By Maxine Shapiro, KERA 90.1 business commentator
Dallas, TX – While I'll spend the rest of the week discussing earning season, there are a couple of hotels coming and going worth noting in the Metroplex. I'm Maxine Shapiro with KERA Marketplace Midday.
The new Gaylord Opryland Texas Resort and Convention Center is scheduled to open is less than ten months in Grapevine. And Texas-style it is. 400,000 square feet and 1,500 plus rooms. When construction began in 2001, it topped the Dallas Business Journal's list of the Largest Metroplex Commercial Construction Projects. It wasn't the best of years to begin any new project, let alone one of this magnitude. Not to mention in an industry which has witnessed one the worst declines in decades - business travel. But somehow this mammoth center was left unscathed. Bookings began three years ago. Why not? The economy was on a roll and businesses were booming. But as other metroplex properties have greatly suffered during the recession, pre-opening sales are right on target for Opryland, reports the Dallas Morning News. One event planned for next July is expected to bring 15,000 people, allowing other hotels in the area to share the good fortune.
If you haven't seen it in person, check out Saturday's Morning News. Searching back to an earlier article in the Business Journal, I can see why businesses might be attracted to this place. It's all about Texas. Different atriums will favor Texas themes like San Antonio's Riverwalk, a tour of the Hill Country, and a focus on Texas' western heritage. And in case you forget you're in Texas, when you arrive at DFW, you'll be purposely reminded when you fly over the yellow Lone Star etched into the atrium glass dome.
And if you drive by Le Meridien Hotel in downtown Dallas, look closely. As of today, the marquee has changed and it's now called Westin City Center. Le Meridien literally got evicted. La Salle Hotels was leasing the property to Meridien with a clause: if Le Meridien gets sold, La Salle can ignore the lease and ask them to leave. A Japanese financial group bought Le Meridien. La Salle then turned it over to Westin while Meridien fought and lost to stay. Au Revoir. For KERA Marketplace Midday, I'm Maxine Shapiro.
Marketplace Midday Reports air on KERA 90.1 Monday - Friday at 1:04 p.m.
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