Smart Meetings

Headlines: June 2008

June 2008

Departments

San Francisco Meeting Treat
A high-tech, green-friendly meeting and event facility has just opened its doors in downtown San Francisco: The Bently Conference Center, in a plush setting of former legal offices. The sophisticated facility features seven board rooms and about 11,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, and is located in the city’s grand and historic Bently Reserve building. bentlyreserve.com

Hyatt, You’ll Like It
Not one but two new Hyatt properties are slated to open next year in Seattle. Hyatt at Olive 8, one block north of the existing Grand Hyatt, is set for a January launch with 346 guest rooms and 15,000 sq. ft. of meeting space. A new Hyatt Place is slated for a third-quarter 2009 opening in the South Lake Union district, with 1,582 sq. ft. of meeting space. hyatt.com

A Fin Time in Hawaii
Hilton Waikoloa Village on the Big Island has re-opened its Dolphin Quest Village, which includes new meeting space and a new baby dolphin, born in March. Free dolphin shows are being offered on the 20th of every month to celebrate the attraction’s 20th year. dolphinquest.org

What’s Not to Lake?
Lake Tahoe has been named the “No. 1 Travel Destination in the U.S.” by TripAdvisor’s 2008 Travelers’ Choice Destination Awards. The inaugural awards by the popular online travel group were dominated by Western locations, which made up nine of the top 10 U.S. destinations. tripadvisor.com

Excess Baggage
Luggage and sports-equipment delivery service company Sports Express LLC has acquired two previous competitors, Luggage Express and Virtual Bellhop. The acquisitions make Sports Express the biggest service provider in the luggage delivery arena, an increasingly important market with the additional checked-bag fees being implemented by many airlines. sportsexpress.com

Ballroom for Improvement
Work continues on the Santa Clara Convention Center’s new ballroom, with the completion date for the Silicon Valley facility now set for summer 2009. Upon finalization, the 22,400-square-foot facility will have the ability to hold functions in theater (2,700), classroom (1,119), banquet (1,250) or exhibit (111 booths) style. In addition, the ballroom will feature more than 5,000 sq. ft. of prefunction space. santaclara.org/conventioncenter

Golden Gate Makeovers
The Westin St. Francis has begun a $40-million makeover that includes the renovation of function space and the installation of flat-screen televisions in all 1,195 guest rooms. In addition the main lobby will be redone in its original open and airy style, and Chef Michael Mina will open the Clock Bar this summer. westinstfrancis.com
Parc 55 Hotel is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a continuing $30-million remodel comprising its 1,000+ guest rooms and suites, meeting space, lobby and club-level facilities. Meeting space will expand from approximately 21,000 sq. ft. to about 30,000 sq. ft., and all guest rooms are being equipped with flat-panel TVs and wireless and wired Internet access. parc55hotel.com

Environmental Elements
Starwood Hotels is breaking “green” ground with the announcement that its newest brand, ELEMENT, will require all its hotel properties to strive for the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED certification. The first ELEMENT hotel will launch this summer with more than 20 projected to open by the end of 2009. starwoodhotels.com

Mind Your Own Business Travel
Kiplinger.com, specializing in personal finance and business trends, has launched a new Business Travel Center that will help companies spend their travel money wisely. Topics range from air travel to negotiating better hotel rates to corporate travel policies. kiplinger.com/business/travel

Frequent Success
The “Freddies”—annual awards given for the best frequent traveler programs—are now in their 20th year and based upon the opinions of more than half-a-million travelers. Alaska and Southwest garnered six of the top eight airline awards, and Marriott Rewards won Program of the Year honors. freddieawards.com

Cancun Cabanas
Aqua Cancun, a recently launched resort on the Riviera Maya, showcases luxurious accommodations, three restaurants and 17 function rooms encompassing 16,500 sq. ft. of indoor meeting and banquet space. The resort also features an extensive spa, cabana selections throughout the property and red parrots that fly to you on call. fiestamericana.com/springsummeraqua

Breaking New Ground in Scottsdale
The Phoenician Resort in Scottsdale, Ariz. is breaking ground this month on a $70-million upgrade that includes the addition of a 42,000-square-foot conference center and a total redesign of the resort’s current interior. A ballroom—divisible into seven separate function areas—will make up 15,000 sq. ft. of the new conference facility, slated for an October 2009 opening. thephoenician.com
 
Mesa My Day
Renovations have been completed at Arizona’s Mesa Convention Center, with the entire 40,000-square-foot facility recarpeted, repainted and services revamped. The center is located on 22 acres of parkland and offers 19,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space and an additional 19,000 sq. ft. of flexible meeting space. mesaconventioncenter.com
Elsewhere in the city, a new Hyatt Place is slated to open its doors at the Mesa Riverview, a recently opened retail and tourism development. The new 150-room property—launching in 2009—will showcase guest rooms approximately 25 percent larger than typical rooms, walk-in showers, granite counters and 42-inch high-definition TVs. It will be the first Hyatt property in Mesa. hyatt.com

Preferential Treatment
Preferred Hotels & Resorts has added 18 new properties to its growing family of outstanding properties around the world. Among the western resorts included in the additions are the Montage Beverly Hills, the Setai San Diego and the Arizona Grand Resort in Phoenix. Business Travel News has reported that buyers rate Preferred Hotels as the best for “Deluxe” corporate travel programs. preferredhotelgroup.com