CARIBBEAN
The Fairmont Southhampton in Bermuda will undergo a $11.5 million renovation of its 407 guest rooms and suites. The renovation will take place in stages to minimize disruption, with final completion targeted for mid-2015. The Fairmont can accommodate meetings of up to 1,500 attendees, with more than 25,000 square feet of event space.
Florida
Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando completed a $22 million renovation of its 750 guest rooms. The Italian-inspired luxury resort offers 42,000 square feet of meeting space, including a 15,000-square-foot ballroom, and can entertain more than 1,300 guests. www.loewshotels.com
A new 139-room Aloft property is in development in Sarasota, slated to open in 2015. Another 137-room Aloft is planned to open in Coral Gables in January 2016.
The Orlando Celebration Hotel, near Walt Disney World, completed a $10 million renovation. On-site meeting facilities include more than 6,800 square feet of function space and a 14-person boardroom. For recreation, the hotel offers a 40-foot waterslide, free-form pool with waterfall, tennis and sand volleyball courts. The 23-acre resort provides shuttle service to Epcot and other parks.
Louisiana
New Orleans’ The Saint unveiled five new suites on the second floor of the French Quarter hotel. The suites were designed by the owner and his wife. The spacious two “master” suites each measure 1,800 square feet, and the hotel offers 1,450 square feet of meeting space.
Texas
The Dallas Cowboys plan to move their corporate headquarters and training facilities from Irving to Frisco in fall 2016. The new, 12,000-seat National Football League stadium will also be available for conventions, concerts and special events. Additionally, two new hotels totaling 480 guest rooms are planned for the site.
Houston’s second convention center hotel, the Houston Marriott Marquis, will break ground in April. The 1,100-room hotel will be built directly across from the George R. Brown Convention Center in downtown Houston and is scheduled to open in 2016. The Hilton Americas-Houston, the existing convention hotel, opened in 2007 and offers 1,200 guest rooms.Both properties are attached to the convention center by pedestrian skybridges.