Meeting News - March 1, 2010 - (Page 22)

Construction Cites Starwood To Yank NYC Manhattan Sheraton’s Flag Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide in February announced on April 1 it would remove the Sheraton flag from its 665-room, 395,000-sq.-ft. Sheraton Manhattan at Times Square. we’ll put against developing this brand over the next three years, this property just didn’t hold up in terms of guest satisfaction.” At the same time, Starwood announced that later this year it would begin a $90 million renovation on the Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers, which contains 55,000 square feet of meeting space. Sheraton this year also will open two New York properties, in Brooklyn and Tribeca. Sheraton’s renovation project to date has included upgrades of about half the brand’s North American portfolio and 70,000 new or renovated guest rooms overall as well as 300 lobby renovations. By Michael B. Baker mbaker@meetingnews.com Plymouth, Minn., Radisson Completes $1M Renovation The Radisson Hotel & Conference Center in Plymouth, Minn., recently completed a milliondollar renovation, including an overhaul of conference facilities on its main and lower level. In San Antonio, JW Marriott Opens Its Largest Resort Yet Marriott International in recent weeks opened its largest JW Marriott Resort to date: the 600acre JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa. The property houses 1,002 guest rooms and more than 140,000 square feet of meeting space. Meeting venues include the 40,000-sq.-ft. Grand Oaks Ballroom, the 21,000-sq.-ft. Cibolo Canyon Ballroom, a 40,000-sq.-ft. exhibit hall and 19 breakout rooms totaling 20,000 square feet of space. The resort also has up to 30,000 square feet available for outdoor events. The resort also features two PGA Tour Tournament Player’s Club 18-hole golf courses designed by Pete Dye and Greg Norman. The courses are private for hotel guests and members. Other resort amenities include a 26,000-sq.-ft. spa, a six-acre water park with heating features for winter use, seven restaurants and lounges and a 24-hour executive business center. Plymouth’s Radisson refurbishes its mtg. rooms Sheraton Manhattan, unbranding imminent The hotel, located across the street from the Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers, will operate as an independent hotel as Starwood explores renovation options for the property. In the company’s fourth-quarter earnings conference call to investors, Starwood president and CEO Frits van Paasschen said the property likely would be reflagged with one of Starwood’s upper upscale brands, perhaps even with the restored Sheraton name. “The reason we took the flag off is because we wanted to take our time to do this right,” van Paasschen said. “We felt that given the $6 billion we’ve invested behind the Sheraton brand over the last three years and the additional $4 billion 22 MeetingNews March 1, 2010 The hotel, located just outside Minneapolis, renovated the ceilings and added new lighting and sound systems to its conference rooms. It also outfitted the rooms with new wallpaper, carpets and drapery. The hotel contains 35 meeting rooms and a ballroom. Other renovation work included the installation of 42-inch flat-panel televisions in all king and queen rooms, new lobby furnishings and a redesign of the hotel’s restaurant, Creekside Café and Lounge. The hotel also made improvements to the 21,000-sq.-ft. Radisson Fitness Club adjacent to the property. Further renovation work is planned at the property later this year, according to Plymouth Radisson director of San Antonio’s 1,002-room JW Marriott Resort & Spa sales Dan Maurer. ❍ www.meetingnews.com http://www.meetingnews.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Meeting News - March 1, 2010

Meeting News - March 1, 2010
Contents
Newsmaker
Meetings Spotlight
Viewpoint
Event Profile
Meeting People
Travel Dashboard
Construction Cites
MeetingNews Research
Citywide Meetings
Dateline: Florida
Mid-America Regional
Dateline: Tennessee

Meeting News - March 1, 2010