Huntsville
The Hub Of The South 'Makes It Happen'
By Peyton PoseyHuntsville, Ala., can be described as being located in the geographical center of the South; it's approximately the mid point between Little Rock, Ark., and Raleigh, N.C., from an east/west access, and between Northern Kentucky and Panama City Beach, Fla., from a north/south access.
And, according to destination officials with the Huntsville/Madison County Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB), this Mid-South city "Makes It Happen."
CVB officials incorporated the "Makes It Happen" slogan several years ago and say that today the slogan applies more than ever. "We used to be in a position where our downtown area could not accommodate or secure the size of conventions and meetings that we wanted to host, but now with more than 6,000 rooms in the area, and most within walking distance of the Von Braun Center, it's all finally coming together," said CVB President/CEO Judy Ryals.
The numbers show a resurgence in meetings business with more than 533,000 conventioneers in 2007, according to Ryals. "For the first time, we have surpassed the 1,000 mark as far as the number of conventions we have hosted or booked in one fiscal year. We totaled 1,094 in 2007," she said.
More availability for conventioneers is on the horizon. Opening this month is The Westin Huntsville, a 210-room hotel that will be the only Four-Star hotel in the Huntsville region and the first Westin to open in Alabama. The Westin will also feature the largest hotel ballroom in the city with 7,972 square feet of space, according to Rachel Forman, vice president of corporate marketing for O&S Holdings LLC, which manages the property. The hotel offers a total of 10,964 square feet of meeting space and a full-service restaurant, the Sage Grille, as well as a full-service Heavenly Spa by Westin.
O&S Holdings LLC also manages the Bridge Street Town Centre, a new mixed-use entertainment development where the hotel is located. "It is exciting for us to be able to bring so many unique, nationally recognized retailers and restaurateurs to the Huntsville market," said Gary Safady, managing partner. "With our help, they have recognized that Huntsville is a vibrant and growing community that they need to be a part of." Featuring more than 70 upscale retail shops and restaurants, 74 residential units, a 14-screen Monaco Pictures and a six-floor office tower, Bridge Street Town Centre is one of the newest attractions to hit downtown and is considered a premier lifestyle center, Ryals said. "Our presence in the retail market has really gone up with the construction of the center," Ryals said. "With the addition of Monaco Pictures, we have to ability to accommodate meetings within the 14 movie theaters or in the theater atrium," she said.
Also on the property is a 10-acre lake with authentic Venetian gondolas, a water-taxi and other watercraft available for rent. "It's so pretty in this area and so much more accessible than it has been in the past," Ryals said.
Located downtown, the Von Braun Center is the city's largest convention venue with more than 170,000 square feet of flexible meeting and exhibit space. It features the 100,000-square-foot South Hall, the 23,000-square-foot North Hall and several additional breakout rooms. The multipurpose facility hosts major concerts, touring Broadway shows, ballets and performances by the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra within the 9,150-seat arena, the 2,153-seat concert hall and the 502-seat Playhouse Theatre. According to Marie Arighi, senior sales manager, the center recently converted several meeting rooms in the South Hall into a larger ballroom and replaced carpeting and wall coverings in other areas of the center. She also noted that a number of hotels are popping up near the center, offering a variety of housing options for groups. "Development is just booming here," Arighi said.
Opened in 2006 and connected to the center via an elevated walkway is the 295-room Embassy Suites Hotel and Spa, which features 7,800 square feet of meeting space. The hotel has quickly gained the respect of customers worldwide, said director of sales and marketing Wanda Gaddis. "We received the 2007 Connie Award (name for Hilton hotel chain founder Conrad Hilton), which ranks our location as the no. 2 Embassy Hotel in the world," she said. The award is based on scoring from convention customers. "We are very customer oriented. It's very difficult to reach this level of recognition, but we did it in just under a year, which is fantastic." The hotel also features a full-service spa and a Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, which services all the food, beverage and catering needs of the hotel.
Also located across from the Von Braun Center is the Holiday Inn Huntsville Downtown, which offers 270 guest rooms and 14,000 square feet of meeting space. Additional hotels that are set to open near the center include a 160-room SpringHill Suites, slated to open in July 2009, and a 160-room Courtyard by Marriott, slated for a grand opening in 2010.
A Hilton Garden Inn is set to open this summer with 102 guest rooms and 2,500 square feet of meeting space.
Adjacent to the new Hilton Garden Inn is the Radisson Suite Hotel Huntsville, which is located six miles off U.S. Interstate 65 on Memorial Parkway South and houses 151 guest rooms and seven meeting rooms totaling 4,000 square feet of space, according to Cindy Liuzzo, director of sales, who said the facility is a convenient offering for small groups and as an overflow property.
Adjacent to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center is the Marriott Huntsville. "It's literally in our backyard and guests can walk to the center," said Daniel LaBoudiere, director of sales and marketing. The location features 290 guests rooms and 13,390 square feet of meeting space. "We host conventions, executive meetings, conferences, weddings and many corporate events. We also have families stay with us while their children attend space camp," he said. The addition of flat panel TVs with multimedia interfacing capabilities is under way for all guest rooms, LaBoudiere said, with the target completion date set for late 2008.
Key Info · Sales Tax: 8 percent
· Hotel Tax: 4 percent plus a $1 city surcharge
· Transportation: Huntsville’s Tourist Trolley Loop shuttles visitors to city attractions and restaurants, and an all-day pass is $2. |
The U.S. Space and Rocket Center houses several unique meeting venues, according to Holly Beach, vice president of marketing for the center. The newly constructed Davidson Center For Space Exploration opened to the public on Feb. 8 and features 68,000 square feet of meeting space. Suspended 10 feet off the floor in this area is the Saturn V rocket, which is one of only three in the world. "This is really a one-of-the-kind space with the capability to service 1,400 (seated) for dinner or receptions," Beach said. Groups also have the option of using the 360-seat, 3-D theater or the 150-capacity terrace.
Also new to the center is the 100 percent "green" electric tram that shuttles visitors throughout the grounds. "We will eventually be able to transport visitors to the Huntsville Botanical Gardens, as well, which is located on leased property of the center," Beach said. "We are developing into the tourism gateway for all of north Alabama, and we are already seeing groups and conventions booking through 2009 and 2010."
Additional hotels in the Huntsville/Madison County area include The Holiday Inn Huntsville West I-565 with 166 guest rooms and five meeting rooms comprised of 2,718 square feet of meeting space.
The Holiday Inn Express Hotel and Suites is located on University Drive near the U.S. Space and Rocket Center. The property has 146 guest rooms and three meeting rooms with 3,000 square feet of meeting space.
