Smart Meetings

Headlines: March 2008

March 2008

Departments

Luxury in the Desert
Groundbreaking for the new Fairmont Avanterra, Palm Desert will begin in 2009 in Southern California. The $200-million project will feature 300 rooms and 26,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, including a 7,000-square-foot ballroom. Planned to be situated near the Classic Club golf course, the hotel will also offer a 45,000-square-foot Willow Stream Spa. Completion of the luxury resort is slated for 2011. fairmont.com

Upgrades in Oahu
The Royal Hawaiian plans to close for renovations on June 1 to include a “tower within a tower” hotel concept as well as adding spa suites. The hotel is set to reopen in late 2008. royal-hawaiian.com

The Kahala Hotel & Resort finished its first phase of construction with upgrades to its guest rooms and suites, including high-speed wireless Internet access, new furnishings, windows and carpeting. The resort has 12,760 sq. ft. of function space. kahalaresort.com

Only a short walk from the beach, you’ll find the OHANA Waikiki Beachcomber. All 495 guest rooms received new furnishings, flat-screen televisions, new carpeting, artwork and updated bathrooms. Later this year, renovations will begin in the hotel’s lobby and Hibiscus Café restaurant. ohanahotels.com

More Lodging Near SLC
To be located just minutes from downtown Salt Lake City, a new 125-suite Cambria Suites hotel is planned for the city of South Jordan. Complimentary high-speed wireless Internet access will be offered throughout the property, including the 1,000 sq. ft. of meeting space. Guests can look forward to its indoor pool, spa and top-of-the-line fitness center. choicehotels.com

Flight News
Southwest Airlines plans to test high-speed Internet capabilities on four aircraft beginning this summer via a satellite-delivered broadband connection. This will allow customers with Wi-Fi-enabled devices to check their e-mail, shop online or listen to music during flight. The airline plans to provide the highest bandwidth available on commercial flights. southwest.com
 
Travelers going from Northern California to Las Vegas will soon have more options on Horizon Air. Starting April 24, the Charles M. Schulz-Sonoma County Airport will offer new daily nonstop flights from Santa Rosa to Las Vegas. On April 6, Horizon adds a second seasonal flight to Seattle. sonomacountyairport.org

For busy travelers using mobile phones to access airline information, American Airlines has made the Internet process a little easier—with a website geared to the PDA-user. AA.com offers full HTML versions as well as information “designed for greater ease and quicker access for the mobile user.” Users can check flight status, check-in information, weather and more. The option to book and upgrade flights is soon to follow. aa.com

Easier Registration
Group booking capabilities at Fairmont Hotels & Resorts have become more consistent and reliable for meeting planners through the popular online reservation solution called Passkey. By the end of this month, Fairmont aims to have Passkey available in 50 properties nationwide, which means planners and attendees can keep better track of who’s showing up to the meeting and how many rooms will be needed. fairmont.com

Wrapped in Gold
The newest hotel of the Trump Hotel Collection will open at the end of this month in Las Vegas, adjacent to the Fashion Show Mall. Leave it to Donald Trump to produce a hotel that is encased in 24-karat gold glass. The striking 64-story tower offers 1,282 suites and 2,400 sq. ft. of meeting space, including a 600-square-foot Trump Board Room. There is also a 1,000-square-foot spa with nine luxurious treatment rooms. trumplv.com

New Marriott in L.A.
A new hotel brand is emerging from a collaboration between Bill Marriott and Ian Schrager called “Edition.” Two hotels are planned for Los Angeles (one in Downtown, one in Hollywood) and another in Scottsdale, Ariz. The hotels will offer between 150 to 200 guest rooms, on average; plans for meeting space have not yet been determined. The first nine properties are set to open in 2010. marriott.com