Dallas
Big Enough For Both Cowboys & Conventioneers
By Eva Faircloth While Dallas already takes the term "living large" to a whole new level as the ninth largest city in the nation and one of the country's leading meetings destinations, this "city of cowboys" continues to wrangle up new growth, according to destination officials.
"More than $12 billion in development is under way throughout the downtown area, and each month brings new hotels, entertainment venues, restaurants, shopping and cultural opportunities that enhance the visitor experience," said Phillip Jones, president/CEO of the Dallas Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB).
In fact, the city has so many projects under way that the CVB has published a four-page timeline of upcoming projects. To download the timeline, click
here.
Some of the most notable developments include the Trinity River Corridor Project, a redevelopment surrounding the river that includes three bridges, the first of which is expected to open next year; the Dallas Center for Performing Arts, which is set to open in 2009 in the Dallas Arts District; and Victory Park, a development of the area connecting downtown and uptown Dallas. Here, groups will find the American Airlines Center, dining and shopping at a number of one-of-a-kind restaurants and retail shops, as well as the W Dallas - Victory hotel, which features 252 guest rooms and 11,000 square feet of meeting space. Next year, a Mandarin Oriental Hotel with 150 guest rooms and 9,000 square feet of meeting space is set to open in Victory Park.
These developments, Jones said, are attracting new interest in the city and the North Texas region. "Dallas and North Texas were recently selected as the location for the Super Bowl in 2011, which is another indication of the desirability and vibrancy of our city and region." The game will be played at a new stadium being built in Arlington. When open in 2009, the stadium will be the home field of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys.
In Dallas, city officials led by Mayor Tom Leppert are working on finalizing a deal with a developer to build a headquarters hotel for the Dallas Convention Center. While details are not yet finalized, Leppert has publicly noted that he hopes the project will be completed in advance of the Super Bowl, but it is currently scheduled to open in 2012. The convention center is located in downtown Dallas and provides more than 1 million square feet of meeting and exhibit space.
Central/South Dallas
As the closest hotel to the Dallas Convention Center, the Hyatt Regency Dallas at Reunion offers 1,122 guest rooms, 160,000 square feet of meeting space and 56 meeting rooms. According to Priscilla Hagstrom, director of public relations, the hotel recently completed a renovation and reconfiguration of its exhibit areas. Hagstrom also said the hotel features a permanent exhibit of Dallas history.
The 1,606-room Hilton Anatole recently completed a $57 million renovation of the hotel's 700-room tower, the majority of meeting rooms, including the Stemmons and Chantilly ballrooms, and many of its public areas, according to Courtney Goldberg, a hotel spokeswoman. With more than 344,000 square feet of meeting and exhibit space and 77 meeting and breakout rooms, the hotel can accommodate a multitude of meeting requirements. Also on campus, guests have access to 12 restaurants and bars, 10 boutiques, three swimming pools, a private seven-acre sculpture park, an 80,000-square-foot health and fitness center, and the hotel's art collection.
In April, the former Adam's Mark property was re-branded to the Sheraton Dallas Hotel and is undergoing a renovation that will enhance nearly all aspects of the property by mid-2009. Starwood Hotels and Resorts' Hoyt Harper said, "Sheraton is embarking on a bold plan to reposition itself with extensive renovations and upgrades to existing hotels that will result in 50,000 new or renovated rooms by 2009 in North America alone and 60 new hotels in the upcoming years in high-profile U.S. cities. The new Dallas hotel will expand Sheraton's footprint and illustrate the brand's focus on large convention hotels." Sheraton Dallas Hotel has 1,842 guest rooms and more than 230,000 square feet of meeting space, including the single largest ballroom in Texas.
A $14 million renovation is under way at The Fairmont Dallas, according to hotel officials. The renovations include all 545 guest rooms and suites, as well as the construction of the brand's upscale "Fairmont Gold," a luxury hotel located on two floors within the existing hotel. Top-of-the-line Sterns and Foster mattresses, retailing at $1,800 each, will be in each Fairmont Gold bedroom along with new feather pillows, duvets, decorative pillows and a special menu offering guests a choice of bed pillows from soft to extra firm. The Fairmont Dallas offers meeting planners more than 70,000 square feet of meeting space and can accommodate up to 2,600 attendees, theater style.
Uptown Dallas
The 218-room The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas was included on the 2008 annual
Condé Nast Traveller "Hot List" in three categories: Hot Hotels, Hot Tables and Hot Spas. The venue was the only hotel in Dallas to be recognized on the list, said Lauren Cason, director of public relations. The hotel offers 14,000 square feet of meeting space.
The Warwick Melrose Hotel, Dallas is in the process of updating all 184 guest rooms with completion slated for the end of 2008. Built in 1924, the restored historic hotel offers 5,600 square feet of meeting space with state-of-the-art audio/visual equipment accommodating groups ranging from 25 to 300 people, said Joe Massar, director of sales and marketing, adding that the hotel features a unique blend of history, distinctive architecture and modern luxury.
The 170-room Stoneleigh Hotel and Spa recently underwent a $36 million renovation, restoring it to emulate the historic grandeur present in the hotel's 1923 debut. The hotel has more than 6,000 square feet of private meeting and event space, including the 11th Floor Penthouse, Grand Salon and Corporate Suites. The Terrace Ballroom, outdoor pool and courtyard will open in 2009.
North Dallas/Frisco/Plano
Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, the Westin Galleria Dallas marked the occasion with a complete hotel renovation of the 432 guest rooms, meeting spaces, pool area and pavilion. Michelle Clement, director of sales and marketing, said guest rooms will cater to the business traveler by featuring an oversized work desk, two-line cordless telephones with data port, high-speed wired and wireless Internet access, and an in-room refreshment center featuring the new Westin WakeCup coffee brewer and complimentary Starbucks coffee. Plus, the hotel will feature 40,000 total square feet of meeting space after the completion of the 6,000-square-foot San Antonio Ballroom.
Key Info · Sales Tax: 8.25 percent
· Hotel Tax: 15 percent
· Car Rental Tax: 18 percent at DFW International Airport; 15 percent at other rental facilities
· Transportation: The M-Line Trolley is a new, free service offering transportation from Dallas' uptown to the West Village district via McKinney Avenue. The Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) system provides transportation to various points in Dallas, Garland, Plano and Richardson. DART day passes range from $3 to $5. |
The 536-room The Westin Park Central Dallas in North Dallas recently underwent a $5 million renovation of the hotel's lobby and all meeting spaces. According to Director of Sales and Marketing Vince Bogard, 75 percent of the hotel's meeting space is located on one level, making crowd flow easier and more efficient for large groups of conventioneers.
The city of Frisco has three new hotels under construction, which will add 350 guest rooms and bring Frisco's total number of hotel rooms and suites to 1,503, according to Marla Roe, executive director of the Frisco CVB. A Hilton Garden Inn, a Comfort Suites Hotel and an aloft hotel are all scheduled for completion by the close of 2008.
The 330-room Embassy Suites Dallas - Frisco Hotel connects to the Frisco Conference Center and offers 92,000 square feet of event space with 22 meeting rooms and a ballroom, according to Mike Baier, assistant general manager of food and beverage for the hotel.
The Frisco CVB also reports that the 18,000-square-foot Heritage Center Museum opened in May and provides a unique setting for meetings and banquets with a train depot that can accommodate 100 guests.
The Dr Pepper StarCenter is undergoing an expansion this year that will increase seating capacity from 3,500 to 6,200, according to Roe. And, Sports Village USA recently completed its first phase that includes a 162,000-square-foot field house with 11 full-sized hardwood courts for basketball and volleyball, two NBA-sized courts, indoor soccer and more. "The facility is very high-tech and is a great location for corporate team-building activities," Roe said.
Frisco is developing into a tried and true meetings destination. "With first-class meeting space surrounded by 5 million square feet of shopping and coupled with hundreds of choices in upscale dining opportunities as well as four different minor league, major league and junior league sports all in a three- to five-mile radius, Frisco has a lot to offer," Roe added.
Nearby, Plano offers meeting planners 3,800 guest rooms, more than 700 restaurants, and attractions such as the Plano Balloon Festival.
The 404-room Dallas/Plano Marriott at Legacy Town Center offers 32,000 square feet of meeting space with its largest theater-styled room holding 1,900 guests. The hotel is within walking distance of numerous restaurants, retail shops and nightlife.
Plano Centre provides more than 33,000 square feet of flexible function space and can comfortably accommodate up to 5,000 people. The facility's exhibition hall offers 21,600 square feet of column-free, carpeted space; a professional master stage; and both high dock and street-level move-in access. In addition, there are 17 breakout rooms.
West Dallas/DFW/Irving/Grapevine
More than 11,000 rooms, ranging from Five-Diamond status to limited-service or economy status, give meeting planners many options in Irving, said Mark Thompson, Irving CVB's vice president of marketing.
The city of Irving recently kicked off plans to develop a new convention center and entertainment complex in the city's Las Colinas area. According to Thompson, preliminary plans for phase one of the project call for a meeting and event facility with nearly 100,000 square feet of exhibit, conference and event space. Proposed components for phase two of the project include a 300,000-square-foot entertainment venue; 215,000 square feet of restaurants, retail and cinema space; and a full-service hotel. A late 2009 opening is anticipated for phase one; phase two is scheduled to open in 2010.
Opening in mid-2008, aloft Las Colinas, a select-service version of W Hotels, will offer 136 guest rooms with urban-influenced design, accessible technology, style and a social atmosphere, hotel officials said.
In October 2008, Element Irving, inspired by Westin Hotels and Resorts, will open with 123 guest rooms designed for extended stay guests, each featuring a full kitchen, a contemporary bathroom with oversized spa shower, and the Westin Heavenly Bed, hotel officials said.
The 397-room Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas is in the midst of a
$150 million expansion that will bring 30 additional villa suites, a second resort-styled pool, a renovated lobby and guest rooms, and a complete overhaul of the Tournament Players Course Las Colinas, home of the PGA Tour's EDS/Byron Nelson Championship each spring. Last year, the resort added 40 new guest villas, enhanced its 30,000-square-foot conference center, built an outdoor wedding and event lawn, and refurbished its second 18-hole course, Cottonwood Valley.
Located within minutes of Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, the city of Grapevine provides more than 600,000 square feet of meeting space and 5,000 guest rooms, according to Lisa McCowan of the Grapevine CVB. "Grapevine has a small-town feel, but is big on charm and amenities," McCowan said. "When meetings break, there is shopping on Main Street, wineries for tastings and even the Grapevine Vintage Railroad that runs to Fort Worth."
The 1,511-room Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center is expanding with a $315 million renovation to be completed in 2010. The expansion plan includes a 12-story hotel tower that will extend from the existing resort structure with 500 guest rooms, an additional 200,000 square feet to the convention center and two more levels to the resort parking garage. The project also includes a resort pool and other recreational amenities. Following the expansion, the resort will offer 2,000 guest rooms and 600,000 square feet of meeting and convention space. Once complete, the Gaylord Texan Resort will be the largest hotel in the state of Texas.
With 329 suites and 20,000 square feet of meeting space, the Embassy Suites Dallas – DFW Airport North at Outdoor World is near Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World and Grapevine Mills Mall with its 200 shops and restaurants.
