New Jersey
Tropicana Entertainment and Trump Taj Mahal Associates announced they entered into a management agreement in which a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tropicana will manage the Trump Taj Mahal Casino Hotel and provide consulting services relating to the former Plaza Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City. The hotel offers over 2,000 hotel rooms and 155,000 square feet of meeting space, including the 60,000-square-foot Mark G. Etess Arena and a 30,600-square-foot ballroom.
New York
Doral Arrowwood began a multimillion-dollar renovation with the addition of new audiovisual equipment and the refurbishment of conference rooms and 200 of its 363 guest rooms. The on-site Doral Executive Center includes 110,000 square feet of meeting space that contains 10 meeting rooms, 11 breakout rooms, an executive conference room, amphitheaters and 13 small office spaces. In addition, the executive boardroom features a private dining room, butler service and a private concierge. The upgrades to these spaces will feature newly designed projectors and audio systems installed in the seven main meeting rooms, new fabric-wrapped acoustical panels, upgraded LED lighting and new carpeting. The guest room upgrades, expected to be completed May 2016, include new tiled bathrooms and new drapes, bedding, lamps and lounge chairs.
HNA Group completed the acquisition of the 450,000-square-foot Palisades Conference Center, located 20 miles north of Manhattan, now known as the HNA Palisades Premier Conference Center. Crescent Hotels & Resorts will manage the property. The conference center, which provides financial institutions, universities and services organizations with training and education facilities as well as hosting customer events, features 43 conference rooms, a ballroom, three tiered classrooms, three amphitheaters and 206 guest rooms. On-site amenities include a fitness center with four racquetball courts, a whirlpool and two saunas, and several dining options. www.hnapalisades.com
The William Vale, located in Brooklyn, is scheduled to open in June 2016. The hotel will feature 183 rooms with floor-to-ceiling balcony glass windows offering views of the Manhattan and Brooklyn skylines. The hotel features and an indoor/outdoor 20,000-square-foot rooftop venue on the 23rd floor with an indoor lounge, built-in bar and wrap-around balcony. In addition to the rooftop space and terrace, the indoor meeting space includes a 4,000-square-foot ballroom that can accommodate 300 guests, as well as conference and boardrooms. There will also be retail space and a food and beverage program developed by chef Andrew Carmellini. www.thewilliamvale.com
Pennsylvania
Hilton Garden Inn Pittsburgh Downtown debuted with 197 guest rooms. Located in Market Square, the hotel is within walking distance to Heinz Field, Carnegie Science Center, PNC Park and The Andy Warhol Museum. The on-site restaurant, Revel + Roost, offers made-to-order breakfast, dinner and cocktails. The hotel features over 2,000 square feet of meeting space.