A new year launches a new beginning for many properties across the South. Last year was a banner year for the return of in-person gatherings, and properties are stepping up to meet the renewed demand for space. Some properties used the pandemic downtime to begin renovation projects that now have come to fruition. And many new hotel construction projects have topped off despite pandemic delays, inflation, rising interest rates, and supply and staffing challenges.
Nashville, Dallas, and Atlanta remain hotspots for new hotels. ConventionSouth recently covered the opening of Atlanta’s new 976-room Signia by Hilton, offering more than 100,000 square feet of event space on the campus of the Georgia World Congress Center Authority (Closing Remarks, January 2024).
Florida’s hotel market is heating up with the recent opening of some major properties. The $1 billion, 1,100-acre luxury destination Evermore Orlando Resort (which was hit with the additional challenge of Hurricane Ian in September 2022) opened last month and includes flats, villas, houses, and the 433-room Conrad Orlando hotel with 65,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space. In Charlotte Harbor, the 785-room Sunseeker Resort opened in December with 60,000 square feet of meeting space (see Closing Remarks on page 46). Recently completed renovations at the iconic Vinoy Resort & Golf Club, Autograph Collection, in St. Petersburg included two historic ballrooms in the property’s more than 60,000 square feet of event space.
In all, about 750 new hotels opened in the United States last year—a 32 percent increase over 2022—representing more than 85,000 rooms, according to projections published late last year by Washington, D.C.-based commercial real estate analytics firm CoStar. Below are some of the notable Southern hotel debuts and refreshes offering planners large and intimate options. Hats off to all the shiny new additions ready to welcome meetings
and events.
Cascade Hotel Kansas City, Tribute Portfolio, Kansas City, Mo.
With more than 200 fountains, Kansas City, Mo., is known as the “City of Fountains.” Inspired by these artistic landmarks, the new 10-story, 177-room Cascade Hotel Kansas City opened in October. Part of Marriott’s Tribute Portfolio, the property is steps from the upscale dining and shopping destination Country Club Plaza. The Cascade offers a variety of restaurants featuring varied cuisines, from Asian to Italian and German to Mexican. Amenities include a 24-hour fitness center and the luxurious Sojourn Spa. With 10 event rooms and 14,891 square feet of function space, the property can host gatherings of 16 to 450 attendees.
The Oliver Hotel, Oxford, Miss.
The Oliver Hotel debuted in August and celebrated with a grand opening reception in November. The historic hotel in the vibrant college town of Oxford, Miss., was formerly the Chancellor’s House Hotel. Nashville, Tenn.-based Oliver Hospitality purchased the hotel in 2022 and undertook its renovation and rebrand, expanding the property to 40 rooms. Event space includes the 2,000-square-foot Grand Ballroom with six crystal chandeliers. The Library is a unique gathering space filled with books and a collection of rare photographs of former Oxford resident William Faulkner. The new Kingswood restaurant and bar describes itself as “a modern tribute to Mississippi’s culinary heritage.”
The Trilogy Hotel Montgomery, Autograph Collection, Montgomery, Ala.
Located in downtown Montgomery, Ala., the 117-room Trilogy Hotel opened in April 2023. The unique hotel is set in three historic buildings that were carefully restored and renovated. The two primary structures were built in the early 20th century and formerly served as warehouses. The third is an 1851 Greek Revival mansion that once was the home of a prominent local businessman; it now houses the hotel’s Kinsmith restaurant, featuring a regionally inspired menu. The rooftop Waterworks restaurant offers a birds-eye view of the city. The property includes the elegant 1,800-square-foot Tallapoosa Ballroom.
The Royal Sonesta Washington, D.C., Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C.
Opened last September, The Royal Sonesta Washington, D.C., Capitol Hill, is the first new luxury hotel in that area in nearly 40 years, according to Cat Carter, the hotel’s director of sales and marketing. With its glass façade, 10-story atrium, and a curated selection of commissioned artwork, the 274-room hotel provides a rich hub for visiting the free landmarks, monuments, and museums of the nation’s capital. The property’s 11,000 square feet of function space includes a 2,400-square-foot penthouse conference center, a 3,100-square-foot ballroom, and the Sonesta Work Suite, a four-zone hi-tech meeting space. The LEED Gold-certified hotel includes the Parisian-inspired Bistro du Jour.
Hilton West Palm Beach, West Palm Beach, Fla.
Fresh off a $25 million renovation, Florida’s Hilton West Palm Beach is directly connected to the 350,000-square-foot Palm Beach County Convention Center. The hotel offers its own 30,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space and boasts the 13,366-square-foot Oceana Ballroom with a capacity of 1,200.
The 400-room property includes 43 suites, a zero-entry pool, and a fitness center offering group classes. Teambuilding opportunities range from yoga and scavenger hunts to cooking and cocktail-making classes and a beach cleanup CSR opportunity.
The Louis, Wilson, Ark.
Located next to the famed Blues Highway in the heart of the Arkansas Delta, The Louis epitomizes Southern hospitality. Opened in May 2023, the luxury boutique hotel is set in a Tudor-style building on a charming town square. The property celebrates the town’s agrarian history and culture, including using linens woven from locally grown cotton. Less than an hour north of Memphis, Tenn., The Louis features five private cottages and 16 guest rooms, including three suites. The opulent property offers three dining options and indoor and outdoor meeting and event spaces for as many as 300. Nightly turndown service adds a personal touch by placing a cookie on the nightstand.
The Omni Homestead Resort, Hot Springs, Va.
Last fall, The Omni Homestead Resort in Hot Springs, Va., completed a $150 million renovation of the historic property. The property-wide restoration embraces modern comfort while paying homage to the resort’s storied 250-year history, which includes hosting 23 U.S. presidents. Known as “America’s First Resort,” The Homestead is set in the Allegheny Mountains and spans more than 2,300 acres, including multiple golf courses. The multi-year project included renovating 483 guest rooms and 72,000 square feet of meeting space, adding a new 4,000-square-foot event pavilion, and rehabilitating the Warm Springs Pools.
The Kimpton Brice, Savannah, Ga.
Set in the center of Savannah’s National Historic Landmark District, the Kimpton Brice recently underwent a major renovation and refresh. The 1860s-era building served as a cotton warehouse and a Coca-Cola bottling plant before being converted to a hotel in 1982. Accommodations at the Georgia hotel include 145 guest rooms, 26 of them suites. The nearly 6,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space includes the 2,099-square-foot Griffon Room and the Secret Garden, a lush courtyard of 1,700 square feet. The hotel includes a pool terrace, Pacci Italian Kitchen + Bar, and private dining space.
The Carolina Hotel, Pinehurst, N.C.
Dubbed “Queen of the South,” The Carolina Hotel in Pinehurst, N.C., has stood for more than a century surrounded by lush grounds and champion golf courses. Early last year, the historic property completed an 18-month renovation of its lobby, porches, coffee shop, and many of its 230 guest rooms. Part of the famed golf resort Pinehurst, established in 1895, the stately four-story Colonial Revival hotel with its iconic copper-topped cupola opened in 1901. The hotel offers more than 61,000 square feet of indoor space, including the 9,600-square-foot Grand Ballroom and 14,000-square-foot Carolina Hall, and 22,000 square feet of outdoor function space.
The Manchester, Lexington, Ky.
The Manchester debuted in Lexington, Ky., last June, on the site of the city’s first registered bourbon distillery. The spirited boutique hotel features 125 guest rooms in the city’s popular Distillery District. The upscale property embraces the history of the area with regional Appalachian and Bluegrass fare and a wide selection of bourbon. Its lobby-area restaurant, Granddam—a nod to the state’s horse culture—features classic juleps and offers a private dining room. For a taste of the tropics in landlocked Kentucky, try Lost Palm, described as a “pineapple-scented rooftop paradise” inspired by 1960s South Florida and its horse culture.
The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans, New Orleans, La.
On the edge of the French Quarter, The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans in Louisiana just completed a $15 million renovation of its exclusive Maison Orleans Club Level, described as a hotel within a hotel and featuring 76 posh rooms and suites with dedicated concierge service. The opulent hotel is set in the 1908 Beaux Arts Maison Blanche building and offers 528 guest rooms. More than 48,000 square feet of venue space includes a rooftop terrace, the Grand Ballroom, two courtyards, and the intimate Library Lounge. M Bistro features foods that made New Orleans famous, including oysters, gumbo, shrimp, and grits. The property touts its 25,000-square-foot spa is the city’s largest.
Ashore Resort & Beach Club, Ocean City, Md.
The new Ashore Resort & Beach Club in Ocean City, Md., is set on the Coastal Highway overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Following extensive renovations to the former Ocean
City Fontainebleau Resort, Ashore opened last spring with 250 oceanview guest rooms. The property’s five dining options include fresh local seafood at Tide Room, which will reopen for the season in spring. The property includes a 40,000-square-foot conference center, the 7,500-square-foot Atlantic Ballroom, multiple decks, and plenty of outdoor space on its private beach.
Hotel AKA Alexandria, Alexandria, Va.
The historic district of Old Town Alexandria welcomed the luxurious 180-room Hotel AKA Alexandria last spring. The Virginia property is set amid boutique shopping, art galleries, museums, and waterfront restaurants along the Potomac River. Designed by well-known Italian architect and designer Piero Lissoni, the hotel exudes what is described as “balance of modern minimalism and refined mid-century elements.” The focal point is its dramatic floating staircase in the lobby. The hotel offers more than 14,000 square feet of flexible meeting and event space, including a 3,060-square-foot ballroom and an intimate cinema.
