rooms and 18,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, will retain its name.
DALLAS
In April, Hyatt Regency Dallas completed a $50 million makeover and upgrade of its 1,120 guest rooms, bathrooms and corridors. Featuring 160,000 square feet of function space, the hotel and adjoining 50-story Reunion Tower are icons of the Dallas skyline.
Renaissance Dallas Hotel recently broke ground on a multimillion-dollar, 30,000-square-foot meeting facility, including a 16,000-square-foot Grand Ballroom with another 10,900 square feet of indoor and outdoor space directly above. Scheduled for completion in June 2014, the project will give the hotel a total of 50,000 square feet of function space. PageBreak
FORT WORTH
In Sundance Square, a 55,000-square-foot, event-capable public plaza, permanent stage included, is under construction and set for completion by this fall.
Scheduled to open in late November, the new $125 million building at the acclaimed Kimbell Art Museum will include new classroom, studio, library and auditorium space.
FRISCO
A $10 million expansion is under way at the Sheraton Stonebriar Hotel and slated for completion by September 2014. The project will add 51 guest rooms and increase meeting space to 6,500 square feet.
An iFLY indoor skydiving facility is scheduled to open later this year at the Stonebriar Centre Mall.
GRAPEVINE
A new 300-room Courtyard by Marriott/TownePlace Suites is scheduled to open in Grapevine later this year.
IRVING
The two-year-old Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas is set to open a skybridge-connected, 350-room headquarters hotel in fall 2015, featuring 20,000 square feet of additional meeting space.
MESQUITE
The completely renovated 80,000-square-foot Big Town Event Center opened in June as a major location for consumer shows, while the Convention and Expo Center at Rodeo Center now features enhanced Wi-Fi service.
PLANO
The 122,500-square-foot Plano Centre will soon begin a $2 million makeover that will include interior revitalization and sound and technology upgrades.
Groundbreaking began in March on the four-star, 299-room Hilton Granite Park conference hotel, with 35,000 square feet of conference space.PageBreak
GALVESTON
The AAA Four Diamond San Luis Resort, Spa & Conference Center began comprehensive property-wide upgrades in February. The property offers 250 guest rooms and a 40,000-square-foot, IACC-certified conference center.
In July 2012, the Galveston CVB completed a $140,000 tourism signage project, bringing high-tech pedestrian maps to hot spots throughout the island.
In June, Hotel Galvez & Spa, a Wyndham Grand Hotel, announced the completion of the $900,000 renovation of the Galvez Bar & Grill.
BEAUMOUNT
The $10 million Event Centre opened in the heart of downtown Beaumont in July, offering 16,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space.
The Beaumont CVB is offering a Fit and Fun Meetings Incentive that gives planners booking meetings between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2013, a chance to earn a cash incentive as well as gain health and wellness extras for their event.
MCALLEN
McAllen Miller International Airport is undergoing an expansion that includes an extra gate and longer landing strip.
EL PASO
In November 2012, the El Paso City Council approved a $500 million investment in multiple “quality of life” projects near the El Paso Convention Center. Slated for completion by 2015, the projects include a new multipurpose performing arts and entertainment facility.
MIDLAND
Midland Center is planning renovations in the upcoming year, while the Midland County Horseshoe Public Event Center started an expansion project.
