Alabama
InterContinental Hotels Group unveiled Hotel Indigo Tuscaloosa Downtown near the University of Alabama. The 91-room boutique hotel offers 1,000 square feet of indoor meeting space and a 2,500-square-foot outdoor terrace. The guest rooms have modern furnishings and feature steel gray, navy blue and bright green colors that were inspired by the adjacent Black Warrior River. The Lookout is the rooftop bar and Shoal’s Kitchen serves Southern cuisine from local vendors. Another feature is Pure Provisions, a gourmet shop offering sandwiches, snacks and beverages.
Florida
The Grove Resort & Spa, an 878-room all-suite resort in Orlando on Lake Austin and near Walt Disney World, is expected to open in February. The Benchmark Hospitality property will include a waterpark, four pools and a variety of food and beverage options, including the 221-seat indoor-outdoor restaurant Valencia, serving Spanish-, Italian- and French-inspired dishes. The resort will offer 6,000 square feet of meeting space that can accommodate 300 people, including an outdoor lawn and poolside space.
The Henderson, a Salamander Beach & Spa Resort opened along Florida’s Gulf Coast adjacent to a 208-acre acre environmentally protected state park. The 170-room Destin resort features 30,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space, a rooftop terrace, two outdoor pools and private beach access. Primrose restaurant, named for the city’s first commercial fishing boat, offers gulf-to-table cuisine and has an open kitchen, sushi bar and outdoor terrace seating. The event space includes a 5,200-square-foot ballroom, a junior ballroom, a fifth-floor terrace and grand lawn.
Hilton Marco Island Beach Resort & Spa is scheduled to unveil its $40 million renovation in January. The 310-room resort revamped its lobby, upgraded accommodations with the addition of suites featuring connecting room options, as well as poolside suites with verandas. The outdoor pool also got a refresh with handcrafted Italian tile. The resort will introduce The Deck at 560 Bar & Restaurant, which is an indoor-outdoor space with a hardwood deck. The property offers 15,000 square feet of meeting space and a new beachfront event lawn, as well as upgraded and expanded outdoor meeting space and a refreshed 5,200-square-foot Grand Ballroom that are set to debut in the fall.
Texas
The DoubleTree by Hilton Arlington DFW South opened after a $10 million renovation. The 237-room, five-story property is located in the Entertainment District near the DFW Airport and AT&T Stadium. The hotel features 6,000 square feet of meeting space, including a 4,200-square-foot ballroom that can accommodate up to 400 guests. The lobby’s Connectivity Zone features a floor-to-ceiling metal wall of TVs and decorative lighting, and the restaurant Brass Spur Bar & Grill offers Texan cuisine.
Caribbean
The InterContinental Real Santo Domingo opened with 227 guest rooms, two bars and three restaurant concepts. The 21-story new-build hotel offers 9,000 square feet of meeting space across eight rooms, including a nearly 5,000-square-foot ballroom with a capacity for 550 guests. Food and beverage outlets include Nau Restaurant, which offers live music, and the formal Factory Steak and Lobster restaurant.
Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants debuted its first Caribbean property, Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa, along Seven Mile Beach in Grand Cayman. The resort features 266 guest rooms with private balconies as well as three freestanding bungalows. There are three restaurants, including Avecita, with a nine-seat chefs’ bar and a seasonal menu prepared around a wood-fired grill and plancha. The property has 20,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space, including a 7,076-square-foot ballroom, a Presidential Suite that can be used for smaller meetings, and the Seabridge Green Lawn for beachside events.