Caribbean
Located on the northwest coastline of Aruba, The St. Regis Aruba Resort is a new addition to Marriott International’s luxury portfolio that blends local Dutch-Caribbean culture with the St. Regis brand.
The property features 252 guest rooms, including 52 suites, along with six culinary experiences, including the rooftop restaurant Akira Back. The resort also offers two pools, a fitness center and The St. Regis Spa along with nearly 20,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space. Notable venues include the 9,600-square-foot Astor Ballroom, able to accommodate up to 720 attendees, and the 2,008-square-foot Caroline’s Terrace, able to accommodate up to 168.
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Mexico
Situated within a private resort community just north of Cancún, the newly opened Excellence Coral Playa Mujeres offers a unique all-inclusive experience to groups meeting in Mexico. The adults-only resort features seven pools, a fitness center, onsite spa and 16 dining options.
The property offers activities such as snorkeling, dance lessons, yoga, cooking classes, sailing and live music, and offers nearly 3,800 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space that can accommodate a wide variety of corporate events.
Texas
Grand Hyatt San Antonio River Walk underwent a nearly $9 million renovation project set to be completed in early spring. The project will enhance the hotel’s lobby and public spaces and result in the debut of the new Moda Fare and Spoonful Provisions dining concepts as well as Tejas Lounge.
The property also has over 50,000 square feet of meeting and event spaces, the largest being the 31,000-square-foot Texas Ballroom able to accommodate up to 3,158 attendees. Other notable venues include the 21,000-square-foot Lonestar Ballroom and the 6,500-square-foot outdoor Terrace on 5th.
[Related: Meetings Today LIVE! Visits San Antonio for National Event]
Nestled along the heart of Galveston’s Seawall, The Hilton Galveston Island Resort completed a multimillion-dollar renovation to its guest rooms, dining options, pool deck, fitness center and meeting spaces. The 241 guest rooms now sport new furniture, lighting, vanities, tile flooring and walk-in showers, and the expanded lobby bar can now accommodate up to 60 people.
The resort features over 66,000 square feet of meeting space across 10 venues. The largest of these spaces is the 43,200-square-foot Exhibit Hall, able to accommodate up to 4,700 attendees, while spaces like the Grand Ballroom and Crystal Ballroom are able to accommodate up to 1,660 and 320 attendees, respectively.
Located downtown in the 2nd Street District, the W Austin is a newly renovated hotel that offers a unique hospitality experience within the Live Music Capital of the World. The property has 251 fully redesigned guest rooms and 32 suites, as well as new F&B experiences like the Serenade American Brasserie restaurant and 2nd & Roast coffee shop.
The hotel also features over 10,000 square feet of total meeting and event space across seven venues, the largest of which is able to accommodate up to 400 attendees. W Austin also offers sustainable meeting services, sensory setups and custom menu options.
[Related: These Group Offsites and Activities Can Only Be Experienced in Austin, Texas]
A Grand Ole Expansion
One of the largest convention properties in the country, Nashville’s Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, launched a $131 million expansion project that will add approximately 108,000 square feet of meeting space to the property.
Opened in 1977 and located close to Nashville attractions such as the Grand Ole Opry and Ryman Auditorium, the expansion solidifies the property’s status as the largest non-gaming hotel by exhibit and meeting space in the U.S.
The expansion is the latest in a multi-phase property improvement plan for the Gaylord Opryland. Other announced projects include:
- A $17 million transformation of the Governor’s Ballroom and prefunction space, to be completed early 2025.
- A $36 million renovation and reconfiguration of the Presidential Ballroom and prefunction space targeted for completion in mid-2025.
- A new $40 million, 550-seat sports bar, 6,200-square-foot outdoor event lawn and 3,000-square-foot pavilion, scheduled for completion in late 2025.
The entire project is slated for completion in spring 2027 and will include a new 31,000-square-foot ballroom, approximately 38,000 square feet of breakout space and 39,000 square feet of prefunction space. Once complete, the expansion will bring Gaylord Opryland’s total meeting space to approximately 756,000 square feet, marking 260 square feet of meeting space per hotel guest room.
