Meeting News - March 9, 2009 - (Page 47)

Destination Insider: Dallas-Fort Worth By William Ng william.ng@nielsen.com Dallas Approves Omni and Developer for Headquarters Hotel Dallas’ city council last month finalized separate contracts with developer Matthews Southwest and Omni Hotels for a 1,016-room hotel next to the Dallas Convention Center. The move green-lights the city to proceed on an early-April groundbreaking and to issue nearly $350 million in revenue bonds to finance the hotel’s construction. Calling the deals a “big day for Dallas,” the Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau has begun notifying groups that have booked nearly 200,000 future convention room nights contingent on the hotel, as well as other potential groups, of a 28month construction timeline that would place the hotel’s opening at summer 2011. “The next step is to sell the bonds,” said Phillip Jones, the CVB’s president and CEO.“All systems are go.”The agreement with Matthews Southwest (MSW) requires it to fund “ancillary development” of retail, entertainment, and cultural amenities next to the hotel. The Omni hotel would address the city’s longtime lack of a convention center property. That deficiency “has been a major drawback,” said Don Freeman, chairman of convention services firm Freeman.“Citywide conventions have been choosing other locations for years,” he said. “Building a convention center hotel will put Dallas on the map again for many groups.” One of those groups is Alexandria, VA-based Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), which has selected Dallas for its 2013 annual convention. CMP Lisa L. Dyson, conference services director, said TESOL went with Dallas based on “knowing the hotel was a possibility,” the city’s airlift, its convention center, and past success with meetings in Texas. While Dyson is considering a small block of rooms (200) at the planned Omni for the 2013 group, she remains unsure of the hotel, citing economic conditions. She will have her group based at the Hyatt Regency Dallas and shuttle attendees to the convention center. “Given the state of financing, I’m not convinced the hotel will happen,” Dyson said.“There also has been animosity toward the project.” www.meetingnews.com High-profile opposition has been led by the Citizens Against the Taxpayer-Owned Hotel, a group that set off a citywide referendum for May 9, which will let the public decide on allowing a city-owned hotel. The group unsuccessfully tried to obtain a court injunction to block the Omni and MSW agreements. But Jones told MeetingNews the project is moving as planned, citing any change to the city charter as a result of the referendum cannot be retroactive on existing projects. He also did not rule out funding from the federal stimulus package assisting shovel-ready projects. “This is going to be a real boost to the local economy,” said Jones. Ranch Flavor for Groups Wildcatter Ranch caters small retreats Armed with a new boutique hotel and conference center 90 minutes outside the Metroplex, in Graham, TX, Wildcatter Ranch is gunning for corporate and incentive groups of up to 40. Opened last October, a Victorian-themed complex with 16 suites doubled Wildcatter’s total room count and added four meeting rooms ranging from 500 to 900 sf, plus a 2,400-sf “grand hall” with built-in AV. Wildcatter also restored a 200-year-old ranch house into a two-bedroom cottage, called the Homestead, suitable for VIPs. Featuring luxe bedding and bath products, full appliances, and Wi-Fi, the new suites resemble “classic hotel” style compared with the 16 ranchstyle rooms at Wildcatter’s original Lodge, said managing partner Anne Skipper, during a visit to MeetingNews’ New York offices. The new accommodations and AV-inclusive meeting space are part of a move that, combined with an infinity pool and the equally new, fullservice Sage spa, makes the five-year-old ranch more attractive to groups that want a ranch but upscale surroundings, said Skipper. Skipper said the 1,500-acre Wildcatter has 60 groups on the books this year, from financial to pharma to oil-and-gas firms.“The Northeast is a big market, as well as drive-ins from Dallas-Fort Worth,” she said, while manager Jason McAlister noted most groups do three-to-four-day buyouts. The 30-staff ranch does traditional activities, like horseback riding, but also customizes teambuilding like cattle sorting, obstacle courses, scavenger hunts, and poker tournaments. Planners can opt for customized chuck wagon cookouts, with campfires and Dutch ovens, in lieu of traditional dining in the 200-seat Wildcatter Steakhouse, a 2007 Wine Spectator award winner. H Wildcatter Ranch’s original “Lodge” rooms keep an 1800s Western motif. March 9, 2009 MeetingNews 47 http://www.meetingnews.com

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Meeting News - March 9, 2009

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