Meeting News - June 16, 2008 - (Page 20) Hotels & Resorts Make Mine A Double Hyatt offer lets planners pick a duo of benefits for groups Chicago—Meeting planners trying to economize as the nation battles a recession may want to look closely at the new Take Two Meetings offer from Hyatt Hotels & Resorts. All 120 properties across the company’s full-service brands—Hyatt, Grand Hyatt, Park Hyatt, and Hyatt Regency—in North America, Canada, and the Caribbean are allowing planners who book at least 25 guest rooms over Hyatt Extra Value Dates through March 2009 to get additional savings by choosing two of the following perks: No attrition fees (possibly a very compelling offer during the downturn); one complimentary guest room per 35 paid room nights; complimentary morning or afternoon coffee break; or two upgrades to suites at the group rate. Said a company spokeswoman, “We’re allowing planners or groups to customize their programs by selecting benefits that are important to them, such as complimentary Internet access in guest rooms, complimentary coffee breaks, room upgrades, or nixing attrition fees.” The offering was created following a survey of meeting planner customers, which indicated that planners were seeking “instant rewards” for their business. Hyatt also wanted to address today’s general concern over expenses, according to Scott Seed, director Edited by Rayna Katz rayna.katz@nielsen.com Marriott Makes Good On Its Green Pledge To Meeting Planners Bethesda, MD—As promised this spring, Marriott has introduced a way for groups to contribute to its recently created foundation meant to save the Amazonas rainforest. In addition, the hotelier has created several eco-friendly meeting products and services. Marriott’s announcement in April of a comprehensive green effort (May 5 MN, p. 12) included an assurance that it would launch a group component by the end of May, and the hotelier lived up to that promise. For stays during select dates, participating hotels worldwide will make a cash contribution to the foundation—in the group’s name— equal to 5 percent of the total cost of the group’s guest rooms. The program will be available for meetings of 10 sleeping rooms or more booked directly with a hotel’s sales associate. All meetings must take place between July 1, 2008 and December 31, 2011; participating brands include JW Marriott Hotels and Resorts, Marriott Hotels and Resorts, as well as Renaissance Hotels and Resorts. The hotelier also is unveiling a menu of eco-friendly green meeting products and services, including recycle bins in the meeting room, pens and notepads made from recycled material, decoration using organic flowers, linen-less tables, name tag reuse, and the donation of leftover food. “Rainforest destruction causes more carbon emissions annually than all of the world’s cars, trains, SUVs, and trucks combined,” said David Marriott, senior vice president of global sales. “By hosting green meetings, groups will be reducing greenhouse gas emissions.” www.meetingnews.com Planners can get a break here. of business marketing. “Companies and their meeting planners seek value-added solutions for their meeting needs with increasingly restrained budgets,” he said. “This offer allows them to get that.” Beans Get Spilled on Vegas’ Big CityCenter Project Las Vegas—Plans for the CityCenter development under way on the Strip are becoming clearer. Anchoring the $8-billion project, which is slated top open in late 2009, next to the Bellagio, will be Aria Resort & Casino. Set to compete with its neighboring iconic properties, the Aria will have 3,436 guest rooms and 568 suites, with both room types featuring “technologies never before used in the hospitality industry,” according to an announcement of the property. The hotel also will feature 300,000 sf of meeting space spread over seven ballrooms and 31 other function areas. “Aria will be demonstrably different than any resort that has preceded it,” said Bill McBeath, the resort’s president and COO. “Even in a city such as Las Vegas, with its extraordinary history of dynamic cutting20 MeetingNews June 16, 2008 edge development, Aria will introduce a new generation of resort experiences.” Among those will be several entertainment options. Aria will house an Vdara, a hotel coming to Vegas. Elvis Presley-themed Cirque du Soleil collection. Just outside of Aria’s lobby doors will sit the Crystals, a 500,000-sf retail and entertainment district, as well as CityCenter’s $40million collection of fine art. Meanwhile, Vdara, one of three non-gaming hotels in the complex—a joint venture between MGM Mirage and Dubai World— has announced that it is accepting reservations for corporate events and incentives starting in 2010. The property, with 1,495 guest room and suites, will have 10,000 sf of meeting space, including a 4,000sf ballroom for up to 400 guests (as well as space for smaller events), three breakout rooms of 800 to 850 sf each, a 3,500-sf prefunction area, a pool and lounge area that can host up to 1,500 attendees, and a private dining room and a boardroom, both of which host up to 14 people. http://www.meetingnews.com
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