NEW AND IMPROVED
Kalahari Resort & Convention Center, Wisconsin Dells, Wis., recently completed a $12 million expansion, adding 106 luxury, African-themed suites to the existing 272 guest accommodations. Kalahari is doubling the size of its day spa and expanding its fitness center. The Convention Center at Kalahari features 45,000 square feet of flexible meeting space. The property can accommodate groups of up to 1,900. www.kalahariresort.com
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The 375-suite Embassy Suites Anaheim-South recently opened in Anaheim, Calif. One mile from Disneyland Resort and the Anaheim Convention Center, the African-themed property features almost 30,000 square feet of function space. The hotel has three boardrooms, 12 conference suites, and a 10,000-square-foot divisible ballroom that can accommodate 1,000 people.
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The 700-room Westin Charlotte (N.C.), on schedule to open this fall, sits directly across from the Charlotte Convention Center and will be the center's official hotel. It will have more than 44,000 square feet of convention facilities, including 32,135 square feet of meeting space. The 16,276-square-foot grand ballroom will seat 1,440 people banquet-style. www.starwood.com
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Ocean Place Conference Resort, Long Branch, N.J., recently added two ocean-view meeting rooms to its existing conference space, bringing the number of dedicated meeting rooms to 38.
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The Otesaga, Cooperstown, N.Y., a New York State grande dame overlooking Lake Otesaga, recently completed a $34 million renovation that included meeting facilities and the championship 18-hole golf course. The 136-room hotel has more than 13,000 square feet of meeting space in 13 conference and banquet rooms. www.otesaga.com
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A three-year renovation has been completed at the Sheraton Inner Harbor Hotel, Baltimore, including a significant increase in meeting space. The renovations to the property, which overlooks Baltimore's Inner Harbor, include all 337 guest rooms. In addition, meeting space has grown to 25,000 square feet. The largest of the 16 meeting rooms (7,524 square feet) seats 1,000 people theater-style. More than 5,000 square feet of exhibit space is available. www.sheraton.com
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The Westward Look Resort, Tucson, Ariz., has expanded its meeting space with a new 4,500-square-foot ballroom and a rooftop terrace offering panoramic views of the Sonoran Desert. The ballroom can accommodate 300 banquet-style. The resort, which now has more than 20,000 square feet of meeting space, is also expanding its convention and destination services department.
www.westwardlook.com
BEYOND BORDERS
Hilton International recently signed on to manage the new Hilton Valencia, Valencia, Spain. The 307-room property, scheduled for a late 2004 opening, will be directly across from the city's convention center in Valencia's Ademuz area. The hotel's 18 meeting rooms will include a 1,200-person ballroom. www.hilton.com
