• The 400-room SHANGRI-LA HOTEL, LAS VEGAS is scheduled to open in 2010, and is Shangri-La's third hotel project under development in the United States. The Shangri-La Hotel, Las Vegas will be part of Boyd Gaming Corp.'s 63-acre Echelon Place development on the Las Vegas Strip. Echelon Place will include four hotels, a casino, two theaters, a retail complex, and meeting and convention facilities. The Shangri-La will feature 20,000 square feet of function space.

• HYATT REGENCY LAKE LAS VEGAS RESORT, SPA & CASINO is undergoing a $4 million renovation of its 493 guest rooms. The revamped rooms will introduce Hyatt Hotels & Resorts' new Grand Bed and Bedding. 2005 improvements at Hyatt Regency Lake Las Vegas included the renovation and expansion of the resort's Spa Moulay.

• THE SIGNATURE AT MGM GRAND, Las Vegas, is set to debut in May with the opening of its first tower, featuring 576 suites. Three towers are planned. The Signature will have an entrance and lobby separate from the main MGM Grand check-in facilities, as well as a dedicated staff and 24-hour concierge. In-suite amenities include king beds with 300-thread-count sheets, LCD flat-panel TVs, and high-speed Internet access. Tower 2 is scheduled to open in December, and Tower 3 in May 2007.

• THE HARD ROCK HOTEL, Las Vegas, currently has 646 guest rooms and 20,000 square feet of meeting space, which includes a concert venue and a 6,000-square-foot ballroom. The cabanas and the pool area have recently undergone a $2.5 million upgrade, which included a new stage area.

• The transformation of the Aladdin into PLANET HOLLYWOOD RESORT & CASINO, Las Vegas, is under way, with completion of the project scheduled for the fourth quarter of this year. The remodel began in October and is being executed in phases so that the property can remain open. The casino will be expanded, and a new restaurant, nightclub, and retail outlets are expected. A new Planet Hollywood Westgate tower will feature 1,000 multi-room timeshare, condominium, and hotel units.
• Baha Mar Resorts Ltd., Harrah's Entertainment Inc., and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. plan to create the Caribbean's largest single destination resort, BAHA MAR, a 1,000-acre, mixed-use project in Nassau, Bahamas. The $1.6 billion initial phase includes a spa, an eco-water park with a lake for performances, and 175,000 square feet of meeting space. The resort will offer a total of 3,550 guest rooms. Harrah's Entertainment will operate a new 1,000-room Caesars Resort Hotel and 95,000-square-foot casino. Starwood will have four brands represented: a 300-room W at Baha Mar; a 300-room St. Regis at Baha Mar; a 700-room Westin at Baha Mar; and a 700-room Sheraton at Baha Mar. Construction will begin in 2007. Renovation of the 550-room Wyndham Nassau Resort is also planned.

• One of the first condominium hotel and spa complexes in Las Vegas, the PLATINUM HOTEL AND SPA, will open in June featuring 255 suites. The Platinum will not have a casino. Units feature a 42-inch, wall-mounted plasma HDTV, full kitchen, electric fireplace, whirlpool bath, and private outdoor terrace. Meeting rooms offer high-speed Internet access and Wi-Fi capabilities. The hotel is near the Las Vegas Convention Center and Sands Exposition Center, and steps from the Las Vegas Monorail.

• FOXWOODS RESORT CASINO, Uncasville, Conn., broke ground on a $700 million development in November that will add an 825-room tower with a spa, 115,000 square feet of meeting and convention space, and more. The project is expected to be done by summer 2008. Foxwoods currently has 1,400 hotel rooms and suites, 55,000 square feet of meeting space, and six casinos. The resort recently completed a $300 million expansion, adding a Hard Rock Café and the golf destination Lake of Isles, which includes two Rees Jones — designed courses.

Other Venues Make Improvements

• The Wyndham Buttes Resort, Tempe, Ariz., has become THE BUTTES, A MARRIOTT RESORT. Multimillion-dollar renovations are planned. The resort has 353 guest rooms and 40,000 square feet of meeting space in 14 rooms. The resort recently unveiled the Narande Spa.

• Presidente InterContinental Hotels & Resorts has announced developments at its properties in Mexico. The PRESIDENTE INTERCONTINENTAL VILLA MERCEDES MÉRIDA HOTEL debuted in February. The luxury hotel boasts 127 rooms and four suites, and is set in a 19th-century mansion. The hotel has nine meeting rooms capable of hosting up to 350 people and is just minutes from the Mérida Convention Center. The PRESIDENTE INTERCONTINENTAL MEXICO CITY HOTEL is set to break ground on a 29-story luxury tower later this spring. The new tower will feature 240 rooms and suites, as well as a spa. More meeting space will be added to the existing 17 meeting rooms. The new tower is expected to open in mid-2009. The PRESIDENTE INTERCONTINENTAL CANCUN RESORT re-opened March 10 after the first phase of renovations. All 299 guest rooms and suites were upgraded, and a club floor featuring 36 club rooms was added. The second phase, to be completed by July 15, features a new meeting facility, including a 6,394-square-foot ballroom.