Meeting News - September 22, 2008 - (Page 28)

Destination Insider: San Francisco Edited by Rayna Katz rayna.katz@nielsen.com New and Improved Venues Have High-Tech, Green Elements Cavallo Point Lodge in Fort Baker gives attendees scenic views of the Golden Gate Bridge. Two new meetings and special events facilities have opened in and around the city in the past few months—while an existing meetings hotel will finish renovating next month—and the venues have much in common. All three have a distinctive ambiance while emphasizing either earth-friendly practices or high-tech features. Last April, the Bently Reserve Conference Center opened in the financial district. Situated in a circa-1924 building, the standalone conference center features 10,000 sf of meeting space in seven rooms. Along with the grand historic Banking Hall on the main floor, which can accommodate up to 400 for a banquet, there is a meeting room that can seat 67 theater-style and six boardrooms seating from 10 to 22 people each. Several ecofriendly features were installed as part of the conference center’s goal of obtaining silver LEED certification. Cavallo Point Lodge opened last June at the northern end of the Golden Gate Bridge, at historic Fort Baker, near Sausalito. San Francisco Bay’s first national park lodge, the 50-acre prop- Hyatt, Sheraton at Fisherman’s Wharf Revamp After a substantial guest room renovation and fitness center addition last year, the 315-room Hyatt at Fisherman’s Wharf redesigned and reconstructed its lobby earlier this year. The property offers more than 25,000 sf of function space. Meanwhile, the 529-room Sheraton at Fisherman’s Wharf completed a $33 million renovation that included giving all 529 guest rooms a softer 28 MeetingNews September 22, 2008 color palette and new high-tech amenities—such as desktop jacks to accommodate MP3 players and recharge cell phones—along with 9,000 sf of new function space. The new space includes the 2,731-sf Embarcadero room and an outdoor “living room” with fire pits, which together can handle a reception of up to 275 people. —HWB erty was built as an environmentally sustainable hotel that combines the heritage of Fort Baker with luxury and high-tech amenities targeted at the high-end meetings market. The lodge includes 68 guest rooms and suites in the fort’s restored, century-old officers quarters, 74 contemporary sustainable rooms and suites, 15,000 sf of indoor meeting space in 11 rooms, 14,000 sf of outdoor function space that can handle groups of up to 250 people, an 11,000-sf spa and the Healing Arts Center, and a fine-dining restaurant. Cavallo Point will also serve as the home of the Institute at Golden Gate, a new environmental program of the nonprofit Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, in partnership with the National Park Service. The Villa Florence, on Union Square, will complete a substantial renovation in October intended to reposition the property as a four-star-level hotel. The work remodeled the lobby and all 183 guest rooms in the style of a modern Italian villa, enhanced the meeting facilities, and added Bar Norcini, a wine bar specializing in Italian vintages and Italian-themed cocktails. The hotel’s accommodations have been upgraded with contemporary Italian decor and premium amenities that now include LCD televisions, complimentary wireless high-speed Internet, and iPod docking stations. Decor and technology were also updated in the hotel’s four meeting rooms, which can accommodate from 10 to 120 people. —Heidi Waldrop Bay www.meetingnews.com Photo: (L) by Michal Venera, (R) by Kodiak Greenwood http://www.meetingnews.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Meeting News - September 22, 2008

Meeting News - September 22, 2008
Contents
What’s Up @ MeetingNews.com
Inside the Meetings Industry
People Making News
Hotels & Resorts
Convention Centers
CVBs
International
Green Beat
Destination Insider
MN Webcast Report
Ad Index
Live from the Forum

Meeting News - September 22, 2008