Hotel & Motel Management - September 3, 2007 - (Page 33)

www.HotelMotel.com/digital_edition HotelMotel.com | H&MM September 3, 2007 News 33 Meetings Continued from page 30 equipment, and set up quickly. “We have a huge re-booking rate: Five of our 15 groups re-book, and some of them have multiyear contracts in place,” Menichini said. The Oak Brook Hill Marriott Resort in Chicago’s $15-million renovation of its hotel and meeting space, completed in late February, is expected to draw larger groups. Around 5,000 square feet of meeting space was added, boosting the hotel’s total meeting space to about 46,000 square feet of space. This was accomplished by moving 11 ofﬁces and a business center to other areas of the hotel. During last year’s renovation, Oak Brook Hill Marriott Resort executives took the opportunity to upgrade all furnishings, draperies and carpeting in the ballroom and meeting rooms. “All the vinyl and carpets were replaced, and beautiful credenzas with marble tops were added,” said Dan Gustafson, manager of Oak Brook Hill. The upgrade has made a difference to meeting planners and visitors, since the demographics of the area around the hotel are “very upscale” and the hotel mainly runs high-end conventions, weddings and other social gatherings, according to Gustafson. hmm@questex.com Acoustic technology at the Rosen Shingle Creek in Orlando was updated this spring, and two escalators were added. Technology upgrades one renovation goal By Christine Blank CONTRIBUTING EDITOR NATIONAL REPORT— Technology is a focus for most hotels when they build or renovate convention space. When Harrah’s New Orleans Hotel & Casino added more than 7,000 feet of meeting space, technology was a main consideration. “We added all the electronic gadgets that one would have in a modern hotel: electronic draperies, automated lighting and dimmer systems, and 60-inch LCD screens,” said Michael Pendergast, the hotel’s v.p. of hotel operations, food and beverage. The large screens are important for clients that want to run videos or use the screens for educational sessions, Pendergast said. An upgraded acoustical system was added to Rosen Shingle Creek’s ballrooms for about $500,000 this spring. “When the groups come in and do their own rigging and bring in their own production, it allows them to bring in less production and the sound in the room is more acoustic,” said Leslie Menichini, the Orlando hotel’s director of sales. The Ritz-Carlton New Orleans added electronic reader boards that look like ﬂat-screen TVs to the convention center’s ﬁrst ﬂoor. The boards advertise hotel services and provide a layout of the hotel. Indulge. Luxury Hotelier. The opportunity to reach your luxury hotelier customers is at your ﬁngertips. Introducing Luxury Hotelier, the exclusive entry to the owners and operators of every luxury hotel, resort and independent boutique hotel in the world. Luxury Hotelier focuses on the needs of the individual luxury hotelier, and provides a valuable resource unmatched in the luxury market. For the ﬁrst time, you can treat yourself with the ability to reach your most important clients. You deserve it. Ad close: 09/24 | Material close: 10/05 PROTOCOLS | PROPERTIES | PERSONALITIES hmm@questex.com Contact your sales representative for more information: 216 | 706 | 3718 Subscribers and advertisers are by invitation only. To ﬁnd out if you qualify, please visit us at www.luxuryhotelier.com ROSEN HOTELS & RESORTS http://HotelMotel.com http://www.HotelMotel.com/digital_edition http://www.luxuryhotelier.com http://www.luxuryhotelier.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Hotel & Motel Management - September 3, 2007

Cover Contents Convention Centers Add Bells and Whistles Questex Media acquires Five Star Alliance Perspective At Your Risk Energy Star Update Sales Clinic Transactions Awards Trends & Stats Wireless Networking Northwest Pipeline Coffee Services Ad/Editorial Index Marketplace Classifieds Checking Out

Hotel & Motel Management - September 3, 2007

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