New Jersey
Tropicana Entertainment acquired The Chelsea Hotel, which is located directly across the street from Tropicana Atlantic City. The hotel will be incorporated into the Tropicana Atlantic City’s existing operations as The Chelsea Tower at Tropicana Atlantic City and is expected to open in August. The tower consists of a 20-story oceanfront hotel with 330 guest rooms and an adjoining low rise structure with the Cabana Club pool and bar. Upgrades such as adding a skyway bridge linking the two buildings, new F&B offerings and additional meeting spaces are planned. Currently, the Tropicana property includes 24 dining options, 122,000 square feet of meeting space, 2,078 guest rooms and The Quarter, featuring 200,000 square feet of retail, dining, entertainment, a spa and an IMAX Theatre.
New York
The Curtiss Hotel in Buffalo, New York opened in the renovated historic Harlow C. Curtiss building. The 68-room boutique hotel is located in the heart of downtown Buffalo and features seven styles of guest rooms. The hotel is home to the Chez Ami, a casual upscale modern American-Italian restaurant featuring the only revolving bar in the region and offers year-round patio seating. VUE Rooftop Lounge also has year round indoor and outdoor seating with views of downtown Buffalo, Lake Erie and the Canadian shoreline. VUE has multiple rooms that can be reserved for private events of up to 300 people. The building was once home to a furniture company, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is one of the largest terracotta structures of its type in downtown Buffalo.
Rivers Casino & Resort Schenectady unveiled The Landing Hotel. The boutique hotel is set along the Mohawk River and is the final component of Rivers Casino & Resort Schenectady. The 165-room hotel has direct access to the casino, the rest of the resort and features a lounge, outdoor patios, meeting space and a restaurant and bar in the lobby area. Rivers Casino & Resort features a 50,000-square-foot gaming floor, five restaurants and an event center with a 10,000-square-foot grand ballroom, prefunction space and an over 9,000-square-foot outdoor terrace venue.
The Saratoga Hilton completed its first phase of renovations. The project included a full transformation of all 242 guest rooms, the hotel’s restaurant and all public spaces. Phase two, set to begin later this year, will include upgrades to the property’s 58,000 square feet of meeting space. In phase one, The Springs Restaurant, serving modern American fare, was updated and a Starbucks Cafe was added. The hotel, which is connected to the Saratoga Springs City Center conference complex, features 22 multifunctional areas, including outdoor spaces for up to 2,000 guests.
Pennsylvania
The Renaissance Pittsburgh Hotel, located in the iconic Fulton building in downtown’s Cultural District, unveiled a newly renovated meeting and conference space. The 3,500-square-foot Symphony Ballroom can accommodate 400 guests. This new venue blends historic architectural details with contemporary design elements, including floor-to-ceiling windows with views of the Allegheny River and PNC Park. The property boasts nine other meeting spaces totaling 10,000 square feet. The hotel features 296 guest rooms and two restaurants.
Aimbridge Hospitality added The Warwick Hotel Rittenhouse Square to its portfolio of managed hotels. The landmark hotel is located in downtown Philadelphia in close proximity to the city’s attractions such as Broad Street’s Avenue of the Arts, the Liberty Bell and the Philadelphia Convention Center. The property features 301 guest rooms and more than 17,000 square feet of function space, including ten meeting rooms and a grand ballroom. There are two on-site dining experiences: The Prime Rib offers classic steaks and cocktails while Bluestone Lane serves breakfast and lunch inspired by the contemporary cafe culture of Australia.
Rhode Island
The Newport Harbor Hotel and Marina unveiled its new look for all 133 guest rooms. The accommodations now include new bedding, carpeting, wallpaper, artwork and custom window treatments. The 65 rooms with views of the marina and 16 Harbor View rooms have direct access to the hotel’s 3,000-square-foot Marina Lawn and Deck. The remaining rooms overlook downtown. Saltwater is the hotel’s waterfront restaurant serving a menu of local sourced ingredients and cocktails alongside live entertainment. There is also a private dining room and fireside lounge for events. The hotel offers 6,000 square feet of meeting space with seven rooms, including the ballroom that can host up to 250 guests.
Eastern Canada
Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants announced a new Kimpton-branded hotel in the Bloor-Yorkville neighborhood of Toronto. The boutique hotel is slated to open in mid-2018 and will be a full conversion of the current Holiday Inn. The revitalized and reconcepted 13-story property will compromise 189 guest rooms, including 18 suites and one Presidential Suite, 2,000 square feet of ground level meeting space and a Bloor Street-facing leased restaurant and bar. Additional amenities will include a fitness center, complimentary PUBLIC bikes, yoga mats in every room, morning coffee and tea, and nightly social hour.