Florida
Opal Sands Resort is set to open in Clearwater Beach. The Ocean Properties Ltd. resort will offer 25,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space, and 5,500 square feet of event lawn space. All 230 guest rooms and suites have private balconies with oceanfront views. The property is within walking distance of the boardwalk and nearby island-style shopping area, and is located between Tampa International Airport and St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport.
Georgia
Sea Island, located on the coast of Georgia, has just debuted its new 5,000-square-foot Mizner Ballroom, which can accommodate up to 300. The addition is part of The Cloister’s expansion and new 63-room Garden Wing on the property. Along with the existing 7,800-square-foot Cloister Ballroom and additional meeting rooms, the total meeting space at The Cloister is now over 51,000 square feet. There are also meeting spaces at the Beach Club, The Lodge and Rainbow Island are all located on-property.
Kentucky
Omni Hotels & Resorts broke ground on the Omni Louisville Hotel. The $289 million mixed-use property is scheduled to open in early 2018 one block from the 300,000-square-foot Kentucky International Convention Center and will feature 612 guest rooms, 225 apartments and 70,000 square feet of meeting space. Guests will have access to a rooftop pool deck, spa, lobby art gallery and a “speakeasy” with a bowling alley. A grocery store will connect to the hotel’s lobby.
Louisiana
The Chateau LeMoyne-French Quarter completed an eight-month-long renovation. The transformation included updates to its 171 guest rooms. The lobby, event spaces, pool and courtyard area have also been upgraded. Named for the founder of New Orleans, Jean Baptiste LeMoyne, the original building was built in 1847 and designed by famed architect James Gallier. The property offers 2,000 square feet of event space and facilities range from banquet rooms to boardrooms. Events can open up onto, or be held solely in the private garden courtyard which features all new outdoor furniture.
Renovations are complete at the Royal Sonesta New Orleans. The hotel, located in the French Quarter, upgraded the 483 guest rooms and public areas and expanded the R Club Level, adding a new lounge. The property offers 20,000 square feet of meeting space that includes 20 meeting rooms and a 5,000-square-foot grand ballroom.
Mississippi
The DoubleTree by Hilton Biloxi, located in the city’s historic downtown area, opened with 195 guest rooms. Previously The Biloxi Beach Boulevard Hotel, the beachside property recently completed a renovation that included a total redesign of its guest rooms and a new restaurant, Gulf Breeze Grill, which offers all-day dining and a bar. The property features 5,000 square feet of event space, including meeting rooms and an outdoor banquet area that can accommodate up to 120 people. The property is the largest non-casino hotel in the area.
Texas
The Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center will undergo an expansion that will add 300 guest rooms to the resort’s current 1,511 rooms and 86,000 square feet of meeting space, bringing the total to 490,000 square feet. The meeting space addition includes a new 30,000-square-foot ballroom, 30,000 square feet of breakout space and approximately 26,000 square feet of prefunction space. Construction is expected to begin in late 2016 . The project also includes a $5 million expansion of the property’s resort pool complex, which is expected to be done for the 2016 summer season.
San Antonio recently unveiled the newly transformed Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center. The $325 million expansion increases the facility to 1.6 million square feet. A public art instillation, “Liquid Crystal” by artist Jason Bruges, was unveiled in the center’s new lobby atrium. The convention center was originally constructed in 1968, and the new addition was built to the east. The original structure will be demolished and the land will be an expansion of neighboring Hemisfair Park. The center offers 514,000 square feet of contiguous exhibit space and 86,500 square feet of column-free multipurpose space along with 70 meeting spaces.