Tulsa
The 444-room Hyatt Regency Tulsa recently wrapped a full renovation in the guest rooms and lobby, and also achieved four-diamond status with AAA. Located in downtown Tulsa, the facility features 38,000 square feet of meeting space, plus a restaurant, lounge, day spa, gym and pool.
The RiverSpirit Casino Resort recently opened the new Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville Casino & Restaurant, along with the Paradise Cove performance venue. The resort also features a 483-room high-rise hotel, 30,000 square feet of event space in the convention and meeting center, a tropics-themed resort pool and bar, and several restaurants.
The 370-room Doubletree by Hilton Tulsa—Warren Place (www.hilton.com) recently underwent a full room remodel, and refreshed the meeting spaces with new carpet and furnishings. The property features more than 20,000 square feet of flexible event space, including the Tulsa Learning Theatre, a tiered lecture center, and an 11,510-square-foot ballroom.
Oklahoma City
A new $287 million convention center (www.okc.gov) is coming to Oklahoma City in 2020. The center will feature 200,000 square feet of exhibit space, a 35,000-square-foot ballroom and 50,000 square feet of additional space. Construction is expected to begin in 2018, and the city will work with Omni Hotels for a headquarters hotel to support the property.
A modern streetcar system is under construction in downtown Oklahoma City. The streetcar system broke ground January 2017 in Bricktown, the city’s entertainment district, and is slated for completion late next year. The system will link major attractions through the five-mile network.
The Hyatt Place Oklahoma City/Bricktown opens this March with 132 rooms and 1,832 square feet of meeting space.
The 130-room AC Hotel Oklahoma City Bricktown opened in December with 1,800 square feet of event space, a restaurant, lounge and fitness center.
The 143-room Canopy by Hilton Oklahoma City Bricktown is slated to open by mid-2018, while 86-room Tru by Hilton Oklahoma City Airport, a new Hilton brand, opened June 2017.
A 138-room Staybridge Suites and 97-room Candlewood Suites (www.ihg.com) are slated to open in 2018, and the 124-suite Springhill Suites Oklahoma City Downtown/Bricktown opened in August with two meeting spaces totalling 3,175 square feet.
Shawnee
The Heart of Oklahoma Expo Center finished a multi-million dollar renovation of their conference center last summer.The conference center features 32,000 square feet of exhibit and event space, in addition to 52 acres of fairgrounds and an outdoor arena seating 7,500.
The FireLake Golf Course, part of the FireLake Casino grounds, recently finished a renovation to its 18-hole public course. The renovation included redesigned holes and new amenities. The clubhouse and driving range have also been updated.
The Citizen Potawatomi Nation is reopening their Cultural Heritage Center in January. The center had been closed since 2014 due to flooding, but is ready to re-open with new exhibits and interactive experiences showcasing the history and heritage of the Citizen Potawatomi.