Meeting News - September 22, 2008 - (Page 14) Hotels/Resorts A Storied Property in the Big Easy Gets an Overhaul The Waldorf=Astoria Collection has announced that it will redevelop the Fairmont New Orleans— better known as the Roosevelt hotel—to its original grandeur and reopen the property next spring. Expected to cost over $100 million, renovation of the property will be extensive; it has been closed since Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The 500-room Roosevelt, of which 110 rooms will be suites, had three ballrooms—offering 6,000 sf, 13,000 sf, and 20,000 sf of meeting space, respectively—that will reopen. It will also feature a spa and fitness center, a restaurant, and a restored Blue Room and Sazerac Bar (two legendary spots). “For decades the Roosevelt was ‘the pride of the South,’” said Joseph Berger, area president, the Americas, Hilton Hotels Corp., of which the Waldorf=Astoria brand is a part.“We intend to see that the pride of the South rises again.” Added Sam Friedman, a member of the hotel’s ownership group, “Great care will be taken to conserve the property’s exterior and its many noteworthy public spaces.” The landmark hotel was opened in 1893 as the Grunewald. In 1923 the hotel was renamed the Roosevelt in honor of President Theodore Roosevelt; it kept that name until being purchased by Fairmont Hotels and Resorts in 1965. In the era of supper clubs, from the 1930s to the 1960s, the Blue Room played host to some of the biggest names in show business and to an elaborate floor show. In over a century of operation, the Roosevelt was the backdrop for many historic events and often made history. Louisiana Governor Huey P. Long, a regular customer, built a 90-mile highway directly from the state capital in Baton Rouge to the hotel. The Roosevelt is also believed to have inspired Arthur Hailey’s novel Hotel. r Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City Gets Fishy Boosting culinary options in the Northeast’s longest-running gaming destination, a seafood chain has opened an outpost. McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurant debuted last month at Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City. The menu, which changes daily, includes dishes created with regional and local catch and a “Fresh List” that announces what has been delivered that day. Harrah’s Atlantic City—which offers 2,590 guest rooms, 25,000 sf of meeting space, and a 113,000-sf casino—has been updating its restaurants and introducing new eateries since last year. Most recently, it renovated both the menu and the look of its Reflections Cafe, the property’s only 24-hour restaurant. Be inspired with 47,000 square feet of IACC approved meeting space. Be dazzled by the latest technology. Be invigorated by natural skylights. Be conveniently located near Princeton University. From our meeting spaces and LCD projectors to our highly trained in-house staff, we’re always dedicated to surpassing your expectations. And, with the Wyndham Event Rewards Program, you can earn 10 points for every dollar spent. Reduce your meeting folio or use the points toward your next meeting, it’s up to you. All so you will be well prepared, well treated and well rested. Be well. CALL 1-609-936-6512 OR VISIT WWW.WYNDHAMPRINCETONFORRESTAL.COM 14 MeetingNews September 22, 2008 www.meetingnews.com http://WWW.WYNDHAMPRINCETONFORRESTAL.COM http://WWW.WYNDHAMPRINCETONFORRESTAL.COM http://www.meetingnews.com
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