NORTH AMERICA

Canada

Novotel Montréal Airport has opened with 120 guestrooms, seven meetings rooms, one ballroom, a pool and fitness center. Meeting rooms are equipped with the latest in technology, including flat-screen televisions, high-speed Wi-Fi access, hands-free telephones and high-tech A/V facilities. Guestrooms have wall-mounted, flat-screen televisions and complimentary high-speed Internet access. There is 5,000 square feet of meeting space capable of hosting up to 350 people at one time or 200 in a single room. (800-NOVOTEL; www.novotel.com)

United States

West

The Sheraton Carlsbad Resort, about 30 minutes north of San Diego and an hour south of Anaheim, is under construction. When it opens in early 2008, the hotel will have 129 rooms, and 25,000 square feet of meeting and conference facilities; more than 200 additional rooms will be added in subsequent phases. (800-325-3535; www.starwoodhotels.com)

The Westin Verasa Napa in the city of Napa, California is under construction, and scheduled to open in 2008. It will add 5,320 square feet of conference space to the Napa Valley and will be the first full-service property to come to Napa in nearly five years. It is part of a riverfront complex that will include a 40,000-square-foot marketplace.
(800-WESTN-1; www.starwoodhotels.com)

Midwest
 
The Doubletree Hotel Minneapolis Park Place, four miles from downtown, has completed a renovation that included design, technology, amenity and service upgrades throughout the hotel—including a new main entrance, public areas, 298 guestrooms, a newly positioned restaurant, and more than 26,000 square feet of meeting and event facilities. From the 5,512-square-foot Park Ballroom to smaller meeting rooms and exhibit areas, the hotel can accommodate events of up to 750 people. The lobby has been transformed with spacious new seating areas, a new front desk and an art collection. (800-THE-TREE; www.doubletree.com)

South

The historic Heidelberg/Capitol House Hotel in Baton Rouge has received a $60 million renovation and been converted to the Hilton Baton Rouge Capital Center. The centrally located hotel, originally opened in 1927, features 20,000 square feet of meeting space, including two river view ballrooms. There is a day spa and fitness center. (800-HILTONS; www.hilton.com)

Northeast

The new, 280-room Hilton Baltimore BWI Airport is located just 10 miles from the city’s Inner Harbor and offers 12,000 square feet of meeting space, including an 8,300-square-foot ballroom that can accommodate up to 725. The hotel offers a 24-hour self-service business center, indoor pool, fitness center and a sundeck. (800-HILTONS; www.hilton.com)

The new 248-room Wyndham Gettysburg Hotel in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania has opened as part of Gateway Gettysburg, a shopping, dining and entertainment complex. The hotel has 16,000 square feet of meeting space; it also offers two restaurants, a health club and a pool. (800-WYNDHAM; www.wyndham.com)

The Sheraton Meadowlands Hotel & Conference Center in Secaucus, New Jersey, has completed a $17 million renovation. Making its debut at the hotel is the new Link @ Sheraton, a lobby feature that enables guests to surf the Internet, check e-mail, review local attractions, and print airline boarding passes. The hotel features 30,000 square feet of meeting space that accommodates everything from a small meeting to a reception for 1,300; there is also a new indoor pool and Jacuzzi. (800-325-3535; www.starwoodhotels.com)

The new Doubletree Hotel Annapolis has opened three miles from historic Downtown Annapolis, and near the U.S. Naval Academy. The property accommodates meetings from 10 to 500. Any new meeting or event worth $1,000 or more booked through March 31, 2007 will receive a free upgrade to an executive-level meeting package that includes: one complimentary high-speed Internet connection, tin of Doubletree chocolate chip cookies, gift card to the hotel’s new Starbucks lobby café, and dinner for two at the Ports of Call restaurant. The new conference and banquet facility boasts more than 12,000 square feet of space, including a 5,000-square-foot grand ballroom with seating for 500; there is also a 2,500-square-foot junior ballroom with seating for 200, five meeting rooms for up to 90, and an executive boardroom with mahogany conference table and oversized chairs; it seats up to 12. (800-222-TREE; www.doubletree.com)

The former Crowne Plaza Hotel Boston has completed a major makeover and been converted to the Hilton Boston/Woburn. Located about 20 minutes from Boston, the 344-room hotel features over 10,000 square feet of private dining and banquet space. A new ballroom is also available. There is a new fitness center and an indoor lap pool. (800-HILTONS; www.hilton.com)

ASIA

Le Royal Meridien Shanghai has opened between Nanjing Road East and People’s Square. Rising 66 stories, the hotel has 770 rooms and suites with floor-to-ceiling windows; each guestroom has a 42-inch plasma screen with satellite TV and an entertainment center; plus wireless and broadband Internet access. The hotel has more than 21,500 square feet of conference space, including a business center, two grand ballrooms with natural light, five meeting rooms and one VIP room. The hotel also has a spa, and 10 restaurants and bars. (800-543-4300; www.starwoodhotels.com)

The Shangri-La Hotel, Qaryat Al Beri, in Abu Dhabi will open in February, 2007. The 21-acre property, including the hotel, apartments and villas, faces a 3,300-foot private beach and is 10 minutes from the airport. All rooms feature sea views, including the 214 guestrooms; spacious rooms are over 484 square feet. Meeting and banquet facilities include a 2,950-square-foot ballroom, two boardrooms and two meeting rooms. There is also a CHI spa, a health club, five outdoor pools and meeting rooms. (866-565-5050; www.shangri-la.com)

The Westin Beijing, Financial Street, has opened in the center of the city. It offers 18,142 square feet of meeting and banquet space, including a ballroom divisible by three. A dedicated meeting and banquet floor includes a specialized meeting planner’s lounge and business center. Adjacent to the hotel, the Beijing Financial Street Conference Center boasts an additional 20,100 square feet of space for conferences, trade gatherings or small meetings. (800-WESTIN-1; www.starwoodhotels.com)