Florida
Hotel Key West is slated to open in the first quarter of the year. The property is located at the Stock Island Marina Village complex, which includes shops, restaurants and the largest deep water marina in the Florida Keys. The hotel’s design is inspired by the industrial past of the boatyards and saltwater fishing businesses of the island and amenities include an outdoor pool area with a bar and grill, eco tours via paddleboard, kayak or boat, fishing as well as diving day trips and other excursions unique to Key West’s seven islands. There are 100 guest rooms and each will offer a water view and private terrace.
JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort opened following a $320 million renovation of the property. Formerly the Marco Island Marriott Beach Resort, Golf Club & Spa, renovations began in 2015 and included expanded pool decks, a refreshed lobby, a new porte-cochere and a grand front entrance as well as the transformation of its 726 guest rooms, a renovation of culinary offerings and the addition of two restaurants. The property will also add a 94-room adults-only tower, scheduled to open in the fall, that will feature a rooftop pool, restaurant and 12,000-square-foot indoor entertainment center. Once completed, the resort will offer 100,000 square feet of event space and 810 guest rooms. The resort is home to Spa by JW, the brand’s spa concept.
Louisiana
The Troubadour debuted in New Orleans’ Central Business District. The boutique hotel is the first property in the South for Joie de Vivre Hotels and features 184 guest rooms. There are two on-site dining concepts, Petit Lion and Monkey Board. Petite Lion is a 64-seat restaurant offering modern and Parisian fare and Monkey Board is a rooftop bar with shareable small plates. The property was originally an office building and was recently added to the National Register of Historic Places. The building’s original staircase was kept intact, leading to the second-floor Lobby Lounge and to the Highball and Snifter meeting rooms, which total 840 square feet.
Puerto Rico
El San Juan Hotel is slated to reopen in February as El San Juan Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton following a multimillion-dollar renovation of the property, which first opened in 1958. The transformation includes a remodel of all 387 guest rooms, a new pool and cabanas, upgraded meeting spaces, the addition of new restaurants and a renovated lobby. Throughout 2017, the hotel will debut new programming, a new fitness center and spa and new restaurant concepts, including Cana by Juliana Gonzalez, focusing on promoting social and environmental awareness by working with local farmers, fishermen and small businesses. The property offers 35,000 square feet of meeting space with the capacity for up to 1,222 people.
Tennessee
Black Fox Lodge debuted in Pigeon Forge and is the first independent hotel by Chartwell Hospitality in the city. The property is at the foot of the Great Smoky Mountains and is within walking distance to the LeConte Center, a meeting and event facility. The hotel has 178 guest rooms with river and mountain views, an outdoor pool and The Fox Den, the on-site restaurant and bar that features a pizza oven. There is over 4,500 square feet of meeting space, including the Black Fox Ballroom with floor-to-ceiling windows that can accommodate 450 people.
Texas
The Marriott Marquis Houston opened with 960 guest rooms and 153,700 square feet of meeting and event space. The hotel is connected via a skybridge to the George R. Brown Convention Center, offering an additional 1.2 million square feet of space. On-site there are 52 meeting rooms, including a 39,700-square-foot ballroom and an open-air event pavilion on the hotel’s sixth floor terrace. The property features a Texas-shaped lazy river pool, rooftop infinity pool, full-service spa and six food and beverage options, including Biggio’s, a two-story sports bar in partnership with all-star baseball player Craig Biggio, as well as Xochi Restaurant from five-time James Beard Award finalist celebrity chef Hugo Ortega.