Three cheers for the Indy Marriott's final floor The completion of the top floor of the $103 million Indianapolis Marriott Downtown hotel was met with hoopla recently, as local dignitaries signed the last beam at a pre-opening ceremony. Soon to be the city's largest hotel, the 19-story, 615-room facility is scheduled to open in February 2001.
Amenities of the hotel, which will be connected to the Indiana Convention Center and RCA Dome, include 40,000 sq. ft. of meeting space and a 21,000 sq. ft. ballroom. The hotel also will feature 28 suites, a full-service business center, a health club and an indoor swimming pool.
Licensed by Washington, D.C.-based Marriott International, the hotel is owned by Convention Hotel Partners, Indianapolis.
Ritz not gambling on Las Vegas resort yet Atlanta-based Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co. and Las Vegas-based Mountain Spa Development have canceled plans to develop a non-gaming resort in northwest Las Vegas.
After about three years of discussions, both sides decided to nix the plans to build a Ritz-Carlton on Mountain Spa property, says Ritz-Carlton spokesperson Shelby Taylor, who was unable to provide details as to why the plans fell through. Although Ritz-Carlton has shelved the development, the company sees Las Vegas as a prime market for one of its luxury hotels, Taylor says. "Certainly, Las Vegas is a market we're very interested in," says Taylor, adding that the company is looking at several possible sites in the city.
Will Smith to open hotel in Philadelphia A $3.5 million purchase of downtown Philadelphia property by actor and entertainer Will Smith and his brother, Harry, will set the stage for a W hotel and other upscale developments. Philadelphia-based Binswanger arranged the purchase.
Treyball Real Estate, the hometown firm owned by the Smith brothers, purchased the NewMarket Glass Pavilion, a 57,000 sq. ft. complex that has been mostly vacant for several years. Located on Front Street between Lombard and Pine Streets in Society Hill, the complex will be redeveloped into a 185-room W hotel, a brand owned by White Plains, N.Y.-based Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. Plans also call for 20 condominium units and an upscale restaurant.
Hilton flag flies over Fisherman's Wharf A 234-room Hilton hotel has opened at Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco. This marks Hilton's second full-service hotel in the city by the bay. Formerly known as the Ramada Plaza, the four-story hotel underwent a $9 million dollar renovation.
The Hilton San Francisco Fisherman's Wharf features nine suites, an outdoor courtyard, a 24-hour fitness center, 3,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, a 1,450 sq. ft. ballroom and a 24-hour business center. Select rooms also offer high-speed Internet access. The hotel is one mile away from the 1,850-room Hilton San Francisco. Operated under a license agreement with Beverly Hills, Calif.-based Hilton Hotel Corp., the new hotel is owned by Wharf Associates, a California general partnership.
Doubletree Hotel takes off near O'Hare Airport A 369-room Doubletree hotel near Chicago's O'Hare International Airport in Rosemont, Ill., has officially opened its doors. The 10-story hotel is owned by William Street Hotel Associates LLC and managed by DT Management Inc., a subsidiary of the Beverly Hills, Calif.-based Hilton Hotels Corp.
Located at 5460 North River Road, adjacent to the Rosemont Convention Center and one mile from O'Hare Airport, the DoubletreeHotel O'Hare features 13 meeting rooms with 13,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, a self-service business center, an indoor pool and fitness room.
ClubCorp Resorts becomes Pinehurst Co. Taking advantage of the name recognition of its famous golf course, Dallas-based ClubCorp has reformed its ClubCorp Resorts into The Pinehurst Co.
In addition to the Pinehurst golf course resort, which hosted the 1999 U.S. Open Championship, the newly formed Pinehurst Co.'s resorts include Barton Creek in Austin, Texas; Daufuski Island on Daufuski Island, S.C.; and The Homestead in Hot Springs, Va.