Auburn
The Auburn Marriott Opelika Hotel & Conference Center at Grand National completed a major makeover in June 2016, including upgrades to its 128 guest accommodations, lobby and meeting spaces.
Birmingham
The circa-1925 Redmont Hotel, Birmingham’s oldest hotel, reopened in March 2016 following an extensive renovation. The 120-room hotel, part of the Curio Collection by Hilton and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, features a fine-dining restaurant, a rooftop bar and meeting space including two ballrooms.
The circa-1914 Lyric Theatre reopened in January 2016 after a major renovation. Just across the street from the Lyric Theatre is the historic circa-1927 Alabama Theatre (www.alabamatheatre.com), which was also recently restored.
In February 2016, the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex unveiled the new 270-seat Forum Theater.
Uptown Birmingham, an entertainment district located adjacent to the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex, is adding Your Pie, a casual pizza parlor, which at press time was aiming for a November 2016 opening, and Eugene’s Hot Chicken.
The 100-room Grand Bohemian Hotel Mountain Brook opened in October 2015 with a full-service spa, a rooftop bar, restaurant and more than 12,000 square feet of meeting space.
Tuscaloosa
Hotel Indigo Tuscaloosa Downtown, which overlooks the Black Warrior River and is located within walking distance to the Tuscaloosa Amphitheater, opened in September 2016 with 91 guest rooms and one meeting room.
Gulf Shores
Hampton Inn Gulf Shores opened in spring 2016 with 98 guest rooms and a small meeting space.
Island House Hotel is converting to the DoubleTree by Hilton Orange Beach Beachfront in 2017 after guest room, lobby and restaurant renovations.