San Diego has a new luxury resort, the Grand Del Mar, which opened in October 2007.
San Diego has a new luxury resort, the Grand Del Mar, which opened in October 2007. The resort's 249 guest rooms, including 31 suites, don't skimp on the details: They feature gilded gold and wrought-iron accents and hand-stenciled ceilings.
Golf is a main attraction, and the 18-hole, 7,160-yard, par-72 Grand Golf Club, opened in 1999, spans 380 acres. The course was recently renovated and additions include a water feature with an 18-foot waterfall, a practice area featuring a chipping green and sand bunkers, a second 4,200-square-foot putting green, and a 5,000-square-foot practice tee. Resort guests have exclusive access to the private club.
Also featured are four swimming pools, tennis, fine dining, and a 21,000-square-foot spa with 11 treatment rooms. Guest rooms have marble bathrooms with 13-inch, flat-screen TVs; pillow-top beds with goose-down pillows and Italian cotton linens; 40-inch, flat-screen TVs; and wireless, high-speed Internet access.
The Grand Del Mar offers more than 20,000 square feet of meeting space, including a 10,000-square-foot ballroom; an 8,400-square-foot event lawn; a 2,500-square-foot salon; three wine-themed meeting rooms with an adjacent private dining area in the wine cellar; and access to Yacht America, a replica of the vessel that won the 1851 America's Cup, which is available for groups of up to 85 people.
Sawgrass Golf Resort & Spa, a Marriott Resort
Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
The News: The resort changed its name from Sawgrass Marriott Resort & Spa to Sawgrass Golf Resort & Spa, expanded its lobby, and opened Kelly's Pub.
Specs: 508 guest rooms, more than 56,000 square feet of meeting space, and a 25,000-square-foot spa
Timeline: Kelly's Irish Pub was completed in January as part of a three-year plan begun in 2006. A $16 million guest room renovation was also completed that year.
Extra: $40 million in improvements to the TPC Sawgrass course in 2006; a $30 million, 77,000-square-foot clubhouse was built in 2007.
Albuquerque, N.M.
The News: A new Isleta Hotel and Convention Center is connected to the 300,000-square-foot casino. The on-site Isleta Eagle Golf Course has 27 holes and an all-new clubhouse with banquet rooms and a golf shop.
Specs: more than 200 rooms and suites and 30,000 square feet of ballroom and meeting space
Timeline: The hotel and convention center opened in July 2008.
St. Augustine, Fla.
The News: A $10 million renovation wrapped up in May.
Specs: 301 remodeled guest rooms; two championship golf courses; the PGA Tour Spa Laterra; the PGA Tour Golf Academy; and 86,000 square feet of meeting and event space when combined with the adjoining St. Johns County Convention Center and the adjacent World Golf Hall of Fame
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. The 18-hole Mount Washington Course is being restored to its original Donald Ross design and is scheduled to open in August. A nine-hole expansion to the Mount Pleasant Course is set to open in 2011.
Timeline: The spa and meeting center will debut in December
Tucson
The News: The resort opened the $2 million Starr Canyon River and Monsoon Falls Water Slide March 28. It is the first “lazy river” in southern Arizona.
Specs: Two patios by the lazy river can host 500 guests for a reception. The resort has 575 guest rooms, 88,000 square feet of meeting space, a 20,000-square-foot spa, four pools, and a 27-hole Arnold Palmer Signature golf facility.
Extra: The resort's eco-theme extends to its Primo restaurant, which serves only organic and jet-fresh fish, and to the Hashani Spa.
Brewster, Mass.
The News: The $8.5 million Nicklaus Design remodel of the Cape Cod resort's 18-hole, par-72 course and clubhouse is complete. A $10 million expansion is adding 5,000 square feet of meeting and function space and a 2,500-square-foot pavilion.
Specs: 15,000 square feet of meeting space in 13 rooms; 334 guest accommodations
Timeline: The course celebrated its grand opening in June.
Trinidad, Colo.
The News: Construction has begun on Cougar Canyon Golf Resort and Spa, a new 117-suite boutique hotel in the Cougar Canyon Golf Resort Community.
Specs: A 3,000-square-foot event space, a 900-square-foot boardroom, a spa, a restaurant and lounge, and a business center are part of the design.
Timeline: Construction began in December. Completion is expected in spring 2009.
Extra: The Nicklaus Design Cougar Canyon Golf Links offers 18 holes.
Naples, Fla.
The News: The resort completed a multimillion-dollar renovation of its 318 guest rooms and suites in February.
Specs: 34,000 square feet of meeting and event space; on-site, par-72 championship golf course; spa; fitness center; tennis center
Timeline: These improvements follow a six-year, $40 million expansion of the hotel that was complete in 2006.
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
Timeline: Scheduled to open in 2010
Victor, Idaho
The News: The first phase of this resort community is open.
Specs: Phase one includes 37 one- and two-bedroom condominiums and 2,000 square feet of meeting space. Phase two will add 43 units and a restaurant; convert the first-phase meeting space into retail space; add a club and conference center with 3,000 square feet of meeting space; and add a 5,000-square-foot spa.
Timeline: First phase opened December 2007; second phase expected to open in 2008
Extra: Headwaters Golf Club, with an 18-hole championship course and a nine-hole executive course, is open.
Atlantic Beach, Fla.
The News: One Ocean Resort opened May 1.
Specs: 193 guest rooms; 10,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space; wireless high-speed Internet in all meeting rooms; business center; teambuilding activities; spa with six treatment rooms; two restaurants; fitness center; preferred tee times at the Queen's Harbour Yacht & Country Club, which is home to the 18-hole Mark McCumber Royal Course
Extra: The resort has “docents” — personal concierges for each guest.
Wisconsin Dells, Wis.
The News: In its third season under the ownership of Kalahari Resort, the 27-hole course and club now offers the Kalahari Golf Academy at Trappers Turn, an expanded clubhouse, and course improvements.
Specs: The golf academy offers private instruction, one- to five-day camps, corporate entertainment, professional club fitting, and video analysis. The Trappers Turn Clubhouse can now host up to 250 guests in its banquet facility. A remodeled veranda, which overlooks Mystic Lake and the par-5 18th on the Lake Course, can seat an additional 70 guests.
Extra: GPS-equipped golf carts provide exact course distances, pointers for each hole, and the option for golfers to order food and beverage while on the course.
William Courtney Lowe has joined Bedford Springs Resort, Bedford, Pa., as director of sales and marketing. The resort completed a $120 million renovation that included its A.W.Tillinghast/Donald Ross 18-hole golf course.
The Resort at the Mountain, Welches, Ore., has appointed Chy Charles sales manager. The resort has a 27-hole golf course and is undergoing a $14 million renovation, to be completed in late 2008.