The Resort at Pelican Hill
Newport Coast, Calif.
The News: Associated Luxury Hotels International will open a new resort on the California coast.
Specs: The resort, which sits on 504 acres along the Pacific Ocean, will have 128 two-, three- and four-bedroom oceanview villas, and 204 bungalows. Its 20,000 square feet of function space will include Mar Vista, detached from the hotel with its own arrival area. The spa will feature 22 treatment rooms.
Time Frame: Resort to open in fall 2008; golf course opened in November 2007.
Extra: Located 10 minutes from Orange County's John Wayne Airport, which is served by 11 carriers; LAX is 45 minutes away.
Rancho Bernardo Inn Golf Resort & Spa
San Diego
The News: The resort has unveiled a new spa as part of a $25 million renovation and expansion project.
Specs: The spa's indoor treatment areas and changing areas are completely remodeled. There are five new outdoor treatment casitas in the spa garden, and a new 2,500-square-foot saline spa pool surrounded by seven cabanas.
Eagle Ridge Resort & Spa
Galena, Ill.
The News: Renovations to meeting and event space are complete.
Specs: More than 15,000 square feet of newly renovated function space includes 14 meeting rooms and three executive boardrooms. New décor and upgraded lighting and technical capabilities have been added throughout the conference center.
Extra: On site are 63 holes of golf and the Stonedrift Spa.
International Plaza Resort & Spa
Orlando
The News: The 28-acre resort and spa opened in October 2007.
Specs: More than 60,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space and more than 1,100 guest rooms. The Oceans Conference Center has about 36,500 square feet of function space, including the 12,000-square-foot Oceans Ballroom. The Lakes Conference Center features nearly 13,000 square feet of event space, including the 10,000-square-foot Great Lakes Ballroom.
Extra: Located across the Bee Line Expressway from the 2.1 million-square-foot Orange County Convention Center
Don CeSar Beach Resort
St. Pete Beach, Fla.
The News: Spa Oceana at the Don CeSar Beach Resort opened in March.
Specs: The 11,000-square-foot spa has 16 treatment rooms, as well as a rooftop garden overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. The resort offers 277 rooms and 38,305 square feet of meeting space.
Mount Washington Resort
Bretton Woods, N.H.
The News: A 25,000-square-foot spa with 13 treatment rooms is under construction along with 30,000 square feet of meeting space. A $7 million renovation of the resort's two golf courses is under way.
Time Frame: Scheduled to debut in December
Wyndham St. Croix Golf Resort and Casino
Christiansted, St. Croix, USVI
The News: This 400-room resort will be the keystone of a $250 million complex that includes a new 43,000-square-foot conference center.
Specs: 294 acres, a 25,000-square-foot casino, an 18-hole Jack Nicklaus signature golf course, a 17,000-square-foot spa and fitness center
Time Frame: Scheduled to open in 2010
The Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas
St. Thomas, USVI
The News: The completion of a $40 million renovation project
Specs: The project includes the addition of 55 guest rooms, 16 executive suites, four presidential suites, and two villas. The spa has doubled in size with the addition of eight treatment rooms, open-air cabanas, and an outdoor relaxation area.
News Makers
Chris Garratt was named associate director of sales at the Sheraton Seattle Hotel. He joins the Sheraton from Seattle's Convention and Visitor's Bureau, where he spent two years as convention sales manager.
Benchmark Hospitality has named Heath Patrick director of conference services, Cheyenne Mountain Resort, Colorado Springs, Colo. Patrick had been director of catering sales and event management at the Colorado Springs Marriott.
