Florida
Hyatt Hotels purchased the Peabody Orlando for $717 million. The 1,641-room hotel will be rebranded as the Hyatt Regency Orlando Convention Center. The property underwent a $440 million expansion in 2010 and offers 200,000 square feet of meeting space, with 2 million additional square feet in the attached Orange County Convention Center.
Aloft Jacksonville Tapestry Park reopened upon completion of renovations. The property offers 3,600 square feet of function space and 137 loft-style guest rooms.
The Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort installed six rooftop wind turbines. The turbines stand 52 feet tall and will reduce the property’s need for external energy sources. The 374-room hotel offers 10,000 square feet of meeting space.
The 74-room Metropolitan hotel by COMO Hotels and Resorts is scheduled to join the Miami Beach lodging portfolio in December in the city’s Art Deco District. The hotel will have direct beach access and two restaurants.
Georgia
The Wyndham Peachtree Hotel and Conference Center, outside Atlanta, launched a six-month, $5 million renovation of its guest rooms and lobby area. The 18-acre property includes 250 guest rooms and 30,000 square feet of IACC-approved meeting space.
Puerto Rico
The San Juan Marriott Resort launched an $8 million renovation of all 525 of its guest rooms. The project is slated for completion in December. The property includes the Stellaris Casino and more than 10,000 square feet of meeting space.
Tennessee
The Sheraton Memphis Downtown is now open, following a conversion from a Marriott, and is in the middle of a property renovation. The 600-room Sheraton is connected to the Memphis Cook Convention Center and offers 12,000 square feet of function space.
Embassy Suites Knoxville West is now open, offering 140 suites and 9,000 square feet of meeting space.
Texas
Kimpton plans to open a 16-story, 322-room hotel in Austin’s Rainey Street District in 2015. The property will include 12,000 square feet of function space, a unique restaurant concept and a large pool deck.
The W Dallas–Victory plans to complete a $4 million renovation in September as part of a nationwide update to 11 W properties. The hotel offers 252 guest rooms and 4,300 square feet of function space. New enhancements will include snakeskin television covers and armadillo embellishments.
JW Marriott Houston is slated to open in spring 2014. Construction is under way to convert a historic building on Main Street into a 323-room hotel with 10,000 square feet of meeting space, including a 1,800-square-foot rooftop event area.