Plan Your Meetings

Names and Notes August 2006

Names

Matt Ouimet was named president, hotel group, of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc.

Monika Popek was named corporate wedding manager of the Maho Resort Group in St. Maarten.

Ed Grier was named president of the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, Calif.

Bill Light was named director of sales of Associated Luxury Hotels International’s Denver national office, which opened in June.

Jason Parsons was named resident manager of Rosen Shingle Creek in Orlando; Gary Virden was named director of spa and recreation. The 1,500-room resort is scheduled to open in September.

Tamara Pigott was promoted to deputy director of the Lee County [Fla.] VCB.

Atlanta Arrangements Inc., a destination management company, added three people to its staff: Transportation Ops Manager Kathy Gibbons, Program Manager Andrew Morgan and Operations Assistant Lee Anne Akers.

Christy Lynn Adams was named global account executive for the new Las Vegas regional office of Planning the Globe, a Charleston, S.C.-based, award-winning event management company.

Andy Zinni was promoted to director of operations, and Kris Reagan was promoted to director of sales for The Chattanoogan, an urban resort property in Chattanooga, Tenn.

Todd Cline has been promoted to vice president and hotel manager of the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville.

Notes

International

Costa Cruises inaugurated its newest and largest ship on July 7. The 3,780-passenger Costa Concordia has a full-service spa, two fitness areas, four swimming pools, 13 bars, more than 500 cabins with balconies, and sails a Mediterranean itinerary.

Passengers aboard Norwegian Cruise Line ships now can use their personal cell phones no matter where the ship is, thanks to a partnership between Cingular Wireless and Maritime Telecommunications.

Caribbean

The Westin St. John Resort & Villas in the U.S. Virgin Islands is undergoing an expansion. Phase One of the project, expected to open late 2007, will add 54 villas; an additional 40 villas will be added during Phase Two. Currently, the resort has 92 one-, two- and three-bedroom villas.

The $70 million Mainsail Resort Marina & Spa is scheduled to open on Scrub Island in the British Virgin Islands in fall 2007. Amenities will include more than 2,000 square feet of meeting space, a natural 120-seat outdoor amphitheatre for special events and group functions, a business center, a full-service spa, a marina and 90 hotel rooms, including two-bedroom suites and freestanding villas.

National

The Hilton Garden Inn brand received the “Highest Guest Satisfaction Among Mid-Scale Hotel Chains with Full Service” from the J.D. Power and Associates 2006 North America Guest Satisfaction Index Study for the fifth consecutive year. The study measured responses from 42,211 guests who stayed in a hotel during the first half of 2006.

AirTran Airways added daily, nonstop flights between Gulfport/Biloxi, Miss., and Tampa, Fla.

Frontier Airlines launched its new Web site at FrontierAirlines.com.

Southwest Airlines is scheduled to begin service at Washington Dulles International Airport on October 5. Initial service will include 12 daily, nonstop flights from Dulles to Chicago Midway, Las Vegas, and Orlando and Tampa Bay, Fla.

US Airways is scheduled to begin service between Las Vegas and Nashville, Tenn., on October 5. Flights will be on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

Alabama

The 298-room, full-service Doubletree Hotel Birmingham Downtown opened with 15,000 square feet of meeting space.

The Wharf in Orange Beach — a 220-acre mixed-use retail, residential, entertainment and marina project — opened a 10,000-seat, state-of-the-art performance facility to host year-round concerts and special events.

Bama Bayou (formerly the Riverwalk project) is in development on the south side of the Intracoastal Waterway in Orange Beach. The $300 million, all-inclusive destination will have retail and restaurant districts as well as 68,000 square feet of meeting and convention space, the Gulf World theme park, a full-service spa and a 35-acre nature walk.

The Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo is planning to relocate to higher ground on 25 acres of land donated by the owners of local business Souvenir City. The zoo, featured on Animal Planet as “The Little Zoo That Could,” successfully evacuated animals from the zoo three times in 14 months during hurricanes Ivan, Dennis and Katrina. The new location will be two miles north of the Intracoastal Waterway Bridge, and construction is expected to begin next year.

Arizona

Phase One of Phoenix’s convention center expansion opened last month. The 156,000-sq. ft. West Conference Center has more than 62,400 square feet of exhibit space and 48,000 square feet of meeting space as well as a 45,300-sq. ft. multi-purpose ballroom. The old North Building and Hall C have been demolished to make way for Phase Two of the expansion. Plans call for a new four-level facility to open on the site by late 2008, bringing the total available convention center space to 900,000 square feet. During the second phase, the 143,000-sq. ft. South Building will remain open and fully operational.

Construction began on the Sheraton Downtown Phoenix, a 31-story hotel scheduled to open in fall 2008. The property will have at least one 29,000-sq. ft. ballroom, 42 meeting rooms, on-site dining, and a 9,000-sq. ft. fitness center and spa. A new W hotel also is expected to open downtown in 2008 with 175 rooms.

In Scottsdale, the former Hampton Inn Old Town is undergoing a $17 million renovation and is scheduled to reopen December 2006 as Hotel Indigo.

Paradise Valley Resort & Spa purchased the nearby Hilton Scottsdale Resort and is planning a $10 million renovation of the property’s villas. The Hilton has 185 rooms, 45 villas, 15,242 square feet of meeting space, a spa, health club, on-site dining and a business center.

Two new shopping packages are available in Scottsdale: The Westcor and Spree! The Art of Shopping. Both offer chauffer-driven limousine transportation, a shopping guide, shopping center meet-and-greets, personal service, in-store refreshments and personalized itineraries.

California

The Meritage Resort and Vino Bello Resort luxury hotels opened adjacent to each other in Napa Valley. The properties have a total of 274 guest rooms and suites, a gourmet restaurant, a wine bar, two swimming pools and fitness centers, a grand ballroom and more than 10,500 square feet of meting space. Expansion plans include adding a wine cave and an underground cave spa in 2007.

A 110-room Hampton Inn Hotel opened in the Las Angeles/Orange County/Cypress area.

Colorado

The $50 million Century Casino & Hotel opened in Central City with 627 slot machines, 12 table games, a separate poker room, food and beverage service and 27 hotel rooms.

A 75-room Hampton Inn & Suites Hotel opened in Colorado Springs by Interquest Park. In Denver, a 62-room Hampton Inn & Suites Hotel opened near Speer Boulevard.

Florida

Two new Marriott-branded hotels now are part of the Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort’s off-resort locations available to planners. The Residence Inn Sandestin has 120 guest rooms with kitchenettes. The Courtyard Sandestin at Grand Boulevard has 174 rooms with workspaces, high-speed Internet access, two meeting rooms, three boardrooms and a business library.

The WaterColor Inn in Santa Rosa Beach was ranked No. 7 in Travel & Leisure magazine’s 2006 list of “Top 100 Hotels in Continental U.S. and Canada;” it ranked No. 36 in the magazine’s list of “Top 100 Hotels Overall.”

The Renaissance Resort at World Golf Village in St. Augustine has refurbished all 301 rooms and suites with new luxury bedding, mattresses and mattress toppers. The property is adjacent to the St. Johns County Convention Center and the World Golf Hall of Fame.

Planners can view a real-time beach cam of Treasure Coast beaches at martincountyfla.com.

The Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. restaurant, based on the film Forrest Gump, opened at Universal CityWalk.

The Hilton St. Petersburg at Carillon Park opened with 227 rooms designed to reflect the work of local and international artists, including Salvador Dali. Amenities include on-site dining, complimentary WiFi and wired Internet access, a business center, a fitness center, complimentary airport and city shuttles, and more than 20,000 square feet of meeting space, including a 9,200-sq. ft. ballroom, executive board rooms and breakout rooms. Original artwork decorates the lounge and restaurant areas; the Salvador Dali Museum serves as the hotel’s gift shop.

The Randell Research Center and Tropic Star now offer a land-and-sea Calusa Heritage & Mound Tour from Pine Island (part of the beaches of Fort Myers and Sanibel area). The tour includes a guided walk of the heritage trail, lunch at the Tarpon Lodge restaurant and a two-hour narrated boat tour to view the Calusa Indian islands.

The Ritz-Carlton, Palm Beach, is undergoing a $45 million upgrade, scheduled for completion in November. Improvements include renovating guest rooms, adding three restaurants, and adding a Ritz Kids facility and a 3,000-sq. ft. oceanfront terrace.

The Breakers Palm Beach completed a renovation of its beach, pools, cabanas, restaurants and landscape architecture.

The Westin Key West Resort & Marina (formerly the Hilton Key West Resort & Marina) was reflagged July 31. During the next two years, it will undergo a multi-million dollar renovation of its 178 suites and guestrooms. Also included in the conversion is Sunset Key Guest Cottages, a Westin Resort — a 37-room, residential-style property located on a private island 500 yards offshore.

Georgia

Central Atlanta Progress launched the Downtown Connects Card, a credit card-sized pass that gives users discounts at more than 50 participating attractions, restaurants and retail outlets. The free card is available online at downtownconnectscard.com. In September, the CityPass, part of a nationwide program, is scheduled to debut. The pass gives users discounted admission to several attractions for one flat fee. The fee amount has yet to be released, but in other markets it costs between $36 and $199.

The Hyatt Regency Atlanta reformatted its fine-dining restaurant’s menu. Avanzare Steaks (formerly Avanzare Italian Restaurant) serves steaks and seafood and is open nightly for dinner and cocktails from 5 to 10 p.m.

Missouri

Branson’s Chateau on the Lake Resort, Spa & Convention Center opened a new 14,000-sq. ft., full-service, European-style spa adjacent to its 301-room hotel. The AAA Four-Diamond resort has 43,500 square feet of meeting and event space.

A $6 million renovation of the 393-room Renaissance St. Louis Airport Hotel is underway. Scheduled for completion in June 2007, renovations include upgrading the property’s 37,000 square feet of meeting space and its health club.

South Carolina

An 81-room Hampton Inn Hotel opened in Easley; a 73-room Hampton Inn Hotel opened in Manning.

Texas

The 292-room Crowne Plaza Austin-North Central opened with two dining facilities and 12,000 square feet of meeting space, including 13 meeting rooms and a ballroom. Other amenities include complimentary WiFi Internet access, a business center, a fitness center and complimentary parking.

Also in Austin, the Courtyard and Residence Inn by Marriott Austin Downtown/Convention Center is scheduled to open this month within walking distance of the convention center and most of the city’s attractions. The 270-room Courtyard reflects the brand’s new upscale look and prototype design with an in-room workspace with a large desk, ergonomic seating, data ports and voicemail. The 179-suite Residence Inn’s suites have separate living, working, eating and sleeping areas. The combined properties have 6,600 square feet meeting and event space, including eight meeting rooms, a grand ballroom and an executive boardroom.

The upscale, boutique-style Embassy Suites Hotel Fort-Worth Downtown is expected to open in late 2006 across from the Bass performance Hall, within walking distance of the Fort Worth Convention Center and Sundance Square. Other amenities include 256 two-room suites, a 6,000-sq. ft. conference center, on-site dining and a martini bar.

In Plano, Trinity Hall, an Irish pub with live entertainment, is scheduled to open adjacent to the Marriott Dallas/Plano at Legacy Town Center in January 2007.

The Hotel Indigo Houston opened with 140 rooms, a fitness studio, a bistro-style restaurant and meeting and function space.

In Waxahachie, an 86-room Hampton Inn & Suites Hotel opened.

Virginia

An 86-room Hampton Inn & Suites Hotel opened in Chesapeake.