In Witchita, KS, adjacent to the Century II Convention Center, the 303-room Hyatt Regency Hotel opened in September, weeks ahead of schedule. Witchita's first luxury convention hotel offers 16,010 square feet of meeting space.

Marcus Hotels and Resorts opened its newest property in November, the Miramont Resort in Indian Wells, CA. The 11-acre, Mediterranean-style resort has 226 rooms, including 60 suites, and 10,000 square feet of meeting space geared to smaller meeting groups. Amenities include a golf concierge to help golfers set up tee times at any of 40 area courses.

Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers opened its new 25,000-square-foot Executive Conference Center in September, with accreditation from the International Association of Conference Centers already in place. The facility's 12 meeting rooms (for groups as large as 75 persons) incorporate user-friendly design elements such as built-in data ports and electrical outlets for each conference table, closets for storing supplies, and shelf space at public phones to accommodate laptop computers. The center takes up one level of the Sheraton but has its own entrance and marquee.