Delaware
A new Courtyard by Marriott is now open near the Wilmington Convention Center. The 124-room hotel has more than 1,800 squrae feet of meeting space. The city of Wilmington also plans to break ground on a 186-room Embassy Suites in June, adjacent to the convention center. Completion is slated for summer 2015.
Maine
Starwood concluded renovations of the historic Westin Portland Harborview. The $50 million project updated the landmark property over 18 months before it took the Westin flag. The hotel offers 289 guest rooms, two dining outlets and 15,000 square feet of event space.
massachusetts
The 418-room Boston Marriott Burlington completed a multimillion-dollar renovation of its lobby and public spaces. The redesigned lobby features a large fireplace, open spaces and a 14-person communal table. For meeting planners and groups, the hotel now offers 14,570 square feet of function space, including 21 meeting rooms and a 9,000-square-foot ballroom. The renovation added three new private event rooms and updated all existing space.
New York
The Roof opened in March at the Viceroy New York. The 29th floor rooftop lounge and outdoor terrace space boasts views of Central Park and supplements the property’s street-level bar and restaurant. With a capacity of 120 people, the space will be open year-round, with heat lamps and wool blankets available for guests during colder months. The Viceroy hotel offers 240 guest rooms.
The 330-room Crowne Plaza JFK Airport is now open, following a multimillion-dollar update. There is 5,000 square feet of function space available, including 10 meeting rooms and a ballroom. The property was originally named the Idlewild Hotel, and the Crowne Plaza’s restaurant pays homage to that name. In addition to a fitness center, the hotels offers a Zen room for yoga and meditation.
Chesapeake Lodging Trust plans to debut the Hyatt Herald Square in Midtown Manhattan later this year, following a $6 million renovation of the property beginning this summer. All 122 guest rooms and gathering spaces will be updated.
Development has begun on an EVEN Hotel property in Brooklyn, which will be the fifth location of IHG’s new wellness-focused brand, following hotels in Manhattan, Washington, D.C., and Norwalk, Conn, that will debut this year and in early 2015. Also slated to open in 2015, the Brooklyn EVEN location will be built in the borough’s Boerum Hill neighborhood near the Barclays Center.
Pennsylvania
Construction has begun on a new DoubleTree and convention center in Reading near the 7,000-seat Santander Arena and performing arts center. The 208-room hotel is planned to open in 2015, and the conference facility will have a swimming pool, 12,000-square-foot grand ballroom and 4,000-square-foot smaller ballroom.
A new Hampton Inn & Suites York South opened in York, 30 minutes from Lancaster and an hour from Baltimore. The 100-room hotel offers a conference room that holds up to 50 people.