West United States

What had been the Hilton Burbank Airport and Convention Center has been rebranded. It’s now the Burbank Airport Marriott Hotel & Convention Center. But Marriott is doing more than just changing the property’s name. Its owners are giving the 488-room property a major renovation costing some $24 million. As the name indicates, the hotel is located across the main access road from BUR. Rooms are equipped with HSIA at $9.95 per 24 hours and the charge is the same for Wi-Fi that’s available in the lobby and restaurant. What sets the property apart from most airport hotels is its extensive meeting space—more than 50,000 square feet including the 30,000-square-foot convention center. The 15,015-square-foot Academy Ballroom is the largest of 28 meeting rooms. All feature wired and wireless high-speed Internet access…The Hilton San Diego Mission Valley Hotel has completed an $11 million renovation of all its 349 rooms and public spaces. The space that once housed the Monterey Whaling Company is now a new 3,000-square-foot meeting center, featuring three customizable rooms. These are equipped with dropdown screens, LCD projectors, sound systems, DVD/CD/VCR players and Wi-Fi access.

Midwest United States

 

Staying at Detroit Metro’s Westin Hotel, the one attached to the McNamara Terminal? There’s a new program that allows you to venture beyond the hotel and onto the concourse to shop and eat—without a boarding pass. The Westin is working with TSA on the latter’s AAACE initiative. Airport Access Authorization to Commercial Establishments allows Westin guests to eat and shop in the McNamara, beyond security. You’ve got to pass a background test and be screened before entry…Name change: the Sheraton Omaha Hotel is morphing into the Magnolia Hotel, and is billing itself as the Nebraska city’s first boutique property. Located at 1615 Howard Street, the Omaha Magnolia Hotel is undergoing a $14-million makeover, which should be complete by this summer.

 

Southwest United States

 

You can do this sort of thing when you have an airport hotel that’s actually attached to a terminal. The Grand Hyatt DFW is working with TSA on a project to permit guests to eat and shop in Dallas/Fort Worth’s Terminal D. It’s called AAACE—the Airport Access Authorization to Commercial Establishments. Here are the hoops through which you must jump: Go to the front desk. They’ll contact a Department of Public Safety Officer, and confirm you’re eligible to participate. The officer will examine your ID and compare your name to those on the No Fly List. If you pass muster, you’ll have to fill out a form and head to the D22 screening checkpoint. Give the people your paper, get screened, and take advantage of some of the best shopping and eating at any airport terminal in the country.

 

South United States

 

Got business out on the perimeter of Hotlanta? There’s a new Hilton Suites to accommodate. The 224-suite Hilton Suites Atlanta-Perimeter is located at the nexus of north Atlanta, just off I-285, between I-75 and I-85. This property sports Wi-Fi in the guestrooms and public areas….Business at the University of Virginia? Consider the new Hilton Garden Inn in Charlottesville. You’ll find the four-story, 124-room affair at 1793 Richmond Road. It’s in the Peter Jefferson Place business park, about 12 miles from the Charlottesville Airport.

 

Northeast United States

Name change. The former Crowne Plaza in Woburn, Massachusetts is now a Hilton. With the new flag comes a major makeover of the pin-room product – ergonomic chairs, large desks, duvets, and an extraordinarily restful bedding set. Each room is wired for high-speed Internet, and there’s Wi-Fi in the public spaces. The Hilton Boston/Woburn is located some 20 minutes from Boston, at the juncture of Interstates 93 and 95…Look for The St. Regis Hotel, New York to debut a new signature restaurant this March. Internationally-acclaimed chef Alain Ducasse is a partner in the deal. Expect the cuisine to include seasonal ingredients, and feature rich textures and new flavors. You’ve almost got to take that kind of approach in the world’s most competitive culinary market.

 

Worldwide

With all the NGO (non-governmental organization) activity these days, this is a welcome addition to Geneva. The Grand Hotel Kempinski is slated for opening soon. 230 rooms will debut in February, followed by another 200 in May—along with a restaurant, bar and meeting facilities. The hotel offers some really extraordinary views of the Swiss city…First-rate hotels proliferate in the Gulf region of the Middle East. Go west a bit and they become scarcer. That’s why this is so significant. JW Marriott plans to open a 274-room property near Algiers later this year. It will be beachfront, about 20 kilometers west of the city—and a 40-minute drive from Algiers International Airport. The JW Marriott will sport a quartet of restaurants, 24-hour room service, a business center and lots of conference space.