Packages
New York’s Plaza Hotel Announces New 2010 Meeting Packages
The Plaza in New York City, a recent recipient of the 2010 AAA Five Diamond Rating by AAA, is offering a range of new 2010 Meeting Packages. Part of its $450 million restoration, The Plaza offers 21,000 square feet of event space in midtown Manhattan. This includes The Grand Ballroom and Terrace Room, both which received New York City landmark status, and seven meeting rooms occupying the fourth floor of the hotel.
The Plaza’s Meeting Experience Package is available for functions booked and completed by April 30. Hotel room rates start at $395, from Sunday-Thursday, and feature up to three value-adds, including the following:
* Complimentary welcome amenity for all attendees
* Complimentary internet access in guest rooms
* 2 Complimentary Upgrades to suites for VIPs at the group rate with white glove Butler Service
* 10% off Food and Beverage
* Waived room rental with minimum F&B revenue
* Complimentary champagne passed at welcome or closing reception
* If full day program ends by 4pm in the Grand Ballroom, group will enjoy a complimentary upgrade from Continental to Full American Breakfast
* 10% off AV equipment with both audio and video packages
* Free podium and lighting (sound system is additional)
* Complimentary meeting space WiFi for up to 5 users
* 10% off Spa treatments for Spouse program
* 10% off The Shops at The Plaza
The Plaza is also offering a Meeting Experience Bonus also available for functions booked and completed by April 30, 2010, applicable to all meetings with a minimum budget of $50,000 for good and $25,000 for guest room accommodations. With the Meeting Experience Bonus, guests can choose one of the following options:
* Two spa treatments at Caudalie-Vinotherapie Spa including a wine tasting in the spa’s French Paradox Wine Lounge
* Blowout and makeover at Warren-Tricomi Salon
* $100 Gift Certificate to The Shops at The Plaza with personal shopping with The Shops Concierge
Additionally, The Plaza Hotel is also offering Fairmont Hotels & Resorts packages for guests who are booking upcoming meetings and events. The Fairmont Meetings That Matter package is offered to guests that have not previously planned a meeting at The Plaza and that are booking at least 50 guest rooms or suites. Meetings The Matter includes 10% off of the full cost of the meeting that can either be donated to a Philanthropic organization of their choice or used for a future meeting or event booking at The Plaza that would take place by December 31.
For groups booking 10 or more nights in a guest room or suite, The Plaza offers the Fairmont Sweet Meetings Deal, available until June 30, which also includes a 10% credit that can be applied to the meeting total. The Fairmont Eastern Region Sweet Meetings Deal is also available for guests that are booking 10 or more room nights and is applicable for meetings completed by April 30. The Eastern Region Sweet Meetings Deal includes 10% off of banquet menus; 1 complimentary room night per every 30 room nights booked; a complimentary continental breakfast daily; and a one-hour welcome reception.
www.ThePlaza.com
Economic Recovery Meeting Package Unveiled
The Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront in Portland, OR, which recently underwent an $8.5 million renovation, is currently offering an Economic Recovery Meeting package. Priced at $80 per person, the package includes:
* Complimentary meeting space
* Themed lunch buffet at Allie's Grill
* Coffee breaks for each day of the meeting
* Up to 20 audio-visual support elements like overhead projectors, whiteboards, wired microphones and more
* Complimentary use of health and fitness facility
* All service charges (no state tax in Oregon)
In order to be eligible for this package, a group must book and hold a meeting or event with 15 or more room nights. The offer is valid until December 30.
The Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront features 28 meeting rooms, totaling 25,000 square feet of meeting space. The largest room is the Exhibit Hall, which can seat 2,000 people. There is also exhibition space onsite. www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/pdxor-portland-marriott-downtown-waterfront.
Hotel Openings
Marina Bay Sands in Singapore to Open in April
Las Vegas Sands Corp. has announced that it plans to open the first phase of its $5.5 billion Marina Bay Sands development in Singapore on April 27, 2010. This partial opening is scheduled to include 963 hotel rooms, part of a shopping mall and convention center, celebrity chef restaurants along with other dining outlets, and a casino. The opening is subject to construction proceeding as scheduled and being able to attain the necessary regulatory approvals. The second phase, which will include the Sands SkyPark, the Event Plaza along Marina Bay, more shops, additional dining options, and nightlife offerings, is scheduled to open on June 23 as part of the property's grand opening celebration. www.lasvegassands.com.
Sol Melia to Open Its Third Hotel in Columbia
Sol Meliá, which operates hotels in Spain and Latin America, has reached an agreement to add a new franchised hotel in Colombia to its portfolio to be operated under the urban Tryp brand. Tryp Medellín, located in the city of Medellín, will be a four star hotel providing 140 rooms over 14 floors and more than 3,000 square feet of meeting space.. The hotel is scheduled to open in July and is located opposite the site of the 2010 Ibero-American Games. Tryp Medellín becomes the third hotel for the company in Colombia, following the addition of the Meliá Barranquilla and Meliá Cartagena de Indias. These two five star hotels will be operated under management agreements and provide more than 500 rooms when they open in 2012.
Dubai’s Grosvenor House Joins the Luxury Collection Hotels & Resorts
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. has announced the debut of its Luxury Collection brand in the United Arab Emirates with the addition of Grosvenor House, a Luxury Collection Hotel, in Dubai. Located on the Dubai Marina, the 45-story Grosvenor House hotel first opened its doors in 2005. Grosvenor House features 422 guest rooms, suites and apartment suites. The number of rooms at Grosvenor House, Dubai will almost double next year when a second, identical tower opens. www.luxurycollection.com.
Starwood Properties Debut Virtual Meetings Technology
Starwood Hotels & Resorts have unveiled their first in-hotel Cisco TelePresence meeting suites at The W Chicago City Center and Sheraton on the Park Sydney. At the debut, guests and corporate clients were brought together in a true-to-life meeting setting, despite being more than 9,000 miles apart with a 17 hour time difference. Participants in both locations had a seat at the table and were able to meet “face-to-face” utilizing ultra-high definition video, superior audio and life-size imagery of all participants.
Starwood plans to build Cisco TelePresence rooms in 10 properties worldwide. In addition to the W Chicago and Sheraton on the Park Sydney, these will include the Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers, the Sheraton Centre Toronto and The Westin Los Angeles Airport, with the anticipation to expand the offering to key domestic and international business markets such as Dallas, San Francisco, Brussels, Paris, Hong Kong and Frankfurt. Reservations for these telepresence rooms can be made instantly using the Tata Communications online portal, with a convenient payment capability using all major credit cards. www.tatacommunications.com/telepresence/.
ARAMARK Harrison Lodging Becomes ARAMARK Conference Centers
ARAMARK has announced today that its ARAMARK Harrison Lodging business, which manages more than 30 hotel and conference center properties nationwide, will now be known as ARAMARK Conference Centers. ARAMARK Conference Centers currently manages several dozen properties across the country, including The National Conference Center in Washington, DC; Chauncey Conference Center in Princeton, NJ; Super Media Conference Center in Dallas, TX; the Georgetown University Hotel & Conference Center; the James L. Allen Center at the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University; Villanova University Conference Center; and The Mason Inn & Conference Center at George Mason University. www.aramarkconferencecenters.com.