Cambria Hotels debuted in Milwaukee with the 132-room Cambria Hotel Milwaukee Downtown. The hotel provides easy access to the region's top business and entertainment destinations, including the Wisconsin Center convention complex, the Harley-Davidson Museum and Fiserv Forum arena.

Detroit’s convention center, formerly known as Cobo Center, was officially renamed TCF Center. The center features 723,000 square feet of exhibit space. The 40,000-square-foot Grand Riverview Ballroom, which includes a stage lift, and more than 100 meeting and banquet rooms comprise 225,000 square feet meeting space.

Intercontinental Hotels Group welcomes guests to the newly renovated Crowne Plaza Atlanta Perimeter at Ravinia. The hotel is located adjacent to IHG's Americas corporate headquarters and is the Americas flagship property for the brand.

Z Resorts debuted Hotel ZaZa Austin in downtown’s Warehouse District. The hotel features a restaurant, craft cocktail bar, spa, rooftop pool and pool bar and ample meeting and event space.

Graduate Fayetteville opened its doors in the city’s Downtown Square. The 234-room hotel is within walking distance to the University of Arkansas campus and surrounded by shops and restaurants. Graduate Fayetteville’s design contrasts the natural beauty of the Ozark Mountain Region with the creative energy that courses throughout Fayetteville.

JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort & Spa completed a host of property renovations. The project included the lobby, Hashani Spa, JW Market, Salud Terrace and exterior enhancements.

Carté Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton opened its doors in San Diego’s Little Italy neighborhood. The 246-room property is located steps away from restaurants, the Embarcadero waterfront and the downtown business district.

Planners looking to add an authentic experience to a mountain destination meeting or event can turn to a brewery or distillery as a locally inspired offsite venue or group activity. These four establishments across the Western U.S. and Canada can quench any thirst.

For San Francisco residents, such as myself, the greatest getaway secret outside of the city is available about a half-hour drive south in the coastal area around Half Moon Bay. This also holds true for meetings, which can access the bucolic area via the two major international airports in San Francisco and San Jose.