Illinois
Construction has started on the new DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel and Convention Center in Evansville. This property will be the only full-service convention hotel in the downtown area and will have over 12,000 square feet of meeting space. The hotel will feature a 6,400-square foot ballroom, 4,000-square-foot prefunction space, two breakout rooms and a boardroom. The five-story hotel will have 241 guest rooms and is scheduled to debut in October 2016.
Eaglewood Resort & Spa completed a renovation of all of its 295 guest rooms, balconies and patios, fitness studios and bowling alley, and added a market. The redesigned guest rooms keep with the property’s traditional Prairie-style design in homage to architect Frank Lloyd Wright and features new furnishings, carpeting and technology upgrades. The resort has 37,000 square feet of IACC-certified meeting space, including two ballrooms and 37 meeting rooms.
The Peninsula Chicago began renovation of its 331 guest rooms. Each room will have the latest technology, including an interactive digital bedside and desk tablets preset in one of 11 languages, allowing guests to have control of all in-room functions, such as lightening and temperature controls, hotel services and city information. Along with the renovations, the hotel is introducing 24-hour check-in for Web bookings and “Keys to the City,” a program that offers guests access to exclusive Chicago attractions such as restaurants, theater and museums. The property has 11,250 square feet of meeting space.
Indiana
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide announced it will open Aloft South Bend downtown. Scheduled to debut in January 2017, the hotel will feature 183 loft-style rooms and 3,750 square feet of meeting space. The property will occupy 11 floors of a mixed-use building and will include the brand’s W XYZ bar to host live music from local artists.
Minnesota
The former Plymouth Building in downtown Minneapolis will be converted into the 290-room Embassy Suites Minneapolis. The property, built from 1910-1911, was the world’s largest all-reinforced concrete office building at the time and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2014. An indoor pool, bar and restaurant will be added, and the local landmark Lyon’s Pub will remain open. The new hotel will offer 9,000 square feet of meeting space, including a 3,000-square-foot ballroom.
Ohio
Waramaug LS Hotels purchased the six-story, 120-room Courtyard Springfield Downtown. The property features 6,500 square feet of meeting space, including a 5,000-square-foot ballroom. A new outdoor bar with patio seating is being added. The hotel is adjacent to the Clark State Performing Arts Center.