Convention Hotel

Today the new Sheraton Puerto Rico Convention Center Hotel & Casino will opens its doors! Conveniently located next to the Puerto Rico Convention Center, the 503-room property will boast 35,000 square feet of meeting space, a sizeable supplement to the convention center's 580,000 square feet of space. Additionally, the Puerto Rican hotel features 57,000 square feet of outdoor event space at its pool deck, which has panoramic views of San Juan Bay and multiple pools.

The hotel will be the first new full-service hotel and casino built in San Juan in over 10 years. It's also part of the brand's $6 billion worldwide, multiyear revitalization program.

"Sheraton Puerto Rico will be one of our brand’s signature properties and we are eagerly anticipating its opening," Hoyt Harper, senior vice president for Sheraton Hotels and Resorts, said in a statement. "This property will reflect the new, superior level of amenities, offerings and services of the Sheraton brand and I’m confident both business and leisure guests will be impressed."

Other amenities at the urban resort are three fine dining restaurants, a 7,000-square-foot spa, 24-hour fitness center, over 70,000 square feet of retail space, and a 20,000-square-foot casino—the largest in Puerto Rico.

View more information about Sheraton Puerto Rico Convention Center Hotel & Casino on the Cvent Supplier Network

Atlanta is the new-found melting pot of the south. From the fettuccine alfredo of Italy to the sushi and sashimi of Japan, the Atlanta dining scene has appetizing cuisine for all tastes. For your next event, step outside the norm and sample the international flavors of Atlanta.

Host your Atlanta meeting at the Omni Hotel at the CNN Center, a popular Atlanta convention hotel. Here, you can choose a savory entree from the international menu of the hotel's Prime Meridian restaurant. Where else can you find Louisiana gumbo, teriyaki seared Salmon and goat cheese brie alfredo all on the same menu? Offering a sumptuous meal overlooking the Centennial Olympic Park grounds, this downtown Atlanta restaurant is the perfect location for awesome views and scrumptious meals.

For a true international getaway, head over to the Buckhead Life Restaurant Group's Kyma Restaurant. This contemporary Greek restaurant captures the essence of Mediterranean living with its oceanic blue accents, grand white pillars and the authentic Greek cuisine. The menu is a decadent array of regional delicacies including Greek yogurt, stuffed grapevine leaves and even special vegan/vegetarian dishes.

Semi-private dining is available at Kyma for up to 50 guests.

Chicago is known as the city to accommodate most large meetings and events for associations and corporations. In fact, the meetings industry brings thousands of guests to Chicago for annual events and product launches every year. With McCormick Place listed as the nation's top facility for meetings and conventions, Chicago has built the resources to accommodate these groups with some of the best brands of hotels in the world.

These large hotels are now not only housing guests who attend these meetings, but also hosting them in their own top-notch Chicago meeting facilities. Check out some of the premier hotels in Chicago that have meeting space to welcome thousands of convention guests:

Hyatt Regency Chicago

In addition to being the on-site hotel brand stationed at Chicago's convention center, Hyatt Regency is no stranger to large meetings of its own. With 228,000 square feet of contemporary and flexible function space, Hyatt is equipped much like any other large convention center. The Hyatt is home to four ballrooms, 63 meeting rooms and 70,000 square feet of exhibition space.

This Chicago hotel's impeccable service is monitored by a Meeting Concierge. This friendly aide is by your side from start to finish, ensuring that everything runs flawlessly.

Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers

The Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers has over 120,000 square feet of meeting space. This property can host up to 4,600 people for an event or conference. With four above-ground levels of meeting space, 34 breakout meeting rooms, and a 40,000-square-foot ballroom—standing as the largest hotel ballroom in the Midwest—the Sheraton Chicago has all of the amenities to host large groups.

Situated  the heart of downtown Chicago, the Sheraton is near the city's most popular attractions, making it easy for guests to venture out and explore the city. From their 35,000 square feet of exhibition space to their convention registration area, the Sheraton Chicago is sure to cater to your every need!

To find out more about Chicago convention hotels, please visit the Cvent Supplier Network.

Back in July we blogged about big changes coming to downtown Indianapolis, including the construction of a new JW Marriott hotel that will be the brand's largest property in the world. Set to open in 2011, event planners can now get a first look at the 1,005-room property at the JW Indy website.

At 34 stories, the new Indianapolis hotel will be connected via skybridge to the newly expanded Indiana Convention Center and will be just minutes from the newly constructed $1 billion Indianapolis International Airport. The hotel will also offer 104,000 square feet of its own meeting, banquet and exhibit space, including 23,000 square feet of breakout space and the 40,500-square-foot Grand Ballroom, the largest ballroom in the Midwest.

Expecting to change the face of Indianapolis, the convention hotel will join the four other Marriott hotels of the Marriott Place Indianapolis complex, which will offer a total of 145,000 square feet of meeting space.

Outside of the boardroom, overnight meeting guests will enjoy 37-inch high-definition LG plasma-screen televisions, well-lit, spacious work stations and high-speed Internet access in its amenity-laden rooms. The hotel will also have three different dining options: High Velocity, a high-tech sports bar; Tuscan Bistro, for fine Italian dining; and a gourmet, European-style coffee bar.

Planners interested in booking the JW Marriott Indy can take advantage of its special Indianapolis meeting promotion. Submit and RFP and receive a special pre-opening offer. Or, submit an RFP for 500 or more rooms for 2011 or 2012 and receive a complimentary site visit.

Visit the hotel website to learn more about the offer, and check out the JW Marriott Indianapolis Downtown on the Cvent Supplier Network today!

The lively city of Miami is about to shake things up. The Miami Downtown Development Authority recently approved the 2025 Downtown Miami Master Plan, designed to transform the area into the "Epicenter of the Americas."

Plans include the development of its convention center, facilitating waterway and road transport, and assimilating its waterfront into burgeoning districts, according to the South Florida Business Journal. Among the other main goals of the district are to leverage the city’s beautiful and iconic tropical waterfront; elevate downtown’s grand boulevards to prominence; and create great streets and community spaces throughout the district.

The Miami Convention Center was last updated in 1989. Though it opened as the nation's fourth-largest center in the 1950s, it is now the 28th largest. According to Miami Today, a recent convention center study has suggested that expanded exhibit space, a ballroom, 25,000 square feet of new meeting space, an alternative outdoor rooftop venue, and another convention center hotel be added to the center.

The Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center near Washington DC is the largest hotel and convention center on the Eastern Seaboard. It has over 470,000 square feet of flexible meeting room space including a 180,000 square foot exhibition hall. Located on the National Harbor, this DC luxury hotel has stunning views of the Potomac River and an incredible 18-story glass atrium.

One of the many luxuries that the Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center offers is a “Hotel within a Hotel” program. The program is perfect for all your events in Washington DC because it provides exclusive meeting environments for executive meetings. Guests of executive meetings can stay in the National Bay, which is a collection of 300 upgraded guest rooms with direct elevator access from guestrooms to dedicated meeting space. There is also a dedicated Meeting Manager assigned to each executive meeting to cover all aspects of the planning process. 65,000 square feet of outdoor event space, including a full-service pier and marina.

View more information about the Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center on the Cvent Supplier Network.

More news on the Nashville convention hotel project. According to The Tennessean, financing for the $300 million, Marriott property may need public financing, eliciting concerns some local hotel owners.

"That would be a major, major sea change from the market for private lodging properties right now," Mark Bloom, senior vice president for tax-free bonds with UBS Financial Services, Inc., and a minority owner of the Hilton Downtown Nashville, told the paper.

Though private financing is ideal, it may not be possible for such a large project to find private funding in today's marketplace. Nashville would pay off the debt on a publicly-financed hotel using revenue from the hotel itself.

Though some are concerned that a government-owned hotel could drive down room rates with no repercussions, Walt Baker, CEO of the Tennessee Hospitality Association, said Marriott would have control over sales.

"We wouldn't want to get into a pricing war with Metro [Council]," Baker told The Tennessean. "It doesn't matter as long as the management is independent and has control over pricing."

Blues festivals, auto shows, wine tastings, NCA championships, high school graduations...the list goes on and on. Where am I? The Dallas Convention Center of course.

This massive facility has been a staple in the heart of downtown Dallas since its construction in 1957. Over the years, it has been home to professional sports teams, annual cheerleading competitions and auto shows, in addition to hosting Texas-sized events such as the Texas Bridal Show (the end all, be all of Texas Bridal shows!) and the annual Mary Kay convention.

The convention center itself is over two million square feet and boasts more than one million square feet of exhibit space and a 203,000-square-foot, column-free space, making it an attractive spot for concerts, large-scale conferences, and sporting events. The complex also has a 1,740-person theater, more than 100 meeting rooms, two gigantic Dallas ballrooms, and what is rumored to be the world’s largest heliport. Pretty impressive!

With the impending addition of the 1,000-room convention center hotel, run by Irving-based Omni Hotels, the center's "hot" factor is set to skyrocket when hotel doors open in 2012. After all, the Dallas hotel's plans for connecting atriums and walkways will allow for better access to events, dining, and nightlife in the immediate area.

View more information about the Dallas Convention Center on the Cvent Supplier Network

Sarah recently wrote a post about the trend for big hotel chains going green, and properties like the Intercontinental Chicago O’Hare are following suit. Hotels in Chicago and nationwide are focusing more and more on the environmental impact of their facilities and increasingly offering Green meetings options.

Open for business since last September, the Intercontinental Chicago O’Hare is approaching its one-year anniversary as an eco-savvy, luxury hotel in Chicago. The property utilizes 100% renewable energy credits from wind, features a green roof, recycles all materials used throughout its hotel and convention area, and helps businesses and organizations support sustainability with its “Green Meetings” program.

As part of the “Green Meetings” program, meeting planners have the ability to choose from a selection of organic and sustainable local meals, recycled paper and pencils, LCD projectors and screens, biodegradable water bottles, biodegradable centerpieces, and other amenities. In a previous post on the Cvent blog, we outlined the benefits of using Green Meetings programs like the one at this Chicago event venue.  For one, these programs help reduce overall costs of your meetings; they give you increased reputational effects for being environmentally conscious; and, finally, they are more likely to boost attendance and employee retention at your company.  You can learn more tips on “greening” your meeting space, as well, on the Cvent Meetings & Events blog.
 
If environmental-friendliness is a hot-button issue for your next event, consider the Intercontinental Chicago O’Hare.  This Chicago Airport Hotel is less than 5 minutes from the O'Hare International Airport, making it easy for guests to get to and from your event; and, with over 53,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, the hotel has a meeting room for any occasion.

View more information about the Intercontinental Chicago O’Hare on the Cvent Supplier Network

First, a quick update about the new Washington, DC hotel. DC Mayor Adrian Fenty has signed legislation to provide $206 million in financing for the 1,160-room Marriott Marquis hotel, which will be built right across from the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

The city and the Washington Convention Center Authority will also provide $2 million for apprenticeship programs, while developers will contribute $331 million to the $537 million project. Construction is expected to begin in the fall.

Meanwhile, in Dallas, the city has received buyer commitments for all $479.8 million in revenue bonds offered to investors. These bonds will cover the purchase of the property and the development and construction of the hotel, a 1,016-room Omni property.

Sales will close in about two weeks, with construction on the Dallas hotel expected to begin in the beginning of September.

Back in April, I blogged about the trend of group room rates rising above transient rates. At that time, Smith Travel Research reported that it saw group room rates as more expensive than transient rooms in five major markets—Orlando, New York City, Chicago, Atlanta, and Phoenix. Now, STR is reporting that, for the first time since it starting reporting on group market data in 2002, the average daily rate (ADR) for groups is higher than the transient rate in all of the top 25 markets.

As hotels struggle to attract leisure travelers, the ADR for transients has dropped 16 percent through June, as compared to the first half of 2008, to $150. Meanwhile, the ADR for groups in the top 25 markets is $154, down four percent from the first half of 2008, according to STR.

Interestingly, this upside-down structure is not new to all the cities studied by Smith Travel. The annual average transient rate in Orlando, for example, has been lower than the average group rate since at least 2005, reported Orlando Sentinel. The reasoning behind its rates is unclear, but Alan Villaverde, general manger of the 891-room Peabody Orlando hotel, told the newspaper that one factor may be the city's heavy dependence on vacation travelers, a "very price-sensitive segment."

Whatever the logic behind the trend, it certainly seems to leave meeting planners at a disadvantage. Many are dealing with group rates that were negotiated years ago, or will face attrition fees if attendees try to book cheaper rooms outside of the group block.

However, David Brudney, president of hospitality marketing consultant David Brudney and Associates, told MeetingsNet that hotels are likely to be flexible with group rates.

"If you looked at this six months from now, the rates would be more closely aligned because of all the renegotiation and threats of cancellation," he said. Additionally, it's easier to negotiate on other items, such as meeting rooms and preferred tee times.

Villaverde agreed that hotels will adapt rates on a case-by-case basis.

"You'll find us offering discounted rates around that group," Villaverde told Orlando Sentinel. "Most convention hotels have that same philosophy."

It's official: Washington, DC will get a new convention hotel. The DC Council passed legislation to provide $206 million in public financing, plus $2 million for a related training program, for the 1,167-room Marriott across from the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, according to the Washington Business Journal.

I first blogged about the new convention hotel in DC in June, when DC city officials were considering issuing up to $750 million in bonds to build the hotel. Under this agreement, DC and the Washington Convention Center Authority will contribute the $206 million, plus $2 million for apprenticeship programs, while developers contribute $331 million in debt and equity.

"We went from a 100 percent publicly financed hotel to a deal that requires the developer to fund the majority of the costs," said DC Councilman Kwame Brown, in a statement. "While it’s not the ideal result, in these tough economic times we can now look forward to revitalizing the Shaw neighborhood and putting District residents to work."

Upon receiving DC Mayor Adrian Fenty's signature on the bill, construction on the hotel is expected to begin in the fall.

The face of downtown Indianapolis is quickly changing. The new 1,005-room JW Marriott, currently under construction as part of the $450 million hotel center Marriott Place, has reached the halfway mark, according to Indy Star. Working at a rate of about one story every 10 days, the new 34-story glass tower could be complete by the end of 2009 or early 2010. It is currently scheduled to open February 2011.

Also included in the Marriott Place project are three other hotels: the 297-room Courtyard by Marriott Indianapolis Downtown and the 156-room SpringHill Suites by Marriott Indianapolis downtown, both of which completed exterior construction last week, as well as the 168-room Fairfield Inn & Suites Indianapolis Downtown, scheduled to open in March 2010. Altogether, the hotels will bring 1,626 new rooms to downtown Indianapolis.

In addition to improved accommodations, the revitalized downtown area will feature an expanded convention center. The $275 million expansion of the Indiana Convention Center will create an additional 420,000 square feet of exhibit, meeting and registration space upon its scheduled completion in December 2010.

This expansion will push Indianapolis to number 16 among U.S. convention cities, according to Constructor magazine. It is currently number 33. Interestingly, Indianapolis will also rank number 1 when it comes to skywalks in U.S. cities, once the new hotels' join those of the eight existing hotels linking to the convention center.

View more information about JW Marriott Indianapolis Downtown on the Cvent Supplier Network

The Lancaster County Convention Center and Lancaster Marriott at Penn Square are now welcoming events, conferences, tradeshows and more in the heart of Pennsylvania's countryside. Opened last week, the $177 million project features a Beaux Arts facade of the former Watt & Shand Department Store.

Combined, the hotel and convention center offer 90,000 square feet of meeting space, including a 45,000-square-foot exhibition hall. The center also has two grand ballrooms and several meeting and board rooms.

An additional 15,000 square feet of meeting space can be found at the Marriott, as well as 299 guest rooms.

View more information about the Lancaster County Convention Center on the Cvent Supplier Network

Rosen Hotels & Resorts is celebrating its 35th anniversary with a nod to its roots. Florida's largest independent hotelier is bringing back the cocktail napkin contract of the old days, offering planners a virtual napkin contract form on which they can propose their own nightly rate.

"After 35 years in business, I still believe in the integrity of a handshake and the honor of a person's word," said Harris Rosen, President & COO of Rosen Hotels & Resorts, in a statement. "While our tremendous growth over the years has made it necessary to formalize our business practices in some ways, in spirit, we've never strayed from our old-fashioned values. That's why I'm excited to bring back the concept of 'cocktail napkin contracts' to celebrate our roots and demonstrate our continued sense of trust and goodwill to our meetings clients."

The simple virtual form requests a name, phone number, date of travel, group size and proposed rate. Rosen Hotels will make every effort to honor reasonable rate proposals, which are subject to availability and certain blackout dates. The offer is not valid for previously booked groups or in conjunction with other discounts.

Rosen Hotels & Resorts encompasses seven meeting, convention and vacation hotels near major Orlando attractions. Its three award-winning convention properties, Rosen Plaza, Rosen Centre and Rosen Shingle Creek, offer the most rooms and meeting space and the closest proximity to the Orange County Convention Center as compared to any Orlando convention hotels.

Learn more about Rosen Hotels' 35th anniversary promotion.

The city of Nashville and its Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency is wasting no time on getting started the new downtown Music City Center. The agency recently selected Colorado-based Phelps Development and Atlanta-based Portman Holdings as the development team for the center's 1,000-room convention hotel, according to the Nashville Business Journal.

Located adjacent to the Music City Center convention center, the 40-story hotel will be downtown's largest. The $300 million property will boast a curved design and feature glass ceilings in the entryway. It will also have 100,000 square feet of meeting space, ballrooms, restaurants and retail.

The hotel is expected to open by 2013. The convention center already has two large associations booked beginning in 2013: the American Choral Directors Association and the American Trucking Association.

Construction on the Marriott convention hotel in Washington DC, to be built adjacent to the DC convention center, could begin as early as this fall if a deal between city officials and a pair of developers goes through. Pending approval of the D.C. Council, the agreement would have the city and the Washington Convention Center Authority to spend an additional $80 million on the hotel and an adjoining garage, according to The Washington Post.

This amount comes in addition to the $187 million it had already pledged to spend. The remaining cost would be acquired from private financing secured by Quadrangle Development and Capstone Development along with ING.

Getting financing for the hotel was a matter of debate when I first blogged about the convention hotel in early June. At the time, DC city officials were considering issuing as much as $750 million in bonds to build the hotel, despite the city's $800 million deficit.

Additionally, concerns arose after the Washington Business Journal published a story saying that some development projects, such as the Skyland Shopping Center, Arena Stage, and Southwest waterfront, could be scrapped in order to pay for the hotel.

A vote on the funding plan should occur next month.

Last month the city of Dallas voted "Yes" on the new 1,016-room Omni Dallas Convention Center hotel. Now, the Dallas City Council has approved an ordinance to authorize the sale of $514 million in Dallas Convention Center Revenue bonds to secure financing for the hotel, set to open in 2012.

Mayor Tom Leppert, a major proponent of the hotel project, said the vote was the right move, as he expects an upturn in the economy, according to The Dallas Morning News.

"This hotel is not going to be in place for several years, and we believe we are going to be able to capture that upturn," he said.

As of now, the Dallas Convention and Visitors Bureau reports that 172,000 tentative room night bookings are scheduled at the hotel in coming years.

The Dallas hotel will feature over 80,000 square feet of meeting space.

Developers for a 1,000-key convention center hotel in downtown Nashville have revealed their plans for the project, which will be adjacent to the planned Music City Center. The rooms would be housed in a 40-story tower that features a curved design, meant to complement the wave-like architecture of the Country Music Hall of Fame and the rounded motif of the Sommet Center. Hotel amenities would include an entry with glass ceilings and 100,000 square feet of meeting space, restaurants, and retail, according to the Nashville Business Journal.

Cvent lists over 305 Hotels and Unique Venues in Nashville on the Cvent Supplier Network

Also, for more information on Nashville please visit the city pages on the Cvent Destination Guide

We recently did a venue spotlight on the Gaylord Opryland Hotel & Convention Center. With over 2,000 guest rooms, 600,000 square feet of meeting space, and a wealth of top-notch amenities, it's a great option for hosting your Nashville events.

Today I came across another way in which Gaylord is making your events unique. In my Meetings & Conventions Hot Idea of the Day newsletter, I read that the resort will hire a local singer/songwriter to write a song about your group, usually drawing the music from a popular and familiar tune. The singer will then perform it for your attendees!

It costs about $600 for the service and requires two days' lead time. Your budget may be tight these days, but thanks to Gaylord's Total Meeting Pricing promotion, you might just be able to fit in this extra. And just think of the impression it will make on your attendees!

Read more about the Gaylord Opryland on the Cvent Supplier Network