Meeting News - April 21, 2008 - (Page 8)

Hotels & Resorts Luxury on the Cheap, As ALHI Dishes Out Discount for Planners Washington, DC—Anticipating budget crunches on group travel, Associated Luxury Hotels International has launched the ALHI Private Sale for meeting and incentive planners. Groups that book new business through ALHI over select dates at participating properties will receive a $35-per-room banquet food and beverage credit. Meanwhile, planners have two more reasons to work with ALHI. The hotel collective has added the new Vdara Condo Hotel, in Las Vegas, and Pinehurst Resort, Village of Pinehurst, NC. The private sale credit is based on the total number of paid rooms and suites on peak night—for up to a $10,000 credit. Bookings must be made by June 30 and actualized by March 31, 2009. It is available to groups with a minimum two-night program using at least 35 rooms on peak night. “[Planners] can use the credit to simply lessen their expenses or to add a ‘wow’ to their banquet,” said David Gabri, president and CEO of ALHI. “An extra $10,000 can go a long way.” Over 100 hotels and resorts worldwide belong to ALHI, providing more than 80,000 rooms and suites and over 9 million sf of meeting space. Included in those figures, the Vdara hotel will have 1,543 guest rooms and meeting space for groups of 10 to 400 people when it opens next year as part of Las Vegas’ CityCenter development. Pinehurst— home to more championship tournaments than any golf resort nationwide—provides 479 rooms and suites as well as 58,000 sf of meeting space. 8 MeetingNews April 21, 2008 Edited by Rayna Katz rayna.katz@nielsen.com Extreme Sheraton Makeover: U.S. Properties Get Redone White Plains, NY—Sheraton Hotels & Resorts has launched a complete design upgrade of lobbies and guest rooms at 100 U.S. properties. The Starwood Hotels & Resorts brand will spend $1.3 billion to spruce up the hotels by the end of 2009. The other 306 Sheraton hotels, into four zones, slated for welcoming, connection, rest, and re-energizing. “It’s a radical change,” said Harper. The welcome, or entrance area, will look residential but feature a luggage bench, shelf, and wardrobe. For connection, rooms will feature a modular, movable desk and a charg- New Package At Tucson’s Miraval Boosts Attendee’s Sharpness, Energy, And Productivity Miraval Resort, in Tucson, AZ. last month announced a new Executive Strategy Package to keep guests sharp in the boardroom. The 102-room property is offering corporate groups a brainstorming retreat meant to increase productivity, performance, and satisfaction. Meeting attendees will be served nutritious meals to boost energy, classes will include take-home tools to enhance productivity, and challenging physical activities and teambuilding are now available. Also, Rubin Naiman, Miraval’s director of sleep programs, will meet with guests to provide tips for restful sleep both at the hotel and at home. For more information, go to www.miravalresort.com. by public parks and will include music, lighting, a communal table, game tables, oversized chairs, and the signature “Link @ Sheraton” communications hub that will be in place at all properties by year end, along with a casual dining spot. Sheraton’s new guest rooms will be sleek and more user-friendly. spread over 70 countries, are already up to snuff, said Hoyt Harper, senior vice president for the brand. “The greatest delta existed between U.S. properties and those in the rest of the world, so we’re elevating all of our hotels to where the international properties already are,” he said. In response to guest surveys indicating that flexible room design was sought, all guest rooms will be divided ing station. Redone bathrooms will energize guests with new bath products and eco-friendly fixtures. Every property’s rooms will have one of three designs: classic, simple, or casual, with local elements added. “Customers…want consistency, but the product shouldn’t be the same in New York as it is in San Diego,” Harper added. The redone lobbies will be inspired Sofitel’s Big Green Statement By Committing to Wind Energy Dallas—Sofitel Hotels has struck an agreement with wind energy supplier Community Energy Inc. to buy clean, renewable wind energy for its nine U.S. properties. The purchase, in the form of Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) qualifies Sofitel as an Environmental Protection Agency Green Power Partner, and it makes the company the first hotel chain to choose green power for each of its U.S. locations. “We’re proud to step up,” said Robert Moore, senior vice president of technical services for Sofitel’s parent firm, Accor North America. “We hope others will follow.” Sofitel has two hotels in Chicago and one each in Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New York City, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Washington, DC. H www.meetingnews.com http://www.miravalresort.com http://www.meetingnews.com

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Meeting News - April 21, 2008

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