Meeting News - February 25, 2008 - (Page 28)

Destination Insider: Missouri continued from page 26 Convention Center, 47,000 sf of exhibition space is available to him, along with Hilton Branson Convention Center’s event staff, which manages both the venue and the connected 290-room hotel. “The way this convention center is tied into the Hilton hotel—and the way the management oversees both the hotel and the convention center— makes it really seamless from the producer’s standpoint,” said Cox. “Branson, as most people know it, has had to make do with theater venues; this brings a completely different light to it.” Following the success of the October show, the auction will be returning to the Branson Convention Center in April. This Spring, Taking ’Em Out to the Ol’ Ballgame Will Become Much Easier s baseball season nears, new venues in and around Missouri’s two Major League Baseball parks will make it easier for groups to take in a day at the ballpark. • In time for Opening Day, the Hilton St. Louis at the Ballpark will open its new 4,530-sf Ballpark Conference Center and 6,327-sf Arch View Ballroom in March, as part of a $50-million renovation to the property. Just steps away from Busch Stadium, the property will host groups with its conference center—divisible into three rooms—as well as its ballroom, which will feature views of downtown St. Louis and the famed Gateway Arch. • Construction broke ground in October at Kansas City’s Kaufman Stadium, with expansions to the existing Dugout Suites, capable of hosting groups of 35, scheduled to be completed this April. The majority of stadium renovations will be completed by April 2009, including the addition of 10 Triple Crown Suites and 14 Signature Suites, as well as four group suites. Additionally, interior improvements will be made to the meetings and banquet facilities of the Stadium Club, which currently accommodates events of up to 400 attendees. —PH A Hot wheels! Branson Collector Cars has found the right event space for its auctions. St. Charles Casino Opens Suites Ameristar Casinos Inc. has opened the first 100 suites of its 400-suite luxury hotel at its St. Charles casino. With the completion of the remaining suites and the opening of a 7,000-sf spa later this spring, the property will be renamed the Ameristar Casino Resort Spa in St. Charles. Currently, the 130,000-sf casino offers 19,000 sf of meeting space, split across two ballrooms, ﬁve meeting rooms, and an executive board room. “The new amenities and facility enhancements will appeal to both leisure and business guests seeking a wide array of amenities in a single location,” said Ameristar President and CEO John Boushy. The Hotel Group is investing more than $12 million in renovations to reposition the property as an upscale business hotel to serve the corporate group market. Renovations will encompass most of the property, with exterior upgrades as well as a full lobby and guest room overhaul. Construction will be completed by fall. The hotel currently features 13,000 sf of meeting space and a ballroom on its 28th ﬂoor. Room, Meeting Space Renaissance Sweeps Over Property in St. Louis In November, the 393-room Renaissance St. Louis Airport Hotel debuted $7 million in renovations to its guest rooms and 37,000 sf of meeting space. Upgrades include technological enhancements and new furniture in each of the hotel’s 32 ﬂexible meeting rooms, including 11 boardrooms and three ballrooms. Guest room improvements include new mattresses, work desks, and plasma TVs, as well as the addition of high-speed, wireless Internet access. “This renovation restores the property as the city’s market leader in meeting and convention space, in addition to providing St. Louis with its most elegant ballrooms,” said Bill Fontes, the hotel’s general manager. Kansas City Marriott Downtown Completes Phase I Renovations Kansas City’s largest hotel is undergoing a multimillion-dollar makeover of its 983 guest rooms, with the addition of new carpeting, curtains, and artwork, as well as new ﬂoors and lighting in the bathrooms. Renovations at the larger of the hotel’s two towers—the 573-room Marriott Tower—were completed late last year. Work on the second tower—the 410-room Muehlebach tower—will be completed this fall. Hilton St. Louis at the Ballpark KC InterContinental Freshened The InterContinental Kansas City at the Plaza completed a $15-million refurbishment in January. All of the property’s 366 rooms have new decor and furnishings. In addition, the hotel’s lobby, restaurant, and 29,000 sf of meeting space were renovated. r —Section written by Phillip Hennessey www.meetingnews.com Radisson-Turned-Crowne Plaza Getting a $12M Repositioning In September, the Hotel Group acquired the 388room Radisson Hotel and Suites in downtown Kansas City and rebranded it the Crowne Plaza Kansas City-Downtown. 28 MeetingNews February 25, 2008 http://www.meetingnews.com

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