News
Hard Rock Expansion Ready t...
Morgans Hotel Group Co. announced that it has garnered additional construction financing of $620 million to support a $760-million expansion of its Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. When the expansion is finalized—with a targeted time-frame of mid-2009—the property will have an additional 875 guest rooms inside two new towers, a second spa, and an extra 60,000 sq. ft. of meeting space. The 11-story hotel set on about 17 acres of the Harmon Avenue corridor currently comprises a 30,000-square-foot casino, 648 guest rooms, five restaurants, a spacious spa, and about 60,000 sq. ft. of indoor/outdoor event space. morganshotelgroup.com
Not-so-friendly Skies?
United Airlines and US Airways have echoed American Airlines’ $15 first-checked-bag fee. United will also charge $25 for a second checked-bag and US Airways announced it would begin charging passengers $2 for previously free non-alcoholic beverages, and would raise the cost of alcoholic drinks from $5 to $7. Additionally, US Airways will begin charging a processing fee (ranging from $25 to $50) on any frequent-flier redemption “award” tickets obtained on or after August 6.united.com; usairways.com
Pleasant Grove Progress
Developer John Q. Hammons announced that two new hotel properties are expected to be added to the mix in Utah Valley’s Embassy Suites Hotel/Convention Center project expected to open in late 2009. The brands of the two additional lodgings are expected to be announced later this year. The Embassy Suites Hotel will showcase 330 suites, and the development—located about a half-hour’s drive from Salt Lake City International Airport in Pleasant Grove—will initially offer more than 100,000 sq. ft. of meeting and event space. jqhhotels.com
Victoria’s No Longer a Secret
United Airlines has begun new direct daily service between San Francisco International Airport and Victoria, B.C. The new service is handled by United Express and operated by Skywest Airlines; the flight from SFO to Victoria leaves at 9:05 a.m. and the return flight departs Victoria for SFO at 11:55 a.m., with flights taking about two hours. Groups who book 25 or more flights to the same destination will receive a 15 percent discount on their airfare. In September, WestJet will launch seasonal non-stop direct service between Las Vegas and Victoria. united.com; westjet.com
SMARTER EDGE - Balanzza.com
Excess baggage no longer needs to be a worry with the new digital luggage scale known as Balanzza. Easy to use, travelers simply attach the scale’s sturdy strap to their luggage and lift until they hear a beeping sound—then set their luggage down and check the display. With airlines adding increased overweight luggage fees, the item is more useful than ever, and at just 10 oz. it’s easy to take on the road. balanzza.com
iMacs for the Masses in Las...
The Fontainebleau Las Vegas, slated to open in fall 2009, has reached an agreement with Apple to offer an iMac in all 3,889 guest rooms. The $2.9-billion Fontainebleau is located on the north end of The Strip at the corner of Las Vegas and Riviera Boulevards. It will include 300,000 sq. ft. of conference and event space and a 100,000-square-foot casino. Fontainebleau.com
Royal Improvements in Hawaii
The historic Royal Hawaiian Hotel on Waikiki Beach in Oahu is undergoing a $50-million facelift that shutters the hotel until January 2009. This is the 81-year-old resort’s first closing since serving as Navy housing following the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. royal-hawaiian.com
Arizona Expansion
The Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa has broken ground on an expansion of its meeting and event space due for completion in June 2009. The project will add more than 35,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, including a 15,000-square-foot ballroom and 8,884-square-foot foyer. Located on the Gila River Indian Community, the resort comprises 500 guest rooms and a 17,500-square-foot spa. wildhorsepassresort.com
Smarter Edge - TaxiWiz.com
The TaxiWiz calculator, currently available for 21 cities—including San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle and Boise—lets you know the approximate fare by plugging in the starting and ending addresses. If you’re taken with taxis but don’t want to get taken by taxis, this could be the perfect tool to use on your mobile device or laptop. taxiwiz.com
CityCenter Unveils ARIA Cas...
MGM Mirage has announced that the much-anticipated name of their massive new casino resort property anchoring CityCenter will be ARIA. The resort is slated to open in late 2009 and will include 4,004 guest rooms, 300,000 sq. ft. of meeting and convention space, and 38 meeting rooms. citycenter.com
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