Meeting News - January 28, 2008 - (Page 34)

Destination Insider: San Antonio Edited by Elizabeth West elizabeth.west@nielsen.com New Convention Hotel Proves Buzzworthy The Grand Hyatt, debuting next month, already has impressive bookings volume “There is already a lot of demand for the property,” said Scott Lane, director of sales and marketing for the hotel. A model room, located in the convention center, has been garnering lots of raves and creating pre-opening sales numbers worth bragging about.“We have over 600,000 room nights booked, with another 300,000 pending,” said Lane. That’s great news for the San Antonio Convention & Visitors Bureau, which is now accepting groups that it may have previously turned away because there wasn’t enough space to host two large events simultaneously. “Now, we can bring more groups to the city during peak times,” said Lane. But it’s not just big conventions that will beneﬁt from the new headquarters hotel. “Our event space is stacked on three levels, making it easy for us to host one large group and three smaller groups at the same time,” Lane added. Amenities of the hotel include a modern ﬁtness center, a heated lap pool, spa treatment facilities, and a selection of food and beverage spots. An underground parking garage for 500 vehicles is also on the site. Personalized service and unique San Antonio-inspired touches, like artwork commissioned by local Hispanic artists, appeal to meeting planners, as well. River Walk Magnet to Expand, Easing Trafﬁc and CC Access A $216-million improvement project on San Antonio’s River Walk is well under way, extending the park from two to 13 miles and offering expanded access to the city’s Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, which sits alongside the existing section. “This makes the city more marketable.With more usable space, the River Walk will be less crowded and will have more places to gather,” said Steve Clanton, vice president of sales for the San Antonio Convention & Visitors Bureau.“It also makes the hotels that sit four or ﬁve blocks from the convention center more attractive to groups.” Phase I of the project, the northern extension, The new Grand Hyatt will allow big groups to sleep next door to the convention center. The San Antonio skyline has a new sight: the Grand Hyatt San Antonio, which opens its doors in February. The Hyatt brings 1,003 hotel rooms right next to the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center on downtown’s River Walk, plus meeting space: a total of 115,000 sf that includes 29 breakout rooms, a 32,000-sf ballroom, and a secondary ballroom measuring 21,000 sf. Outdoor spaces, such as a balcony and terrace, complement the indoor offerings and are impressing meeting planners. Latino Culture Up Close Opened just last spring, Museo Alameda is an attraction for small groups and showcases art that tells the story of Latino culture in America. The ﬁrst formal afﬁliate of the Smithsonian Institute, it is located in historic Market Square and features 22,000 sf of exhibition space and a dramatic sculpture garden, plus meeting space. The museum can be booked for private receptions, group tours, and conferences. The city’s famed River Walk is becoming a useful artery to get to area attractions. will be completed next year and opens up access to area museums, the Pearl Brewery, restaurants, art galleries, and entertainment. The southern extension, to be done in 2012, will connect downtown to the city’s four Spanish Colonial missions and feature bucolic parks and pedestrian bridges. “It’s a very natural extension, especially to the north, where the River Walk will start at the same point as the river itself,” said Clanton. “It will really develop downtown for city living. This is very important for planners to understand because it will create a different ambiance and make downtown San Antonio more user-friendly for visitors— including meeting attendees—too.” www.meetingnews.com Museo Alameda provides event space and a history of Latino culture in the United States. 34 MeetingNews January 28, 2008 http://www.meetingnews.com

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