Successful Meetings - May 2009 - (Page 80)

ANAHEIM & ORANGE COUNTY > SWEET ESCAPE SWEET ESCAPE ORANGE COUNTY WILL JUICE UP YOUR ATTENDEES’ MOTIVATION By Corrie Dosh t’s a tough year to open a luxury resort, but on 504 acres in Newport Beach, CA, sits the spectacular and brand new Resort at Pelican Hill. Luckily, the developers have deep pockets, locals say, and should be able to weather the recession just fine. The resort offers 204 bungalows and bungalow suites and 128 luxury villas, all available for daily rentals. There is also an expansive saltwater pool, a spa with 22 treatment rooms, a 36-hole, Tom Fazio-designed golf course, and 20,000 sf of indoor function space. A strong area meetings market bodes I well for the property. A total of 764 meetings, trade shows, or conventions were held in 2008 at the Anaheim Convention Center and area hotels, drawing 1.25 million attendees and nearly a billion dollars in spending to the area. While it was a strong year— and convention and visitors bureau officials expected a strong 2009 at the year’s start—a slowdown is inevitable. This is where the AIG Effect began, and the oversaturation of luxury resorts along the coast is poorly timed. The economy isn’t stopping other Orange County hotels and venues from sprucing up with new renovations. The Hilton Anaheim completed a $70 million renovation in January. All 1,572 rooms, lobby, fitness and health center, and 100,000 sf of meeting space have been renovated and a new restaurant called Mix has opened. The 1,030-room Anaheim Marriott is finishing up a $22 million renovation. And the 745-room Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa is adding 200 guest rooms and 50 villas this year. New properties in the area include the 285-room Sheraton Garden Grove, with 8,000 sf of meeting space, and the Woods Cove in Laguna Beach 80 I SM I May 2009 I SuccessfulMeetings.com http://www.SuccessfulMeetings.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Successful Meetings - May 2009

Successful Meetings - May 2009
Contents
Editor's Letter
News Update
Education
Management Matters
Meetings Law
Mouth For Sale
Visionaries
Gurus
Forging Ahead
The Road to Ruin
The Case for Spas
Foreign Affairs
Paper Purge
Carnival Spirit
Defending Meetings
Places + Spaces
Upstate NY
Anaheim
Minneapolis
San Diego
French Riviera
Park City

Successful Meetings - May 2009