Along the beaches of the Atlantic coast and barrier islands, owners and local CVBs have noted that some hotels and meeting facilities are in serious need of polishing and considerable updating to meet technology and amenities needs for today's meetings. Sun, sand, and golf are all essential, but so are Wi-Fi and ergonomic chairs if beach meetings are going to compete with the facilities in big cities.

In seaside New Bern, N.C., The Sheraton Grand Hotel is undergoing a multimillion-dollar renovation that includes a new lobby, additional meeting space, and a ballroom, and the New Bern Grand Marina is being refurbished with new decking; utility pylons with 30-, 50-, and 100-amp electricity; Wi-Fi; and water, cable, and phone connections.

During the 1960s and '70s, Jekyll Island was Georgia's glamour destination. Bob Barker would reward game-show winners with trips to Jekyll Island and the then-luxurious Buccaneer Hotel. After 30 or 40 years, the shine wore off. Deals were made and rates dropped to save group business, but Jekyll's year-round diet of state professional associations, nonprofits, churches, and other midsize convention groups had already left.

Jekyll Island State Park Authority, responsible for preserving and improving the island, ordered the Buccaneer torn down in October and chose Linger Longer Communities, the developer of Reynolds Plantation, a Ritz-Carlton golf resort near Atlanta, to lead redevelopment. Linger Longer says the $441 million project will include three new hotels — a 125-room economy hotel, a 200-room midpriced hotel, and a 400-room convention hotel — at a total cost of $163 million. A new convention center will be built in two phases along with a village center of shops and restaurants with the necessary infrastructure. Finally, 160 condo units and 227 vacation homes will be constructed. Developers hope to break ground this spring.

Meanwhile, work on a 138-room Jekyll Ocean Oaks hotel is in progress on the former site of the Holiday Inn, which has been demolished. Construction is slated to be finished in time for a June opening. The SpringHill Suites select-service hotel will have limited meeting space, but will be affiliated with the Jekyll Island Club for parties and events.

Construction crews have been busy in North Carolina on the new Raleigh Convention Center for the past two years, and the building is more than 85 percent complete. The 500,000-square-foot, $220 million project is expected to open this summer. This past August, developers topped off the adjacent 400-room Raleigh Marriott City Center.

In South Carolina, Myrtle Beach will be the site of the first Hard Rock Park, a 140-acre music-themed amusement park affiliated with Hard Rock Cafe. The $400 million project will have more than 40 attractions, a multipurpose live-music amphitheater and meeting space, roller coasters, children's play areas, restaurants, and more. The park is expected to open this year in Fantasy Harbor off U.S. 501. Myrtle Beach and the Golden Strand also offer more than 100 golf courses and 50 miniature golf courses, nearly all of them open to the public.

Georgia & the Carolinas/Facilities Update

Georgia

• The 127-room Ellis Hotel opened in October at the site of Atlanta's, and the nation's, deadliest hotel fire. The 1946 Winecoff fire killed 119 people and led officials nationwide to update fire codes for hotels.

• Construction on the Hotel Palomar on West Peachtree began in August; a May 2009 opening is scheduled. The hotel will have 304 guest rooms and 10,000 square feet of meeting space.

• Loews Hotels is constructing a luxury, four-block, mixed-use development in midtown Atlanta. The centerpiece is a 414-room hotel expected to open in April 2010 with more than 24,000 square feet of meeting space.

• The JW Marriott Hotel Buckhead Atlanta has completed its new 9,000-square-foot Phoenix Ballroom, the final step in $4.5 million in renovations to 18,710 square feet of meeting space, lobby, indoor pool, and health club.

• Hard Rock International will develop a hotel in Atlanta with 270 guest rooms and 30 luxury residences opposite the Georgia Aquarium as part of a mixed-use development.

• The King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort, St. Simons Island, offers 190 guest rooms, 10,000 square feet of meeting space, and complimentary Wi-Fi access in all guest rooms and lobby areas, as well as award-winning golf.

• Lake Lanier Islands' Emerald Pointe Resort consists of 214 renovated guest rooms and suites and two restaurants grouped with IACC-certified meeting facilities and a spa. Both restaurants are being updated, and executive villas are rising next to the resort's conference center. The first six villas are expected to open this spring.

• Construction on the Macon Marriott City Center Hotel begins this spring, with an expected opening in late 2009.

• The first Avia hotel, a LodgeWorks LP venture, broke ground in September in Savannah; opening is scheduled for December.

North Carolina

• A 100-room Indigo hotel with 465 square feet of meeting space plans to break ground in Asheville this winter, with a target opening of summer 2009.

• Asheville Renaissance Hotel finished renovation of its 277 rooms including the installation of 32-inch HD televisions in each room. It has 21,000 square feet of flexible meeting and banquet space.

• A $6.2 million renovation has added technology and amenities to the Charlotte Marriott SouthPark. The 187-room hotel sports a concierge level, 12 meeting rooms, and a 24-hour health club.

• Great Wolf Resorts has begun construction on a 402-suite resort in the Charlotte suburb of Concord that will feature a 98,000-square-foot indoor waterpark, a spa, theaters, and 16,000 square feet of meeting space. Great Wolf expects to open in 2009.

• Less than a year after opening the $67 million Charlotte Embassy Suites Resort & Convention Center in Concord, the developer announced plans to add about 140 rooms and enlarge meeting space from 50,000 to 70,000 square feet, a $25 to $30 million project.

South Carolina

• The 340-room Charleston Marriott opened in July 2007. The hotel offers 15,000 square feet of flexible meeting space with nine meeting rooms and six breakout rooms and features the restaurant, Saffire - Charleston's Oven, and Aqua Terrace, a rooftop dining area.

• The new Hilton Columbia Center hotel is in the midst of the city's financial, entertainment, and historic districts. Along with 222 guest rooms are 4,000 square feet of meeting space and a Ruth's Chris restaurant. Nearby are Columbia Riverfront Park and the new technology epicenter, Innovista.

• In Beaufort, a 115-room Hilton Garden Inn is expected to open this month offering marsh views, meeting space, and a host of amenities.

Trip Tips

• MARTA trains run between Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and downtown Atlanta every 5 to 10 minutes from 5 a.m. to 1 a.m. daily. Cost is $1.50. Atlanta Airport Shuttles serve downtown every 15 minutes for $8 one way, $14 round trip. (800) 842-2770

• Got a little time to fill? Visit Galyan's Trading Co. in Atlanta, a sporting goods emporium that appeals to upscale jocks. There's a climbing wall, interactive batting cages, tennis courts, and putting greens. www.dickssportinggoods.com

• Charles Towne Landing, about three miles from downtown Charleston, is the site of the first permanent English settlement in South Carolina. There is a state park and a 17th-century village. Group admissions are less than $5 per person depending on the size of the group. (843) 852-4200.

Ask the CVB

Georgia

Georgia Department of Economic Development
(404) 962-4000
www.georgia.org

Atlanta CVB
(800) ATLANTA
www.atlanta.net

Brunswick and the Golden Isles CVB
(888) 536-0005
www.bgicvb.com
www.jekyllisland.com

Savannah Area CVB
(877) 728-2662
www.savcvb.com

North Carolina

Asheville CVB
(800) 257-5583
www.ashevillechamber.org/convention.htm

Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority
(800) 722-1994
www.visitcharlotte.org

Greensboro Area CVB
(800) 344-2282
www.visitgreensboro.com

Greenville-Pitt Co. CVB
(800) 537-5564
www.visitgreenvillenc.com

Greater Raleigh CVB
(800) 849-8499
www.visitraleigh.com

South Carolina

Charleston Area CVB
(800) 868-8118
www.charlestoncvb.com

Hilton Head Island/Bluffton Chamber of Commerce and Visitor & Convention Bureau
(843) 785-3673
www.hiltonheadisland.org

Myrtle Beach Area Convention Bureau
(800) 488-8998
www.myrtlebeachmeetings.com

Special Venues

• Opened in May 2007 in downtown Atlanta next to the Georgia Aquarium, the new World of Coca-Cola is a spectacular event venue. Five areas are available to accommodate after-hours events (even a remarkable tasting space with more than 70 different samples), or the entire facility may be reserved. Groups can range from 25 to a couple of thousand; up to three separate events can be held simultaneously. Call (404) 515-9622; www.woccatlanta.com

• The slowly rotating Sun Dial restaurant is 700-plus feet off terra firma at the top of the Atlanta Westin Peachtree Plaza. This is high-end dining, so enjoy the beef tenderloin with wild mushrooms or the seared North Georgia mountain trout. (404) 589-7506; www.sundialrestaurant.com

• Poogan's Porch at 72 Queen St., Charleston, is a beautiful Victorian house with several private dining rooms and porches for groups looking for excellent Low Country cuisine. Try the Queen Street oysters, She Crab soup, peanut butter pie, or Cajun shrimp. The restaurant seats 185, private banquet rooms for groups of 15 to 65. (843) 577-2337; www.poogansporch.com

• For a special occasion, consider the Museum of Art in downtown Columbia, S.C., at 1515 Main St. Contemporary architectural space is filled with natural light, flowing color, and sculpture. Meeting and reception areas can accommodate as few as 5 or as many as 1,000. (803) 343-2212; www.columbiamuseum.org