Marriott To Operate Schaumburg Hotel, Convention

By Karyn Strauss, Associate Editor -- HOTELS Magazine, 1/1/2005

• Marriott To Operate Schaumburg Hotel, Convention
• Benchmark To Build Hotel On San Antonio Riverwalk
• Raffles International Enters South Pacific

Marriott To Operate Schaumburg Hotel, Convention Center

SCHAUMBURG, ILLINOIS Construction is under way on the

US$156 million Schaumburg Convention Center and Hotel,

with expected completion in July 2006. Designed by John Portman & Associates,

Atlanta, both the convention center and hotel will be operated by Marriott

International. The 330,000-sq. ft. (30,658-sq. m) convention center

will feature a 100,000-sq. ft. (9,290-sq. m) exhibit hall, along with

a 28,000-sq. ft. (2,601-sq. m) ballroom and 20,000 sq. ft. (1,858 sq.

m) of meeting rooms. Supporting the convention center will be the 500-room

Renaissance hotel and surface parking for about 1,600 cars. The project’s

components will be linked via covered connections. The

master plan allows for an expansion of the exhibit space by about 150,000

sq. ft., (13,939 sq. m) along with a 2,400-seat performing arts theater.

Benchmark To Build Hotel On San Antonio Riverwalk

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS Benchmark

Hospitality International has announced plans to build

the Hotel Contessa on the Riverwalk in downtown San Antonio, Texas.

Construction of the 12-story, 240,000-sq. ft. (22,297-sq. m) hotel

offering 265 suites is expected to be complete in November.

The property will include an upscale spa, a fitness

center and a rooftop swimming pool. A gourmet restaurant and lounge

will be located at the river level, offering views of

the Riverwalk. The hotel will offer 13,500 sq. ft. (1,254 sq. m) of

meeting and event space, including a ballroom, executive boardroom and

several smaller conference rooms. High-speed Internet access and wireless

capability will be available throughout the hotel’s meeting and guestroom areas. Co-developers

for the Hotel Contessa are Hixon Properties Inc. of San Antonio and

Himes Interests of Houston.

Raffles International Enters South Pacific

FRENCH POLYNESIA Raffles

International, Singapore, has signed an agreement with

Hong Kong-based Veritas Limited to manage a new 65-villa luxury resort in French

Polynesia.

The Raffles Taimana Resort Tahaa, to be located over

an area including the islands of Tahaa and Raiatea, marks Raffles International’s

first hospitality presence in the South Pacific.

The resort will comprise 65 villas; three food and

beverage outlets; a meeting room; a library; and spa

facilities, including a tennis court and a diving center.

More than 80% of the resort will be built over water,

with direct access from each villa into the waters of the surrounding

lagoon. With the addition of Raffles Taimana Resort Tahaa, the Raffles

Hotels & Resorts brand expands its

portfolio to 13 hotels worldwide.