Meetings Today - January 2019

ALABAMA

Originally opened in 1974,

The Lodge at Gulf State Park, A Hilton Hotel

reopened its doors along Alabama’s Gulf Coast. The 350-room, beachfront hotel is located within Alabama’s Gulf State Park and offers views of the Gulf of Mexico or Lake Shelby with access to over 6,150 acres of trails and activities within the Park. This reimagined hotel boasts over 40,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space, including The Gulfview Ballroom, the largest beach-view ballroom in the region, which can accommodate indoor events up to 1,000 guests. There are patios and terraces overlooking the Gulf of Mexico.

The property features four restaurants and bars, including Roasted Oak Coffee & Wine Bar in the main lobby.

The hotel also has a number of sustainability initiatives, including eco-friendly construction, responsible water sourcing and routing, wildlife-conscious features, energy conservation, restorative landscaping and conscientious menus. www.hilton.com

FLORIDA

The Confidante Miami Beach, located in the city’s
Mid-Beach neighborhood, unveiled a full transforma-
tion to its meetings and events space with the debut of
the new Carmen Miranda Ballroom. The new ballroom
brings the hotel’s Mid-century modern design to life in
a 4,639-square-foot space inclusive of a prefunction
area, expansive indoor ballroom with two divisible
seating sections, a dedicated stairwell to the property’s
two pools and a private wrap-around terrace. The new
Carmen Miranda Ballroom now connects all rooms on
the second floor, offering guests Miami’s most unique
venues for all types of occasions. The renovation comes
fresh off the heels of a previous revamp to the hotel’s
second-floor meeting and event space. The interior ren-
ovation included technology and design enhancements
for 10,000 square feet of
spaces on the second floor.
The hotel’s Century Ballroom
is a 2,000-square-foot space
that seats up to 150 people.
www.hyatt.com

The Hilton Marco Island
Beach Resort and Spa re-
opened following the com-
pletion of an expansive $60
million interior and exterior
transformation. The 310-key resort features an updated
lobby with new reception, concierge and bell desks,
and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the resort’s
renovated pool area. The guest rooms, all of which fea-
ture balconies with ocean views, have new furnishings
and enlarged bathrooms. The resort also expanded and
upgraded its 12,000 square feet of meeting and event
space, including its 5,000-square-foot Grand Ballroom.
The resort’s Gulf Front Great Lawn offers views of the
Gulf of Mexico and the new patios offer more outdoor
space for groups. www.hilton.com

Margaritaville Resort Orlando will welcome guests starting in January. This resort destination, developed by Encore Capital Management, spans over 300 acres and includes four main components: Margaritaville Hotel; Margaritaville Cottages; Sunset Walk shopping, dining and entertainment district; and Island H2O Live! Waterpark. The centerpiece of Margaritaville Resort Orlando will be a 184-room hotel that offers four dining options, a full-service spa and over 40,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting and event space, including a nearly 9,000-square-foot ballroom. www. margaritavilleresortorlando.com

NORTH CAROLINA

Charlestowne Hotels and Curio Collection by Hilton de-
buted The Foundry Hotel Asheville, Curio Collection
by Hilton. A historic preservation of the city’s former
20th century steel foundry, the hotel is located in
Asheville’s historic neighborhood, The Block. The hotel
combines two new buildings with three structures from
the city’s original foundry. Architectural components
pay homage to the property’s roots, such as original
brick and hardwood floors, the former pulley elevator
on display, exposed beams, steel-star fastenings and
industrial-style windows. The property features 87 guest
rooms and on-site amenities include a cocktail bar at
Workshop Lounge, regionally inspired dining at Benne
on Eagle and a retail marketplace. There is 4,000
square feet of indoor and outdoor event space, includ-
ing a main courtyard designed by the North Carolina
Arboretum. www.curiocollection.com
trending

TEAMBUILDING
TEXAS
STYLE

Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort and Spa, located only 20 minutes from downtown San Antonio, debuted its Rodeo Olympics for groups.

Through the teambuilding program, attendees can take part in a variety of Texas-themed activities, including roping exercises with calf replicas, stick “horse” races, cow chip toss competitions, and even armadillo races.

“With our ideal location in the heart of Central
Texas, our resort truly encompasses an authentic
Texas ranch ambience and experience while pro-
viding the best in comfort and amenities for our
guests,” said John Hernstat, director of sales and
marketing with Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort
and Spa. “We are really excited to provide groups
with the Rodeo Olympics program as it features
unconventional, Texas-themed activities reflective
of our location that are sure to break the ice with
attendees and provide an experience they will
never forget.”
The Rodeo Olym-
pics provide par-
ticipants distinctive
activities, from the
team-roping exercise,
in which attendees
learn the basics of
using a lasso to rope
a life-size calf replica, to an unconventional and
Texas-sized game of horse shoe in which partic-
ipants use commercial toilet seats in place of a
typical horse shoe.

Groups that really want to add some Lone Star flair to their meeting or event can schedule armadillo races in which attendees get the rare opportunity to see one of the state’s most iconic creatures up close.

And when it’s time to get back to business, the property provides more than 100,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space including three ballrooms and two outdoor covered pavilions with Hill Country views.