Meetings & Incentives Blog

Designed as a creative campus for the film, TV and commercial production industry, Studio Center offers various-sized areas.

In October, the Kimpton Fitzroy London became the newest Kimpton/IHG boutique offering.

Lodging Econometrics released a list of the cities with the largest hotel construction plans for the third quarter of 2018.

Resort will stay open during renovation beginning in April 2019.

Opening in December 2018, the hotel will be the largest in Washington state.

Winter meetings and incentive trips are a great opportunity for those who love downhill and cross-country skiing to combine work and play. Below are four luxury properties that cater to groups:

Located on a barrier island on the East Coast, north of Jacksonville Florida, The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island offers 446 guestrooms, including 37 club rooms and 50 suites. Amenities include spa, private championship golf, fitness, pools and five on-site restaurants. The resort features 48,000 square feet of meeting space, including seven oceanfront and outdoor spaces and 10 breakout rooms (ranging from 264 square feet to 1,664 square feet).

Four Seasons has strengthened its presence in Southeast Asia with its first urban property in Malaysia.

The opening of a second tower this fall will add 245 ocean-facing, residential-like accommodations, as well as additional meeting space and guest amenities.

The former Dolce Norwalk conference center in Connecticut is undergoing renovations, a full refresh and new name as part of its rebranding.

Renovations are complete at this Southern California retreat, offering great views and numerous meeting spaces.

Expected to open in early 2020, it would be the largest waterfront resort of its type in Florida.

Anchoring The Battery development in Atlanta, Omni Resorts introduced their new hotel in January 2018.

Located in the heart of Chengdu, China, this luxury property is an ideal getaway for business groups.

The Meritage’s higher-end sister property in Napa Valley, California, is ready to offer unique and luxury experiences to incentive and meetings groups.

Opening in November, the new event space offers a cliff-top setting at a luxury Cabo resort on the Baja Peninsula.

With its rich history and luxury accommodations in San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter, Marriott’s THE US GRANT hotel will help any meeting or event leave a long-lasting impression.

Located on historic Front Street in Maui, this loft provides harbor views and a brand-new space perfect for small incentive groups.

Wynn Resorts Holdings is making its East Coast debut with the Encore Boston Harbor hotel and casino.

The Grand Hyatt Athens hotel will be a brand first in the country, and the first Hyatt hotel in the Greek capital.

La Cantera Resort & Spa offers a wide variety of options for meeting attendees and guests at their San Antonio getaway.

Hawaii’s former Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel’s $46 million renovation has been completed, and it has reopened as The Westin Hapuna Beach Resort.

The Camby Hotel, one of Scottsdale’s newest boutique hotels, offers a wide variety of meeting and event spaces that stand out from the rest.

Opening in March 2019, the Conrad Washington, DC offers contemporary aesthetics and luxury details in the nation’s capital.

The only luxury grand hotel on Paris’ Left Bank reopened on July 12 following a complete closure and renovation.

The former Fess Parker Hotel, a Doubletree by Hilton resort in Santa Barbara, California, is now complete and taking reservations.

With an anticipated opening in 2020, the W Nashville will feature modern design matched with Nashville’s musical legacy.

This new offering from W Hotels features 346 guestrooms, including 50 suites. Of two presidential suites (the W-branded Extreme WOW Suites), one will be a 1,660-square-foot penthouse. For events, the hotel offers 13,500 square feet of flexible meeting space (not vehicle accessible), including a 3,600-square-foot event terrace. The hotel is located in the Gulch neighborhood and is less than 15 minutes from Nashville International Airport.

Opening in September 2018, the InterContinental San Diego brings a new level of luxury to the San Diego waterfront.

InterContinental San Diego will feature 95,000 square feet of meeting space, including the 12,000-square-foot Pacific Ballroom, which features stunning downtown views (not vehicle accessible). The hotel is adjacent to and has exclusive rights to Lane Field, with 50,000 square feet of outdoor space. Guest accommodations – 400 rooms and 24 panoramic suites – keep visitors within walking distance of many iconic San Diego hot spots.

The Las Vegas Strip hotel will be the brand’s first property in the Las Vegas market.

Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts will invest $50 million to convert the 392-room Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas to the Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas in August 2018. Hilton’s luxurious brand improvements will include new dining concepts, a 23rd-floor bar and spa retreats. The current hotel has 12,000 square feet of meeting space.

The Mauna Lani Bay Hotel will undergo extensive redesign to reopen under Auberge Resorts Collection banner.

Encompassing 32 oceanfront acres, the 300-room hotel will reopen in late 2019 after undergoing a $100 million renovation. The redesign will include adding new oceanfront suites, and turning existing bungalows into ultra-luxury getaways. The resort will also feature a 5,000-square-foot fitness facility and spa with a garden, trainers and classes. Plans call for three large outdoor venues and two indoor options (square footage TBD).

The five-star resort will break ground on Mexican beach-front property in early 2019.

Caesars Entertainment Corporation and Mexican developer Grupo Questro plan to build a five-star resort along the coast of Puerto Los Cabos, Mexico. The luxury resort will include 500 rooms and suites, a 25,000-square-foot full-service spa, two signature golf courses and three restaurants. Meeting space will include a 40,000-square-foot convention center and an entertainment venue (vehicle accessibility TBD).

Beginning December 22, 2018, new flights will carry 160 passengers directly into Aruba.

American Airlines is now offering direct flights to Aruba from Dallas and Chicago. The Saturday flights will arrive into Aruba’s Queen Beatrix International Airport from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and O’Hare International Airport.

Located on the bustling Syngrou Avenue in Athens, Greece, the new Marriott hotel opened its doors to guests in spring 2018 after renovating the former Metropolitan Athens.

The four-star Sandestin Hotel and Conference Center will offer 250 rooms, a restaurant, a rooftop pool and bar, a luxury spa and a fitness facility. Groups will enjoy over 20,000 square feet of meeting space, including a 13,000-square-foot ballroom (vehicle accessibility TBD). The adjacent, existing Baytowne Conference Center already offers 30,000 square feet of space and will allow the new Sandestin resort to provide additional rooms for larger groups. The project is being developed by Sandestin Investments, owners of the Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort where this new hotel will be located.

The five-star resort will break ground on Mexican beachfront property in early 2019.

Caesars Entertainment Corporation announced plans to expand its brand into the coastal region of Puerto Los Cabos in Baja, Mexico. The luxury resort will feature 500 rooms and suites, a 25,000-square-foot full-service spa, two signature golf courses and three restaurants. Meeting space will include a 40,000-square-foot convention center and an entertainment venue (vehicle accessibility TBD).

Opening in fall of 2018, the boutique hotel offers a new lifestyle concept created by Detroit’s luxury watchmaker, Shinola.

The Shinola Hotel, located on Woodward Avenue in downtown Detroit, will feature 130 Detroit- inspired rooms on eight floors. An innovative food-and-beverage program will be highlighted within the 16,000-square-foot space designated for restaurants, bars and retail. Exact meeting space details are yet to be determined, but they will not be vehicle accessible.

An upscale, mountaintop haven for corporate events comes to Georgia, set 2,000 feet above sea level and boasting dramatic cliff-side views.

The McLemore Resort Lookout Mountain is set to join Curio Collection by Hilton in 2020. The resort, located in northwest Georgia’s High Country, will offer 180 rooms, numerous dining options, an 18-hole golf course, spa and fitness facilities, and infinity-edge pools. Meeting space will encompass over 10,000 square feet (vehicle accessibility TBD).

Caesars Entertainment is developing a new conference center that will meet the demand for group business meetings in Las Vegas.

A new convention center is headed for the Vegas Strip, offering the two largest pillar-less ballrooms in North America. Caesars Forum will have more than 300,000 square feet of flexible meeting space spanning 18 acres of land, including two 108,000-square-foot ballrooms and a 100,000-square-foot-outdoor plaza. The anticipated opening is in 2020.

The Ocean Resort Casino opens in the summer of 2018 on 20 acres overlooking Atlantic City’s famed boardwalk.

Chicago, the meeting mecca of the Midwest, is known for its vibrancy, award-winning hotspots and ability to seamlessly accommodate large programs.

Opening in July 2018, the 14-story hotel will be located on Bloor Street West, near Toronto’s arts and culture area.

• Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate – ChampionsGate, Florida: A $40 million expansion project added 100,000 square feet in conference center space, bringing the total to 248,111 square feet. The expansion also went toward creating a new lodge and suites building and enhancing the pool area, golf courses and restaurants.

Opening in the fall of 2018, the new eight-story facility overlooks Kyle Field, which hosts the Texas A&M Aggies football games.

Set on 26 acres in the South Bay of California, the boutique hotel is now part of the Autograph Collection.

About half of the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association hotels in the Caribbean have reopened, with an additional 20% to open by September.

Authentic Panamanian design elements include traditional Mola blankets on the beds, locally handmade baskets and wood retrieved from the Gatun Lake bottom.

Closed in 2016 for a two-year, $20 million renovation, the theater now offers the largest column-free ballroom in New York City.

Unfinished since 2009, the property on the Las Vegas Strip will shine as a Marriott resort and casino complex.

According to the newest listing, New York City has the highest number of Five-Star hotels in the United States.

Opening in early 2019, the Four Seasons Resort and Private Residences Napa Valley will perfectly accommodate small incentive groups with its 85 luxurious guestrooms.

Opening in 2020, the JW Marriott Tampa will be part of a $3 billion development in the Water Street Tampa neighborhood.

Opened in 2017 in the heart of the city, this ideal luxury hotel offers a modern and dynamic atmosphere perfect for groups of 250.

Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group will complete a $121 million restoration of the historic hotel, which is expected to reopen in late 2019.

Newly opened in December 2017, this all-inclusive resort is a natural haven by the Caribbean Sea.

Opening in spring 2018, the Bobby Hotel is perfect for incentive groups of 100 participants.

Anticipated to break ground in the spring of 2018, the Montage resort will be located in Northern California’s world-renowned Sonoma Valley.

Opening in spring 2018, the Denver hotel will have its own microbrewery and is adjacent to a food market.

Close to the Switzerland border, the hotel features upscale accommodations overlooking Italy’s Lake Como, in the residential heart of the city.

Secluded villas, restored historic buildings and cutting-edge new builds comprise some of the most anticipated new hotels in the new year.

Charlotte’s newest luxury hotel features a pair of new restaurants and a rooftop lounge overlooking the BB&T Ballpark.

A Southern-style estate hotel becomes the second property to join Hilton’s newest collection of independent, upscale hotels.

A new seaside resort opens in May 2018 on the shore of Santa Maria Bay in Los Cabos, Mexico.

The largest hotel ballroom in the city, the Sheraton Grand Chicago Ballroom measures 40,000 square feet.

Located near downtown Chicago’s most popular attractions, the Sheraton Grand Chicago boasts 125,000 square feet of meeting space to accommodate up to 4,600 attendees. With 43 breakout session rooms and a 35,000-square-foot Riverwalk Exhibit and Event Space, the hotel is ideal for executive-level meetings. Each of the 1,218 guestrooms has a view of the Chicago River, Lake Michigan or the city skyline.

Formerly Trump SoHo, New York, The Dominick is the only Five-Diamond property in New York City’s SoHo neighborhood.

The Dominick offers 391 rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Manhattan and the Hudson River. Meeting space comprises two ballrooms of 3,900 square feet and 2,200 square feet. Neither ballroom is vehicle accessible. The hotel also features a private outdoor terrace and two boardrooms.

Centrally located in the San Gabriel Valley, this luxury hotel is slated to open in January 2018.

Sheraton Los Angeles San Gabriel features 288 guestrooms, including 17 suites. The hotel also offers more than 19,000 square feet of meeting space, including the 11,341-square-foot Grand Imperial Ballroom (not vehicle accessible), an outdoor Garden Terrace and 11 meeting rooms.