International

Australia

QT Sydney opened with 200 rooms and meeting space for groups up to 200. The hotel replaces the historic Gowings department store and State Theatre.

The Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre earned the best event design and decor Esprit Award at the International Special Events Society (ISES) showcase.

 Azerbaijan

The 171-room Four Seasons Hotel Baku opened with 20,075 square feet of function space.

Canada

West Coast meeting planners named the Fairmont Vancouver Airport Hotel the “best hotel with meeting & event space for British Columbia hotels with less than 400 guest rooms” for a second consecutive year. The hotel has 392 guest rooms and 8,000 square feet of meeting space.

Mexico

The Hard Rock Hotel Cancun, formerly Cancun Palace, has opened with 601 rooms and meeting facilities that include a 16,408-sq. ft. convention center.

Hampton Inn by Hilton Guadalajara/Expo opened in the state of Jalisco with 143 guest rooms and 924 square feet of meeting space.

The Grand Velas Riviera Maya was named a 2012 Western region “best of” award winner by Meetings Focus Magazine. The resort has 491 suites and 91,547 square feet of flexible event space that can be divided into 32 meeting rooms.

New Zealand

Ibis Christchurch in New Zealand reopened following renovations to its 155 rooms and public areas, necessitated by an earthquake in February 2011. It has more than 750 square feet of meeting space.

Turkey

The Marti Instanbul Hotel opened with 270 guest rooms and 7,400 square feet of meeting and event space.

 National

RMC, the largest privately owned destination management and special events company in the United States, has been designated a Top 25 Destination Management Company by Special Events magazine. It has offices in Aspen, Colorado Springs, Denver and Vail, Colo.; Jackson Hole, Wyo.; Park City, Utah; and Lake Tahoe, Calif./Nev.

Arizona

The Fairmont Scottsdale Princess has completed a $20 million, 52,330-sq. ft. conference center. Its largest space is the 23,000-sq. ft. Palomino Ballroom. The hotel now has 649 rooms and suites, and 150,000 square feet of meeting space.

The new 11,300-sq. ft. Trailblazer Ballroom is part of an ongoing $5 million renovation at The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa in Scottsdale, which has a total of 183,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space as well as 732 guest rooms.

VisitPhoenix.com, the official website of the Greater Phoenix Convention & Visitors Bureau, received the 2012 Destiny Award for best travel website from the U.S. Travel Association, and a Gold Service Award from Meetings & Conventions magazine for a 22nd consecutive year.

California

ACCESS Destination Services in San Diego was named one of the Top 25 Destination Management Companies worldwide by Special Events Magazine in both the individual company and consortium categories for the eighth consecutive year.

The Marriott Del Mar in San Diego completed a $3.3 million renovation that included its 284 guest rooms,14 function rooms, indoor-outdoor space and more than 12,000 square feet of meeting and event space.

The Bently Reserve meeting and event venue in San Francisco completed construction on a state-of-the-art catering kitchen.

 Colorado

The Denver Merchandise Mart has been rebranded Denver Mart in anticipation of a $4 million renovation.

The 150-suite SpringHill Suites Denver Downtown opened next to the Metropolitan State University of Denver’s new 28,000-sq. ft. Hotel and Hospitality Learning Center. The hotel itself has 5,000 square feet of meeting space and is pursuing LEED Silver Certification.

 District of Columbia

The DoubleTree by Hilton Washington DC-Crystal City finished a multimillion-dollar renovation. It has 631 rooms/suites and 31,000 square feet of meeting space.

The Madison hotel completed a $20 million restoration that included its 365 rooms and suites, and more than 10,500 square feet of meeting space.

Florida

The International Palms Resort and Conference Center in Cocoa Beach was awarded the 2012 Business Champion of the Year award in the hospitality category by the Cocoa Beach Regional Chamber of Commerce.

The Renaissance World Golf Village Resort, Convention Center and Beach Club in Jacksonville/St. Augustine won Association Meetings magazine’s 2012 Inner Circle Award as voted on by the magazine’s readers. The resort has 301 rooms and 101,000 square feet of meeting and function space.

The Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club earned a 2012 Pinnacle Award from Successful Meetings magazine. The hotel has 317 rooms and suites, and more than 34,000 square feet of meeting space.

 Georgia

Atlanta-based Meeting Expectations was named to Corporate Meetings & Incentives magazine’s CMI 25, a list of the largest and most influential North American meeting planning companies. The company also ranked 18th on the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s annual Best Places to Work rankings in the small-business category.

Meliã Hotel Atlanta opened the Sky twenty•five event space on its top floor. The hotel has 502 guest rooms and suites, and 22 meeting rooms totaling more than 31,000 square feet.

Andaz Savannah hotel opened in the former Avia Savannah downtown with 151 guest rooms and suites, and three meeting rooms totaling more than 6,500 square feet.

Illinois

The Hyatt Lisle Hotel in Naperville completed a $7 million renovation that included its 326 guest rooms and 13,200 square feet of meeting space.

Massachusetts

The Fairmont Copley Plaza in Boston completed a $20 million renovation that included its 363 guest rooms and suites, and 5,600 square feet of function space.

Nevada

The Bellagio in Las Vegas was named North America’s leading casino resort for the fourth time in five years at the 2012 World Travel Awards’ Caribbean & the Americas Ceremony.

The MGM Grand completed a $160 million renovation to 4,200 rooms and suites. The Las Vegas property has 602,000 square feet of flexible meeting space.

New York

A $35 million restoration is complete at the Hilton Westchester in Rye Brook, N.Y. It has 445 guest rooms, 32,000 square feet of flexible function space and two ballrooms, including the 9,520-sq. ft. Westchester Ballroom.

Texas

The Omni Austin Hotel Downtown completed a multimillion-dollar renovation of five floors of private suites. It has a 500 guest rooms and suites, and more than 20,000 square feet of meeting space.