Fontainebleau Miami Beach

Miami Beach, Florida

Destined to become south Florida's new It Girl following a $1 billion makeover, Fontainebleau Miami Beach will be at her glamorous best come mid-November, in time to host the celebrity-studded Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. But while everything at the resort is brand-new, feting celebrities and other VIPs is old hat.

Soon after the resort opened its doors back in 1954, A-listers by the droves lent their star power to the Fontainebleau. Through performances and patronage, the biggest names of the day, including Elvis Presley, Bob Hope, Lucille Ball, Judy Garland, Jackie Gleason, and Debbie Reynolds put the hotel squarely in the limelight.

Fast forward to 2006, when the owners launched an all-out renovation of the original Morris Lapidus design. They stripped it to its studs and added two additional all-suite towers to accommodate a grand total of 1,504 guest rooms.

Other new highlights include 200,000 square feet of meeting space, a bilevel spa, and 11 bars and restaurants—including four that are home to celebrated chefs: Alfred Portale at the helm of Gotham Steak; Scott Conant at Scarpetta; Sean O'Connell at La Cote; and Alan Yau at Hakkasan. Each restaurant also touts a mixologist who creates signature drinks unique to that venue. Of course, no Miami hot spot would be complete without a compelling nightclub scene. The hotel will deliver that in the three lounges, including LIV, the roman numerals for 1954, (the hotel's birthdate) but pronounced "live" as in "live in the moment." And that's a mantra that applies to every facet of Fontainebleau.

Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas

Irving, Texas

What could Texas's only AAA Five Diamond Award-winning resort possibly improve on? Remarkably, they managed to find something. When Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas concludes the final phase of its enhancements in January 2009, it will have turned out a host of impressive features at its luxe sports club, added 34 new villa guest rooms, and updated the hotel tower guest rooms with a soft and hard goods project.

Highlights of the makeover include a landscaped lagoon-style swimming pool so stunning it could have been plucked from the pages of Garden Design. Other areas of note: an upscale new sports bar called 19, complete with billiards tables; a new casual restaurant, Racquets, located in the sports club; and a top-to-bottom makeover of lobby decor. Cat-6 wiring was also installed to enhance connectivity throughout the resort.

But much of what made the resort a plum pick for meeting planners hasn't changed at all. Despite its proximity to Dallas–Fort Worth Airport (just 10 minutes' drive), it has a full-on country-club appeal that works well for incentive groups and meeting delegates who want to bring their families. Loyal, long-term staff exude a warmth and confidence that have earned the resort a sky-high rate of return business. And come January, when all the new bells and whistles come online, Four Seasons Dallas will undoubtedly win new legions of fans.

Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Gainey Ranch

Scottsdale, Arizona

Hyatt Regency Scottsdale will wrap the third and final phase of its makeover in October with the debut of its refreshed meeting space and guest rooms, suites, casitas, and corridors. But perhaps the biggest bang for the renovation buck came in the form of Spa Avania, which debuted as part of the project's first phase. It crafted a destination within the destination that includes a French Celtic Mineral pool, lotus pond, and enough treatment rooms (19) to accommodate small groups. Interestingly, therapists base treatment processes and products on the time of day. A morning massage, for instance, takes on an energizing touch. Evening takes on the theme of relaxation.

For the guest room renewal, the plan called for custom furnishings, including the addition of Hyatt's comfy Grand Bed. Freshly turned out in soothing earth tones, they will be unified in mood and decor with the previously updated public spaces. In the lobby, they've done away with the front desk to make way for individual pods and a more personal welcome.

The meeting space has received its share of attention, too. Renovations built in more flexibility in terms of breakout space, new carpeting, wallcovering, lighting, plus adjacent restrooms and registration desks that will ensure a whole new meeting experience for returning groups.

Already in place: two new restaurants. SWB, a Southwest Bistro specializes in wood-fired entrees with seasonal ingredients. Alto ristorante e bar serves—you guessed it—Italian fare, along with wines from around the world. Dinner, served alfresco beside the terrace fire pits guarantees a memorable group evening under the stars.

Mauna Kea Beach Hotel

Kohala Coast, Big Island, Hawaii

Renovations to the tune of $150 million will debut at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel and its golf course next spring. The report comes as good news to golf-loving groups who will benefit from a total tee-to-green makeover of its scenic 18-hole challenge. It also bodes well for those who appreciate tech-savvy guest rooms, quality meeting facilities, and enough recreational options to keep the troops happy—and beyond.

New tech options in the guest rooms include LCD HD TVs, iPod docking stations, and high-speed Internet access that extends to public areas as well. Several rooms come with private bath lanais, wall-less rain showers, and deep soaking tubs.

The resort will also replace the traditional front desk check-in with a seated variety, complete with chilled oshibori (hand towels) and refreshments, they say. Special touches like this signal an enhanced service philosophy that the resort will embrace, one based on the Hawaiian idea of lokomaika'i, meaning generosity and kindness shared from within. In terms of attitude, it translates to authentic interactions, positive thinking, and an intuition for timing and making people happy. Staff at the Mauna Kea (and her sister Prince properties) will receive hands-on training as part of the efforts to win AAA five-diamond status.

Out on the links, the Mauna Kea Golf Course received ultra-dwarf TifEagle Bermuda grass on the greens and Tifway 419 hybrid Bermuda grass on the tees, fairways, and roughs. Touch-ups will extend play by 200 yards, update the course to current USGA standards, and add a new pro shop and clubhouse. Happily, the ocean view from Hole No. 3 remains as spectacular as ever.

The Westin Mission Hills Resort & Spa

Rancho Mirage, California

Long a desert destination for those looking to mix business with bronzing, the Westin Mission Hills in California's Rancho Mirage has had its own appearance enhanced with a $20 million revamp completed September 14. Among the tony touch-ups to the property's Spanish-Moorish motif: a quarter-million-dollar redo of The Den, a newly named centerpiece lounge where guests can linger in the cool vibe inside or heat things up by the outdoor fire pits.

Westin's design team and the interior architects of ForrestPerkins also heightened the hip factor in guest rooms, where they swapped most furnishings in all 472 guest rooms and 30 resort suites with contemporary counterparts. The brand's beloved Heavenly Bath, Shower, and Bed, however, remain de rigueur. For business execs with the desire to impress, each of the four Chairman Suites include three outdoor patios—plus a baby grand piano to hit all the right notes for entertaining.

These improvements to the property's aesthetic better complement an already attractive selection of conference and event facilities—more than 95,000 square feet of function space indoors and out, throughout the campus-style resort.

And although not part of the renovation, amenities such as two top-tier golf courses (one designed by Gary Player, the other by Pete Dye), three sun-soaked pool venues, and the 14,000 square-foot Spa at Mission Hills, are sure to give groups their own sense of renewal.

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Don't miss these upcoming Elite 5 feature articles:

• Hub-City Hotels
• Resorts for Group Golf
• National Treasures
• Spa Incentive Getaways

Read the previous Elite 5 "Top 5 Hot Resorts on the Horizon"

 

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