Georgia
Located in the heart of Atlanta, the 348-room Westin Atlanta Gwinnett is the newest luxury hotel to open in the area and is geared specifically toward meetings and events. The hotel is located in the Gas South District, a multipurpose campus close to many popular Greater Atlanta attractions such as the World of Coca-Cola, Georgia Aquarium and Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Westin Atlanta Gwinnett boasts over 27,000 square feet of meeting and event space across 16 event facilities. The largest of these spaces, the Jasper Ballroom, has over 10,000 square feet of event space and can accommodate groups of up to 800 in its largest configuration. All events held at the hotel are also supported by a professional event production and planning team.
[Related: Westin Atlanta Gwinnett Hotel Welcomes Heather Willett and Julie Bilecky to Executive Team]
South Carolina
Located along the South Carolina shoreline, the Omni Hilton Head Oceanfront Resort unveiled the completion of its $26 million property-wide renovation. The resort began the renovation project in August 2022 and has since introduced upgrades to its front entrance, lobby, all 323 guestrooms and the courtyard. The hotel features three championship golf courses, access to 11 lagoon trails, Eastern Seaboard- and sun-facing pools and a variety of wellness amenities.
The expanded courtyard features new furnishings, lighting and landscaping and a variety of new yard games and seating areas. The courtyard is able to be rented out for private events of up to 150 attendees.
The Omni Hilton Head features 14,000 square feet of indoor event space spread across 13 venues and two levels, as well as over 5,000 square feet of outdoor event space. The largest of these venues is the 3,960-square-foot Palmetto Ballroom that is able to accommodate over 400 attendees. Other notable venues include the Shorehouse Oceanfront Deck, Sabal and May rooms.
Texas
Nestled in the heart of El Paso, Texas, sits the Holiday Inn El Paso West–Sunland Park, which recently completed a comprehensive $3.5 million renovation. The renovations include upgrades to its 175 guest room bathrooms, the hotel’s fitness center, restaurant, bar, lobby area and meeting spaces. The hotel is also located close to many El Paso attractions such as the Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino, El Paso Zoo, El Paso Museum of Art and more.
The hotel features four recently upgraded meeting and event rooms, the largest of which is the 2,400-square-foot event center. Other notable venues include the Largo Room, the Rio Grande Ballroom and the Executive Boardroom.
[Related: Hotel Openings and Renovation Updates in South Carolina, Texas and Georgia]
Located in the downtown Riverwalk neighborhood in San Antonio, Texas, the InterContinental San Antonio Riverwalk is set to open in late Summer 2024, bringing more than 18,000 square feet of new meeting and event space to the destination. The property will be 21 stories and feature 390 guest rooms, 20 suites and new restaurants and bars. The hotel is located less than a mile away from the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center and will offer direct access to San Antonio’s public walkways and water taxis along the river.
The InterContinental San Antonio Riverwalk features 11 meeting and event rooms, 11,000 square feet of prefunction space and 18,000 square feet of meeting space. The largest venue, the Pecan Ballroom, features over 8,100 square feet of space and can accommodate groups of up to 812.
A Paws-itive Impact
The Amelia Island CVB recently partnered with the Nassau County Animal Services for three “Paws-itive Impact Unleashed” celebrations during which tourism and hospitality workers showcased dogs that were up for adoption in the area as part of the CVB’s efforts to highlight how to build and incorporate CSR components into meetings and events in the area. Three lucky pups were able to find homes thanks to the three events held.
But Florida isn’t the only area where dogs are making a paws-itive impact on the hospitality industry. The Fairmont Dallas hotel recently announced that Bondi, a 6-month-old puppy from a local Dallas-Fort Worth shelter, was appointed as chief happiness officer of the hotel. Fairmont Dallas is a pet-friendly hotel with experience hosting dogs and cats and is excited to add a “hotel dog” to its staff.
As chief happiness officer, Bondi will participate in the hotel’s various events and activities, engage in volunteer work for organizations around the area and bring joy to those throughout the hotel’s hallways and common spaces. Bondi is also available to be invited to corporate meetings or events held at the hotel.
Read this next: The Positives of Puppy Love at Events
