Here are six things you should know this month...
1. This convention center offers virtual doctor’s visits during events.
Feeling a bit sick during an event and not sure if you should be around your fellow attendees? Now, event guests at Orlando's Orange County Convention Center can get a convenient, walk-in assessment from a doctor without ever leaving the venue. This week, Visit Orlando and Orlando Health announced the new Orlando Health Virtual Care Center, located inside the 7-million-square-foot convention center.
How it works: An on-site Orlando Health team member helps triage the needs of anyone visiting the center. For minor care like allergies, cold and flu symptoms, insect bites, and more, guests can do a 30-minute virtual visit with a board-certified physician, who is able to send prescriptions to a nearby pharmacy if needed. The center is open from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. during large conventions, and visits cost $55.
“As a top meetings destination in the country, it’s important that Orlando continues to lead the way in healthy meetings,” said Casandra Matej, Visit Orlando's president and chief executive officer. “The new Orlando Health Virtual Care Center elevates the services and resources we provide to groups and gives planners the confidence to choose Orlando knowing we value the health and wellness of their attendees.”
2. Outdoor spaces, eco-friendly design, and branded residences are some of the year's most notable hospitality trends.
That's according to the team at interior design publication Hospitality Design, who spoke to experts from Hilton, Marriott, and more to outline six of 2023’s most notable trends. One unexpected trend the article points out? A boom in the ultra-luxury cruise market, with brands like Aman Group, Four Seasons, and Ritz-Carlton taking to the seas to launch their own floating venues in the coming years.
We're particularly excited about Accor's Orient Express Silenseas, coming in 2026. The 720-foot yacht—being billed as the world's largest sailing ship—will reportedly house 54 suites, two pools, a speakeasy, two restaurants, and a 15,000-square-foot presidential suite with a private terrace. Check out the full article here.
3. Hyatt is launching a new extended-stay brand.
As bleisure travel gains popularity, brands continue investing in extended-stay lodging options. The latest announcement comes from Hyatt Hotels, which plans to open its upper-midscale Hyatt Studios brand across North America next year.
“As with all brands in the Hyatt portfolio, Hyatt Studios hotels will appeal to the high-end guest within its segment,” said Amy Weinberg, Hyatt's senior vice president of brand, loyalty, and data, in a press release. “Hyatt Studios hotels will transcend dated notions of value-driven compromise by inviting guests to enjoy both the coziness of a studio apartment and the positive energy of being in a creative studio, all with the quality and contemporary style that is characteristic of Hyatt.”
Hyatt Studios joins Marriott International, Extended Stay America, Wyndham, and BWH, which all recently launched their own extended-stay brands. In fact, about 30% of hotel rooms in the construction pipeline are for extended-stay properties, according to Lodging Econometrics.
4. Sustainability continues to be a hot topic
Interest in eco-friendly venues seems to be here to stay. The latest hotel group to announce an enhanced commitment to sustainable hospitality is BWH Hotel Group, which recently launched its new global initiative called “Because We Care,” which focuses on three pillars—earth, people, and community.
“With each passing year, the need for more responsible and sustainable travel increases in importance,” said Larry Cuculic, BWH's president and CEO, in a press release. “We, as members of the global hospitality community, cannot afford to sit on the sidelines and wait for change to happen. That is why we applaud the momentous efforts our hotels and resorts around the world are already taking to enact sustainable-driven initiatives.”
It's a growing trend in Canada, too. Toronto's Exhibition Place—the country's largest entertainment and business events venue—recently signed the Sustainable Tourism 2030 Pledge, joining a global movement of businesses committed to creating a sustainable future for the tourism industry. Convention and visitors bureau Tourisme Montréal, meanwhile, has launched two directories designed to help corporate event organizers and delegates looking to make a positive social and environmental impact in the city. The first directory lists a variety of donation opportunities in addition to recycling and reuse options to offset an event footprint, and the second offers an array of volunteer activities available in the Montréal community.
5. The Las Vegas Convention Center is starting an enormous $600 million renovation project.
This week, the Las Vegas Convention Center kicked off a $600 million renovation. The revamp will extend the contemporary design, architecture, and customer experience of the 1.4-million-square-foot West Hall, which debuted in 2021. Other highlights will include a new climate-controlled interior concourse between the North and South halls, a newly designed parking lot with a Vegas Loop station, the incorporation of new technology like digital displays and information kiosks, and much more.
Work will continue through 2025, with construction designed to minimize disruption to scheduled trade shows. The Las Vegas Convention Center is one of the largest venues in North America; in 2022, it hosted 56 conventions with a combined attendance of nearly 900,000 people.
6. A San Francisco hotel has launched a truly over-the-top package for Pride.
One of the country’s most notable festivals each June is San Francisco Pride, a city-wide celebration that will take place June 24-25 this year. And Union Square’s Beacon Grand Hotel has launched an opulent package for brands or event hosts looking for an ultra-VIP experience. For $22,500, guests can get the “Love Takes Flight” package, which includes a three-night stay in the 885-square-foot Beacon Grand Suite, a hosted reception for up to 50 guests in the hotel’s Starlite Room, and a helicopter tour from San Francisco to Wine Country. A percentage of proceeds will be donated to REAF, a nonprofit dedicated to raising funds for HIV services.
