Little Rock
The $60 million renovation of the Robinson Center is slated to wrap up this year, with a soft opening this fall and the grand opening scheduled for November. Also, the adjacent DoubleTree Hotel Little Rock (www.doubletreelr.com) is undergoing a $5.5 million renovation and will be physically connected to the Robinson Center when complete.
The 140-room Aloft Little Rock Downtown will offer 4,000 square feet of meeting space, a restaurant and a rooftop pool. The hotel is being constructed inside the historic Boyle building, and is slated to open later this year.
Hot Springs
The Austin Convention Hotel and Spa has been purchased by a new owner and is currently undergoing renovations. It will emerge from renovations as the Hotel Hot Springs and Spa this spring with 196 rooms, 12,000 square feet of meeting space and a new restaurant, lounge, lobby bar, pool and fitness center.
Mount Magazine
The Lodge at Mount Magazine recently completed renovations to the exterior of the building. Future projects at Mount Magazine State Park include construction of a new amphitheater on the grounds of the old WPA amphitheater. The new project is currently under design to closely replicate the original structure.
Bentonville
Last summer the new Amazeum opened near the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville. The family-friendly museum offers approximately 50,000 square feet of exhibit, meeting and learning spaces inside, and an acre of ground space outside for seasonal experiments and events. It also offers teambuilding exercises for meetings and groups.
Fort Smith
In Fort Smith, fundraising progress continues toward the realization of the U.S. Marshals Museum. A construction date has not been set.