Successful Meetings - December 2008 - (Page 50)

Meeting Sites > Places & Spaces cuisine, using organic produce from the walled garden and locally produced meat. Plans are afoot to convert one of the old barns into a dedicated meeting facility. There’s an air of pride in its own eccentricity at Castle Leslie in County Monaghan, nearly equidistant from Dublin and Belfast. Despite its imposing Scottish Baronial facade, the castle’s interior has an unstuffy, lived-in atmosphere. The present baronet, Sir John Leslie, now in his 90s, is still an entertaining host and raconteur. Also residing is his niece, Samantha (“Sammy”) Leslie. It’s she who turned the estate into the thriving venture it is today, attracting celebrities such as Paul McCartney, who had his wedding there in 2002. “I took over when I was 24,” Sammy says. “I’d always known this was what I wanted to do.” There are an additional 30 guest rooms in the recently restored Victorian Hunting Lodge, which overlooks the stable courtyard. More like a traditional hotel, it houses the organic spa, restaurant, pub, and meeting rooms. With stone walls and crenellated turrets, Crom Castle, in the heart of Northern Ireland’s Lake District, is undeniably romantic. Three years ago, the Earl of Erne and his son, Viscount Crichton, made the castle’s West Wing available for the first time. Entirely self-contained, it’s the perfect spot for a small corporate group seeking the utmost in seclusion and privacy. “We specialize in peace and quiet; the house is cozy, and there are no ghosts,” says Lord Erne. There are six rather grand bedrooms, a proper country house sitting room, and a beautiful glass Victorian conservatory for larger events. (Several National Trust cottages on the estate can house extra guests.) Outside are gardens, a tennis court, a deer park, the romantic ruins of the original Crom Castle, and a pair of ancient yews, reputedly the oldest trees in Ireland. When the Earl is in residence, he’s glad to meet guests and give them a tour of Crom Castle itself, which was designed by Edward Blore, one of the architects of Buckingham Palace. Openings VIRGINIA Chesapeake The 226-room Chesapeake Marriott hotel opened in Oct as the headquarter hotel for the Chesapeake Conference Center. The property is a certified Virginia Green Hotel and features 12,000 sf of banquet and meeting space. South LOUISIANA New Orleans Wyndham Hotels and Resorts in Oct added the 251-room Chateau Bourbon to its historic properties portfolio after converting it from the Chateau Sonesta hotel. The property has 10,000 sf of event space. Southwest OKLAHOMA Norman The 283-suite Embassy Suites Norman - Hotel & Conference Center opened in Oct with 80,000 sf of combined, flexible meeting space near the University of Oklahoma campus. ARIZONA Scottsdale W Scottsdale Hotel & Residences opened in Oct with 224 luxurious guest rooms, including 27 suites, and 10,000 sf of indoor and outdoor event space. Paradise Valley InterContinental Montelucia Resort & Spa opened near Scottsdale with 253 guest rooms, 40 suites, 34 villas, and a 31,000-sf destination spa. Indoor event space totals 27,000 sf, including two ballrooms and 16 meeting rooms. West CALIFORNIA Santa Monica The 71-room Hotel ShangriLa was scheduled to reopen in Nov following a $30 million redesign. The property overlooks the Pacific Ocean and features a 300-sf rooftop meeting room and a 700-sf outdoor terrace. OREGON Portland Starwood Hotels & Resorts opened The Nines, a Luxury Collection Hotel, downtown with 331 rooms and 14,000 sf of eco-friendly function space. The property, which opened in Oct, is aiming for LEED Silver certification and features artwork by local artists. All contributors to Places & Spaces can be reached at corrie.dosh@nielsen.com. Nor theast International Report Asia CHINA Shenzhen Futian ShangriLa opened Oct 23 with 548 rooms and event space for up to 2,000 attendees including a 20,000-sf ballroom. The second phase of the grand opening is scheduled for this month with VIP suites, a spa, and a full-service restaurant. HONG KONG Kowloon A 393-room W hotel opened in Oct with 8,200 sf of function space and Asia’s first Bliss Spa. Europe ENGLAND London Guoman Hotels is expected in early 2009 to reopen the iconic The Royal Horseguards, a Grade 1 landmark building, with 280 rooms after a $30 million refurbishment. Connected to the hotel is One Whitehall Place, also newly refurbished with a $2 million investment, accommodating groups up to 340. successfulmeetings.com ITALY Milan Doubletree by Hilton opened in Oct in the heart of Viale Certosa with 240 rooms and nearly 5,000 sf of event space. GREECE Olympia Raffles Olympia resort opened with 124 guest rooms and suites, 120 private residences, a 17,000-sf conference center, Raffles Amrita Spa, and a watersports center. 50 DECEMBER 2008 SUCCESSFUL MEETINGS http://www.successfulmeetings.com

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Successful Meetings - December 2008 Contents Editor's Note Corporate Events On the Record Calendar Research Planner Spotlight Personal Success Technology Talk Food & Beverage Professional Development Quick Tip Tools of the Trade On Site: Retire Those Tired Power-Point Slides On Site: 12 Tips for Thriving on a South African Safari Deep Impact Recession-Friendly Speakers Showing Off Hawaii Insert Places & Spaces Mississippi Gulf Coast Fort Worth South Florida Beijing Gurus

Successful Meetings - December 2008

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