Baton Rouge
- L’Auberge Casino & Hotel Baton Rouge opened in late 2012. The property features 205 guest rooms and a 13,000-square-foot event center. The gaming floor features almost 1,500 slot machines and 50 table games.
- The 120-room Wyndham Garden Baton Rouge completed a significant renovation project in late 2012. It has two 650-square-foot meeting rooms.
- Hampton Inn & Suites Baton Rouge Downtown opened earlier this year with 137 guest rooms and meeting space for 50.
Shreveport-Bossier City
- The 396-room Margaritaville Resort Casino opened in June. The property has meeting and banquet space for 75 as well as a 30,000-square-foot gaming floor.
- Dual-brand property Hilton Garden Inn Shreveport Bossier City/Homewood Suites by Hilton Shreveport/Bossier City opened in December 2012. The hotels have 177 and 114 rooms, respectively, as well as 9,000 square feet of meeting space and two restaurants shared between them.
- Comfort Suites Louisiana Downs opened in January in Bossier City with 83 guest rooms.
- Wingate by Wyndham Bossier City opened in October 2012 with 81 guest rooms.
- Popular attraction Gators and Friends Alligator Park and Exotic Zoo added a zipline tour last summer. Located 10 miles from Shreveport, the zoo offers discounted group pricing.
- American Basketball Association team the Southeast Texas Mavericks announced earlier this year that it will relocate to Shreveport/Bossier City, becoming the first professional sports team in the Twin Cities since 2011. Hirsch Coliseum is the Mavericks’ home arena. Games started in November.