Many of the big hotel and meeting- and convention-related projects under way in Texas continue to forge ahead, despite the recession. In Arlington, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, not satisfied with building just any old stadium, will this fall preside over the opening of the largest domed structure in the world. At more than 650,000 square feet, the new stadium will have a standard capacity of 80,000 people, with the potential to host up to 100,000. And, of course, the new facility will have suites and clubs available for special events.

Fort Worth and San Antonio have new convention center hotels, and San Antonio is in the middle of a $200 million expansion of the River Walk, its best-known attraction.

Galveston continues to recover from the effects of last summer's Hurricane Ike. The vast majority of its hotels are open, and a number of city attractions are back online. And in a $7 million restoration project, more than 400,000 cubic yards of sand will be added to a stretch of Galveston beach.

But, like the rest of the country, Texas has not been immune to the effects of the economy. Several projects have been put on hold, including construction of a planned 1,000-room convention center hotel in downtown Austin.

Texas/Facilities Update

Austin

• Dallas/Fort Worth

  The new 340-room Westin Austin at the Domain is expected to open in June 2010. The property is part of a massive retail project that will include 14,000 square feet of meeting space.

• Houston

  Hyatt Regency, on the shores of Lady Bird Lake, has completed a renovation of its lobby and public areas, meeting rooms, and the ballroom.

• San Antonio

  The AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center at the University of Texas at Austin opened with 297 rooms. The center has 40,000 square feet of dedicated meeting space.

Trip Tip

• Ask the CVB

  The Dallas City Council recently voted that Omni Hotels should run the publicly owned, $500 million convention center hotel, which could break ground later this year. The hotel will be adjacent to the Dallas Convention Center. Plans call for the construction of a 1,000-room hotel with 100,000 square feet of meeting space.

• The Gaylord Texas Resort, in Grapevine, is planning a $315 million expansion, which will make it the largest resort in Texas.

• After bringing Dallas' landmark 1,606-room Anatole Hotel under its flag in 2006, Hilton Hotels launched a $30 million renovation of the mega-property.

• The Renaissance Dallas Hotel has begun a multimillion-dollar renovation that will include remodeled guest rooms and the addition of more than 30,000 square feet of meeting space. The final phase of the renovation is scheduled to be complete in 2010.

• Omni Fort Worth Hotel opened in January across from the Fort Worth Convention Center with 614 rooms and 68,000 square feet of meeting space.

• The Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas is scheduled to open in 2010. The 275,000-square-foot center will have 50,000 square feet of column-free exhibit space, a 20,000-square-foot ballroom, and 20 breakout rooms.

• A 262-room Embassy Suites Hotel is scheduled to begin construction in March in downtown Houston, near the George R. Brown Convention Center. The new all-suite hotel will have 6,000 square feet of meeting space.

• Previously the Wyndham Greenspoint, the Hilton Houston North has fully renovated its 480 guest rooms. It now offers 51,000 square feet of meeting space, including the 4,420-square-foot Hilton Conference Center.

• The Westin Houston, Memorial City is scheduled to open in November. The 267-room hotel is connected to the Memorial City Mall near Houston's CityCentre area. It will feature 10,000 square feet of meeting space.

• The Westin La Cantera Resort is finishing a $10 million project that includes renovations to all guest rooms and public spaces on the banquet level. The resort has 39,000 square feet of meeting and function space.

• Construction continues on the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa, expected to open in March 2010. The $500 million, 1,000-room property will include 138,000 square feet of meeting space.

• The 1,003-room Grand Hyatt San Antonio opened in 2008. The 37-story convention center hotel offers 115,000 square feet of outdoor and indoor meeting and function space.

• Discovery Green, a 12-acre park, has opened in downtown Houston with a one-acre lake, children's playground, interactive water features, an outdoor amphitheater stage, public art works, open lawns, and restaurants. Its proximity to the George R. Brown Convention Center should make it a pleasant urban oasis for convention attendees.

Amarillo CVB
(800) 692-1338

Arlington CVB
(800) 433-5374

Austin CVB
(512) 583-7217

Bay Area Houston CVB
(281) 338-0333

Beaumont CVB
(800) 392-4401

Belton Area Chamber & Visitors Bureau
(254) 939-3551

Corpus Christi CVB
(361) 881-1812

Dallas CVB
(214) 571-1067

El Paso CVB
(915) 534-0695

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