Meeting News - March 24, 2008 - (Page 12)

Hotels & Resorts continued from page 10 least 10 rooms at the 200 participating Marriott or JW Marriott hotels and resorts will be automatically entered for a chance to win a guest appearance on an award-winning television show. The prize, valued at more than $10,000, also includes round-trip airfare to Los Angeles from the winner’s closest airport, and a two-night stay for two in a deluxe room. Alternatively, the prize can be redeemed for 500,000 Marriott Rewards points, which can be applied to personal use or donated to a charity. Planners who book multiple programs that qualify for the sweepstakes can enter the competition multiple times. For more information, go to www.redcarpetrollout.com. Groups, Planners Can Take Online Glimpse of the ‘Roc’ Miami—As the Eden Roc Renaissance Beach Resort & Spa enters the final months of its massive facelift, a website detailing the resort’s construction progress—with meeting space and amenity-specific information—has been made available, at www.boldnewedenroc.com. The site is designed to provide information on the resort’s new facilities and amenities, including 90,000 sf of event space. It includes a “What’s New” tab, linking viewers to news briefs about the Eden Roc’s key amenities, and an “Event Space” tab, a source for information on venues at the resort. A virtual tour of the hotel can be found on the site, too. Set to open one tower in October and a second in December, the resort is undergoing a $180-million upgrade and expansion that will raise the guest-room count from 349 to 631. It will also have a 21,000-sf spa. Meeting planners seeking a deal in South Florida stand to benefit by staying apprised of what’s to come at the resort: Eden Roc will award 100,000 Marriott Rewards Points to group customers who book events by year end. Ameristar’s Gaming Complex Nears Completion in St. Louis St. Charles, MO—The Ameristar Casino St. Charles Conference and Meeting Center is near full operation following the recent debuts of the hotel and the conference center. Providing 400 guest rooms and 19,200 sf of meeting space, the new elements bolster the complex, where a casino and restaurants have been operating since late 2006. A 7,000-sf spa will round out the facility soon, although an exact timetable has not been set. The all-suite hotel features oversized accommodations, while the conference center’s meeting space offers two ballrooms, five meeting rooms, and a boardroom, all decked out with sound attenuation fabric and walls—including the divider walls. The property is about 25 minutes from downtown St. Louis and 10 minutes from Lambert-St. Louis International Airport. It sits adjacent to a 130,000-sf casino vessel, which offers more than 3,000 slot and video poker machines, as well as 97 table games. Morgans Group Adding Hotel in Palm Springs Palm Springs, CA—Morgans Hotel Group has announced plans to develop the Palm Springs Hotel & Residences, a medium-sized downtown property. On tap are about 200 guest rooms and “significant flexible indoor and outdoor meeting and function space,” according to the company’s announcement. The resort is expected to open in 2010. The resort will sit directly across from the newly renovated Palm Springs Convention Center and will be a short walk from the main downtown retail promenade. Plans call for the property to include a spa, a “destination restaurant,” and a bar. Exact plans for the total amount of meeting space have not been established, but a large ballroom and a boardroom will be featured. Further, the property will include a movie screening room, which will be available for private group functions. “We see tremendous opportunities in the resurgence of downtown Palm Springs,” said Fred Kleisner, Morgans’ president and CEO. “With its glamour and energy, we expect this property to attract a hip, diverse clientele.” r www.meetingnews.com F&B at Big Apple’s Westin is a Matter of Yin and Yang potlighting the business world’s growing interest in wellness and work-life balance, the Westin New York at Times Square has introduced a feng shui-inspired menu for meals at meetings. The major theme of the menu is a focus on yin and yang, the balance between darkness (yin) and light (yang). At events using the feng shui menu, guests are greeted with saketini, green tea martini, and lychee martini cocktails. From crispy duck salad with lime and chili to drinkable crudites shots—including combinations such as carrot, ginger, and orange, or tomato, basil, and lime. The butler-passed selections exude a variety of colors, textures, and flavors. Nigri sushi, kobe beef, chanterelle on bamboo, and ahi tuna tartar wonton tuile provide additional sustenance focused on the yang, which represents creativity and is believed to keep thoughts streaming all night long. The yin-yang dumpling station serves four-color dumplings out of brick-elevated woks, and the bim bop station offers dishes served in individual clay pots and leaf-lined bowls. According to feng shui principles, serving in ornate dishes increases prosperity. Valid year-round and based on availability, the feng shuiinspired menu starts at $150 per person; the rate includes the meeting room. The hotel has 863 guest rooms and suites and more than 34,000 sf of meeting space. S Food for thought is now available for groups at Westin in Times Square. 12 MeetingNews March 24, 2008 http://www.boldnewedenroc.com http://www.redcarpetrollout.com http://www.meetingnews.com

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Meeting News - March 24, 2008

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