Arizona
Starwood Hotels & Resorts announced the first Aloft brand in Scottsdale, the Aloft Scottsdale. The hotel recently completed a conversion to rebrand as an Aloft and is located in the city’s Entertainment District. The hotel features 126 rooms and 400 square feet of meeting space. There are art galleries, boutiques and a wide variety of restaurants nearby as well as Scottsdale Fashion Square Mall and the Scottsdale Waterfront. Other features include a grab and go food and beverage area, fitness center and live music at the brand’s signature W XYZ bar.
California
The dual-brand SpringHill Suites and Residence Inn San Diego Downtown/Bayfront opened along the waterfront. The SpringHill Suites hotel features suites with kitchenettes, whereas the Residence Inn caters to extended-stay travelers and offers studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom suites, all with full kitchens. The properties offer over 11,300 square feet of meeting space with five meeting rooms that can accommodate 225 guests. The meeting space includes the Ted Williams Room and Bay View Terrace that overlook the USS Midway as well as views of San Diego Bay. The Bayfront patio on the fifth floor can be used for reception for up to 350 attendees.
The Sheraton Los Angeles Hotel became the Sheraton Grand Los Angeles following a $75 million renovation. The upgrades included a full remodel of all 496 guest rooms, the lobby and meeting spaces, and the addition of new dining venues. The lobby features a coffee shop by day and lobby bar by night offering the brand’s new lobby bar menu, Paired, as well the new restaurant District on the Bloc. The property has 30,000 square feet of meeting space including the 10,000-square-foot California Ballroom that can accommodate up to 900 guests. The outdoor spaces have city views, fire features and cabanas for group use.
Colorado
The Hyatt Regency Aurora–Denver Conference Center opened with 249 guest rooms. The property is located across from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and nearby the light rail station, providing easy access to Denver International Airport. The property features over 36,000 square feet of conference and event space, a full-service restaurant and lounge with an outdoor patio, an outdoor swimming pool and a fitness center. The hotel’s on-site restaurant, Borealis, incorporates fresh, local Colorado flavors with Asian and Middle Eastern influences. The hotel offers 15 meeting rooms, an 11,750-square-foot Grand Ballroom and 8,100 square feet of meeting space that is IACC accredited. There is also approximately 4,000 square feet of outdoor terrace space.
Mexico
Grupo Posadas announced the launch of the Fiesta Americana Resort Collection, which is compromised of 12 resort properties. The collection will offer options ranging from family-friendly to adult-only all-inclusive properties. In November 2015, one of the resorts in the collection, the all-inclusive, adults-only Lat20 by Live Aqua Playa del Carmen, opened on the city’s Quinta Avenida, offering the convenience of restaurants, shops and bars right outside its doors. The Grand Fiesta Americana Puerto Vallarta, also an all-inclusive adults-only property and part of the collection, debuted in December 2015 with 443 guest rooms and 10 meeting rooms that can accommodate up to 1,300 in auditorium seating and 800 for a banquet. There are seven restaurants and nine lounges and bars.