Convention Space News: New Conference Centers for Jamaica, New Mexico

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A pair of proposals for new conference centers are making headlines this week in the meetings and events industry. 

Photo by digidreamgrafix/iStock/Getty Images Plus/Getty Images

Peak Hospitality (Peak) has announced it plans to embark on a $5 million Hotel Cascada in Albuquerque, NM, that will bring it under the Wyndham flag, following which it will be renamed the Wyndham Hotel & Conference Center.

The renovation of the property, located at 2500 Carlisle Blvd. NE, will include a redesigned lobby, multiple upgrades to meeting and guest rooms, and a new fitness center, new exterior paint, new exterior landscape, addition of on-site vendors and other upgrades unique to the Wyndham brand. Based on completion of the renovations, the hotel will officially adopt the “Wyndham Hotel & Conference Center” name by May 31, which will mark the end of the hotel’s first phase of remodeling.

The 11-acre property includes two four-story buildings with 300 rooms, over 30,000 square feet of flexible conference space, and New Mexico’s only and nationally-ranked indoor water park with five pool areas, two slides and other amenities in a 30,000-square-foot facility adjacent to the hotel.

The Peak Hospitality team plans to honor the long-time Albuquerque families that helped to build the original Four Seasons property as well as the rich history of its fine dining and quality meals. This will be accomplished in how existing banquet areas and restaurants are remodeled and upgraded in the first phase. In all, there will be three phases of renovation. Future phases will include work on the water park and other improvements at the property.

Visit www.wyndhamworldwide.com

Kingston, Jamaica // Photo by jfarango/iStock/Getty Images Plus/Getty Images

Sandals Resorts International (SRI) has announced a new partnership with Marriott International, Inc. to bring AC Hotels by Marriott to the Caribbean.  

This is the first partnership between the hospitality companies and the first time SRI will manage a brand it did not create. Construction for the new AC Hotel in Kingston, Jamaica, the partnership’s debut project, gets underway this month and is slated to open winter 2019.

According to SRI CEO and Deputy Chairman Adam Stewart, the AC Kingston will offer 220 rooms, a 10,000-square foot conference center and full service restaurant.

Parking, often a challenge in Jamaica’s capital, will be plentiful with both valet and self-serve options. Plans call for the AC Kingston to be the centerpiece of an expansive, mixed-use development, located on the last five acres of prime Kingston real estate in the Jamaica House neighborhood, the official residence of the Prime Minister of Jamaica. It has been designed to attract both a local and international audience.  

“There is a renewed energy in Kingston and everywhere the city trembles with purpose and productivity,” said Stewart in a written release. “We plan to capture this vitality, to create a destination within a destination, a place where world-class meetings and events happen alongside everyday occasions - from shopping and dining to salon services and cocktails with friends.  With its emphasis on design and locally inspired experiences that elevate the guest’s stay, AC Hotels by Marriott is the right brand to bring our vision to life."

In addition to the new AC Kingston, development plans call for a modern BMW showroom, beauty and wellness salon, car rental facility and “The Avenue,” a promenade of indoor and outdoor event space and retail and dining outlets including a fine-dining sushi and seafood restaurant and a well-known coffee bar.  

“The Avenue” will begin at the entrance and carry straight through to the conference center with staging areas along the way to accommodate planned and impromptu concerts.

Visit www.sandals.com