Conference Center Revamps

Banquet halls, guest rooms and lobbies aren’t the only spaces that hotels across the country are revamping. Conference centers are getting major makeovers as well.  Many hoteliers have realized that the demands of their guests are ever changing and “work and play” are two elements that must be incorporated into each guest’s stay.

Meeting spaces are being upgraded in order to attract more conferences and business within hotels. These spaces aren’t hidden away in basements or small corridors anymore, either. They are instead on upper-level floors and sometimes even outside, appealing to the visual senses of each guest.

Some hotels, such as The Mandarin Oriental in Las Vegas, have taken it upon themselves to make sure their meeting spaces are open, inviting and can serve multiple purposes other than just meetings. The Mandarin has created a brand new meeting and event space where cocktail receptions can be held, as well as large business meetings of any kind. The space contains floor-to-ceiling windows as well as a painted cement floor to add texture and a dynamic feel to the space.

Pullman Hotels and Resorts has taken their meeting space revamp to the next level by creating what they call the Business Playground. Forget about a regular old conference table…the table within this particular room is actually a poker table! Pullman hopes that this feature will prompt guests to relax a bit more and let the conversations flow, eliminating stress.

The Radisson Blu Warwick Hotel is also going along with the “de-stress guests” theme. They’ve created something called an Experience Meetings program. This program offers guests healthy food options to keep their mind, body and soul stimulated and ready to take on any and all meetings and events that come their way. The program also gives access to a separate break room called the Brain Box, in which guests can participate in activities that help promote creativity and minimize stress.

In Indianapolis, the Alexander Hotel appeals to its guests by way of unique and intricate displays of art curated by the Indianapolis Museum of Art. Even their wallpaper could be considered art as it is a grid of Indianapolis streets. Their conference room is large and open and contains a space where guests can mingle, network and try locally source food and drink.

Over the years, meetings and conferences have become much more social. Hotels have caught onto this and are doing what they can to merge the aspects of social and professional elements into their meetings spaces and conference centers.

Information provided by USA Today. Read more here!