Minnesota
In December, Marriott Minneapolis Northwest rebranded to better establish the Midwest destination as a conference and event hub. Now, the Marriott Minneapolis Northwest Hotel and Conference Center aims to support conferences, corporate group travel and large-scale events. The hotel recently renovated its 231 suite accommodations.
The conference center at Marriott Minneapolis Northwest Hotel is the largest in Marriott’s portfolio. Its meetings offerings include more than 67,000 square feet of flexible meeting space across 36 meeting rooms. The hotel is also home to the 3,526-square-foot Elm Creek Amphitheatre. The conference center’s breakout rooms are built for inclusivity, providing guests with quiet rooms, sensory rooms, mothers’ rooms and prayer rooms.
Planners have multiple F&B options including full-service catering and onsite dining at Wadsworth Lounge and Restaurant and Boundary Waters Café. Other amenities at the property include a heated indoor pool and a fitness center. The hotel is in close proximity to shopping, entertainment venues and local recreation.
Nebraska
Drury Plaza Hotel Lincoln Downtown was the first Drury-branded hotel to debut in Nebraska. The 210-room property is within walking distance of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Memorial Stadium, Lincoln’s Historic Haymarket District and the Sheldon Museum of Art. It is also less than 10 minutes away from Lincoln Airport.
The hotel boasts more than 2,400 square feet of meeting space for up to 288 guests. Drury’s “Meetings with More” program offers planners flexible cancellation policy and no minimums for food and beverage. Other amenities at the hotel include 24-hour business and fitness centers, an indoor pool, spa and multiple onsite dining locations—5:30 Kickback and The Kitchen and Bar.
Wisconsin
In January, a 175-room independent property, The Marc Hotel, opened in downtown Milwaukee. The hotel is connected to the recently renovated Baird Center via a climate-controlled skywalk. The 175-room hotel has more than 34,000 square feet of meeting space. The Marc Hotel takes over the former west wing of Hilton Milwaukee, a second recently renovated property in Cream City.
Hilton Milwaukee completed its $42 million renovation in December, unveiling a revitalized lobby, bar, meeting spaces and 554 guest rooms. The refreshed lobby was designed with a warm, neutral color palette to accentuate the hotel’s 1920s design including the original crystal chandeliers, marble pillars and floors, geometric motifs and woodwork. The redesigns in the hotel’s guest rooms were inspired by the Art Deco era. The guest bathrooms were also fully redesigned with new marble countertops, built-in lighted mirrors and fixtures from Wisconsin-based company, Kohler Co.
Putting on the Ritz
Indianapolis broke ground on a 176-room luxury property in January. The Ritz-Carlton, Indianapolis will be connected directly to Gainbridge Fieldhouse—the home of the NBA’s Indiana Pacers and the WNBA’s Fever. It will also be located three blocks from the Indiana Convention Center. The 15-story hotel is anticipated to be completed by the beginning of 2028.
[Related: Wisconsin Dells to Debut Medieval Resort, and a $710 Million Expansion in Indianapolis]
The Marriott property will offer 11,500 square feet of meeting space. The third-floor pedestrian bridge will connect the hotel to meeting spaces at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, which include the 2,000 person Morris Bicentennial Plaza and another entertainment venue, Commission Row, which is bookable for up to 300 guests.
Other amenities at the hotel include a fitness center, spa, outdoor terrace, upscale restaurant, lobby bar and restaurant, and a private lounge for guests. The hotel development also includes the addition of a 4,000-person live music venue operated by Live Nation. The venue is set to open in fall 2027. These projects are components of Indianapolis’ $3 billion investment in tourism that will continue into 2029.
