Caribbean
The Hilton Aruba Caribbean Resort & Casino, a 15-acre beachfront oasis in Palm Beach, opened with 355 guest rooms and nearly 40,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space. Indoors, the hotel offers more than 15,000 square feet of function space, including eight meeting rooms with a total capacity for more than 900 guests, five private intimate meeting rooms for smaller gatherings, a Grand Caribbean Ballroom that can hold more than 900 guests, and two business centers.
Florida
The renovation of the iconic landmark Yankee Clipper into the B Ocean Resort in Fort Lauderdale began in August and is scheduled for completion in mid-2016. The hotel was built in 1956 by Fort Lauderdale hotel pioneer Robert “Bob” Gill Jr., and the transformation will maintain the property’s iconic characteristics, including the famous Wreck Bar, while bringing a refreshed ambience and design. All 487 guest rooms, the lobby, restaurants and public spaces will be redesigned and new features added. The resort’s meeting and function space will almost double in size to 14,000 square feet and offer a new design and technology. Also available for groups is the property’s outdoor space, like the private beach, Lido Deck, Main Pool Deck, Beachside Pool Deck, Cruise Deck and Marina Terrace.
Slated to open this winter, EAST, Miami will be Swire Hotels’ first U.S. property. The 352-room lifestyle hotel, located at Brickwell City Centre, will have 89 one-, two- and three-bedroom residences convenient for long-term stays. Meeting rooms, a prefunction area and banquet halls, all with floor-to-ceiling windows, will provide space for a variety of events. The 38th floor will have two 1,400-square-foot prefunction spaces as well as a boardroom. On the 39th floor, a 3,400-square-foot ballroom will offer ocean and urban views of Miami.
The Marco Island Marriott Beach Resort, Golf Club & Spa reopened after a renovation to prepare for a brand conversion to a JW Marriott in 2017. The completed first phase of the renovation included expanded pool decks, a refurbished lobby, a new porte cochere and a grand front entrance to the resort. Throughout phase two of the renovation, the property will unveil redesigned guest rooms and suites along with a brand-new, 94-room adults-only Lanai tower, featuring a rooftop pool, a restaurant with a celebrity chef and a 12,000-square-foot state-of-the-art indoor entertainment center. The project will continue by adding the Calusa and Banyan ballrooms, with technologically advanced event space totaling 100,000 square feet.
Mississippi
Westin Hotels & Resorts announced that it will open the The Westin Jackson in early 2017 with 205 guest rooms and 12,000 square feet of meeting space. The property will include a modern bistro and wine bar, a WestinWORKOUT fitness studio, and an indoor pool and resort-like spa. Located in the heart of downtown and one block from the 300,000-square-foot Jackson Convention Complex, the hotel is within walking distance of many of the city’s attractions and sites
North Carolina
The 149-room Hilton Garden Inn Raleigh/Crabtree Valley opened in August. The property offers high-end amenities and complimentary Wi-Fi throughout, a 24-hour business center, a fitness center, an indoor pool and easy access to Raleigh-Durham International Airport and many local points of interest. The hotel has over 6,000 square feet of flexible meeting space and can accommodate dining for up to 300. Executive Chef Fred Leach has more than 22 years of experience working at several fine dining restaurants and with distinguished culinarians such as Julia Childs.
Texas
The 366-room Westin Austin Downtown opened in July. The hotel features the city’s newest restaurant, Stella San Jac, an Austin-American restaurant serving eclectic Southern cuisine. Because Austin touts itself as the Live Music Capital of The World, the hotel will regularly host local musicians in its lounge area. There is more than 13,500 square feet of state-of-the-art meeting and banquet space, including 16 meeting rooms, each named after a famous Austin musician or venue, including Joplin, Benson, Paramount, Continental and Moody.
Puerto Rico
The Embassy Suites by Hilton Dorado del Mar Beach Resort completed the renovation of all of its 174 suites and the addition of the 9,000-square-foot Grand Hall, which now accommodates up to 800 for banquets and 72 exhibitors. The resort now offers more than 22,000 square feet of meeting space and can host a variety of social or corporate events. This upscale Embassy Suites by Hilton property offers one- and two-bedroom suites, a complimentary event reception, a 24-hour fitness center and a business center, among other features.