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Destination Texas, Northstar’s premier event for meetings and incentive pros looking to book biz in the area.
Why Texas for Your Next Meeting or Event?
The Lone Star State has lots of news for groups:
- The Four Seasons Resort & Club in Irving will become a Ritz-Carlton in 2024.
- Among the hotel news in Austin, the 344-room CitizenM has a tentative July opening date.
- The Dallas City Council has given the go-ahead for a state-of-the-art convention center to replace its current facility; Austin and Fort Worth are expanding their exhibit centers; and Arlington is getting a new hotel and convention center
ARLINGTON
Event Venues, Additions & Renovations
As the city’s original convention center was turned into the Esports Stadium Arlington in 2018, a new Arlington Convention Center with 216,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space now is under construction, and will be connected via skybridge to the 888-room Loews Arlington Hotel. The two will open in 2024.
Dallas News
The city council has approved plans to build a new, 2.5-million-square-foot convention center adjacent to the current Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center. The new facility will feature 800,000 square feet of exhibit space and 400,000 square feet of breakout space, including a 100,000-square-foot ballroom. Construction could begin in 2024 for an opening date in 2028. A possible boost to the occupancy tax is being discussed to help fund the project.
Also coming in 2024 is the National Medal of Honor Museum, showcasing all the recipients of the accolade and telling their tales of valor. Groundbreaking for the venue, which will feature exhibit and conference space, took place last March 25, Medal of Honor Day.
Meeting Hotels
In town are more than 4,600 hotel rooms. Among the events properties are the 311-room Sheraton Arlington Hotel, 308-room Hilton Arlington, 237-room DoubleTree by Hilton Arlington DFW South and 200-room Crowne Plaza Suites.
To find and compare hotels, and send RFPs, visit Northstar Meetings Group’s venue finder.
Transportation
Dallas–Fort Worth International Airport, about 13 miles from downtown. Transfer cost:
- By taxi, $35
- Uber and Lyft start around $23
Taxes
- Room tax, 11%
- Sales tax, 6%
- Total tax on rooms, 17%
Group Venues
Recently host to Elton John’s Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour, Globe Life Field, home of baseball’s Texas Rangers, has space for groups of all sizes, whether there’s an event going on or not.
While many know Arlington for its large sports stadiums, a touch of its rural past still exists. Howell Family Farms, established in 1912 and now a site for all sorts of events, features a gorgeous old barn and home, and welcomes groups of up to 300.
Contact
Arlington Convention and Visitors Bureau
AUSTIN
Event Venues, Additions & Renovations
Plans to expand the Austin Convention Center moved forward in May. The city began soliciting requests for proposal on May 22 to find an architect and general contractor to build onto the facility vertically rather than horizontally. Currently, the center has 376,000 square feet of rentable space; the project is expected to nearly double that space, and $1.6 billion has been allocated for the construction, fully funded by the city’s hotel occupancy tax.
Rising in the convention center district, the 17-story CitizenM Austin Downtown is on schedule to open this fall. The 344-room hotel will feature extra-large king beds. There also will be a rooftop pool, as well as the CanteenM bar and restaurant.
A $10 million renovation was completed at the 492-room Renaissance Austin Hotel last fall. The project expanded the meeting space to 81,000 square feet, refreshed the rooms, and added the Lawn at Glass Oaks and a new 3,600-square-foot glassed-in space. The Knotty Deck & Bar restaurant has been redone, and the pool has been upgraded to a resort-style space.
After an extensive renovation, the 194-room Hotel Granduca Austin has been transformed into the Hotel Viata. Added were the Laurel restaurant and the Spa Viata, and the lobby and the pool deck were redesigned. The property features 13,300 square feet of event space.
The striking 108-room Loren at Lady Bird Lake opened in October. Four indoor and outdoor spaces host events for up to 200 guests. A glass elevator takes guests to the rooftop Nido restaurant, serving seasonal and local fare, and offering great views of the city and the lake.
The 330-room Conrad Hotel by Hilton, still in the planning stages, is scheduled to open just west of the Austin Convention Center in 2026.
Meeting Hotels
The city features more than 39,000 guest rooms. Major downtown properties include the 1,048-room Fairmont Austin Hotel, 1,012-room JW Marriott Austin and 801-room Hilton Austin. Two nearby retreats are the 493-room Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa, and 491-room Hyatt Regency Lost Pines.
To find and compare hotels, and send RFPs, visit Northstar Meetings Group’s venue finder.
- Exhibit space, 247,052 square feet
- Number of meeting rooms, 54
- Contact: (512) 404-4000
Transportation
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, about 8 miles from downtown. Transfer cost:
- By taxi, $28
- Uber and Lyft start at about $25
Taxes
- Room tax, 11%
- Sales tax, 6%
- Total tax on rooms, 17%
Group Venues
Airy and bright, Craft invites adults in to make a mess learning to do screen-printing, tie macrame, create homemade cards and more. The venue seats 30 crafters, and accommodates up to 50 people standing.
A perfect after-business-hours establishment is Seven Grand, where curated whiskey tastings are the theme. More than 400 types are available in the moody bar, along with craft cocktails and Texas beers. The space is perfect for small private events.
Overlooking Lady Bird Lake, the Waller Creek Boathouse rents out kayaks and stand-up paddleboards, but it’s also popular for events by the water for up to 400 people. Upstairs, there’s 1,900 square feet of space indoors as well as outdoors on the terrace; downstairs, on the water, the flagstone patio and the Congress lawn offer 2,700 square feet of space.
When the schedule is clear at Circuit of the Americas, Austin’s racetrack for motorsports of all types, the venue is ready to host events of all sizes imaginable (it seats 150,000, after all). Just a few options: Put guests in cars for a lap, host an event in one of the pit-lane garages, or set up in the 17,000-square-foot event center.
Icenhauer’s is a contemporary spot serving up craft cocktails and music, as well as bites from the Gobble Gobble Food Trailer. The venue hosts events for up to 450 people.
Contact
Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau, (800) 926-2282
Fort Worth
Event Venues, Additions & Renovations
Renovations have begun at the 425-room Sheraton Fort Worth Downtown. To be completed this fall, the $45 million project will feature a redesigned entryway, new suites, several new workspace studios ideal for small meetings, and two new eateries. The hotel’s 30,000 square feet of meeting space will be refreshed.
Architects have been hired to handle the first phase of the expansion of the Fort Worth Convention Center, which includes the construction of new food-and-beverage facilities, the demolition of the annex, the realignment of Commerce Street to create a site for a future hotel, and the rebuilding of the loading docks. Work will begin next year and finish up in 2026. The second phase — which will get going when occupancy taxes have recovered fully to fund the project — will add 97,000 square feet of new exhibit space, 48,000 square feet of meeting rooms, and a 50,000-square-foot ballroom. Also, the existing facility will be renovated.
In the works is the 200-room Museum Place Hotel in the cultural district, part of the Museum Place mixed-use development across the street from the Kimbell and the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. Plans call for a chef-driven restaurant, a rooftop lounge and an 8,000-square-foot ballroom.
Meeting Hotels
The city features more than 11,000 guest rooms. Group properties include the 614-room Omni Fort Worth Hotel, 504-room Worthington Renaissance Fort Worth, 425-room Sheraton Fort Worth Downtown Hotel, 294-room Hilton Fort Worth, 285-room Marriott Hotel & Golf Club at Champions, 226-room Kimpton Harper Hotel and 200-room Hotel Drover.
To find and compare hotels, and send RFPs, visit Northstar Meetings Group’s venue finder.
- Exhibit space, 208,573 square feet
- Number of meeting rooms, 20
- Contact: (817) 392-6338
Airport Transit
Dallas–Fort Worth International Airport, about 10 miles from downtown. Transfer cost:
- by taxi, $33
- Uber and Lyft start at about $30
Taxes
- Room tax, 9%
- sales tax, 6%
- total tax on rooms, 15%
Group Venues
Debuting in March 1899, the Ashton Depot was a railroad stop in Fort Worth until 1995. The neoclassical Beaux Arts-Style terminal has been restored to its original style, with stained-glass windows, barrel-vaulted ceilings and marble floors. Employing full culinary and service teams, the depot can host up to 900 people.
Opened in January 2020, Wishbone & Flynt not only survived Covid, but the Fort Worth eatery is thriving. The intimate space can hold about 50 guests. Cocktail fun is found at the adjacent Amber Room speakeasy.
Contact
Visit Fort Worth, (800) 433-5747
Frisco
Event Venues, Additions & Renovations
Opening in May is the 500-room Omni PGA Frisco Resort, born from a partnership between the city, Omni Hotels and the PGA of America. Golfers will love the new property’s two 18-hole courses, 10-hole short course, putting green, Topgolf lounge, and the PGA District, home to dining, retail, virtual-game experiences and entertainment. The resort also will feature 10 ranch homes, 127,000 square feet of meeting space, an entertainment area, three pools and a spa.
Universal Parks & Resorts is building a family-friendly theme park in Frisco. The proposed park will have an adjacent themed hotel, and there will be room for an expansion on the 97-acre plot that Universal recently purchased for the project. The park will be much smaller than Universal’s existing properties and will have a very different look and feel; no timeline for construction has been announced yet.
Redevelopment underway at the Hall Park community includes Kaleidoscope Park (opening next year), a food hall, and the 224-room Hall Park Hotel, an Autograph Collection property from Marriott, opening this year with 8,500 square feet of meeting space and a chef-driven restaurant.
Meeting Hotels
One of the fastest-growing cities in Texas, Frisco has several group hotels, including the 330-room Embassy Suites Hotel Dallas–Frisco, 303-room Hyatt Regency Frisco–Dallas, 302-room Westin Dallas Stonebriar Golf Resort Spa and 300-room Omni Frisco Hotel.
To find and compare hotels, and send RFPs, visit Northstar Meetings Group’s venue finder.
Transportation
Dallas–Fort Worth International Airport, about 26 miles from downtown. Transfer cost:
- by taxi, $60
- Uber and Lyft start at about $50
Taxes
- Room tax, 7%
- state tax, 6%
- total tax on hotel rooms, 13%
Group Venue
New in town is the $62 million, state-of-the-art Frisco Public Library. A reuse of an old rocket factory, the facility is home to a 21-foot-tall replica of a T-rex, a robotics arena and rentable meeting space throughout — including a ballroom.
Contact
Visit Frisco
IRVING
Event Venues, Additions & Renovations
In 2024, following a $55 million makeover, the 431-room Las Colinas Resort, Dallas, (formerly the Four Seasons Resort & Club Dallas at Las Colinas) will become the Ritz-Carlton, Las Colinas. Starting in April, all guest rooms and villas will be renovated, along with the 84,000 square feet of meeting space and the 14,000-square-foot spa. The food-and-beverage outlets will get new concepts.
Opening this fall is the 168-room Embassy Suites by Hilton Irving Las Colinas. The property will have 3,000 square feet of meeting space.
In September, the Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas achieved GBAC Star certification for following strict protocols for cleaning, disinfection and disease prevention.
The 300-room Wyndham DFW Airport Hotel (formerly the DFW Airport Hotel and Conference Center) will debut sometime this year. The property has a 6,000-square-foot ballroom and seven event spaces, including the Paradise Garden, which hosts up to 750 people.
Meeting Hotels
The city offers more than 10,000 guest rooms. Group properties include the 491-room Dallas/Fort Worth Airport Marriott, 431-room Four Seasons Resort Dallas/Las Colinas, 421-room Omni Las Colinas Hotel, 364-room Marriott Dallas Las Colinas, 350-room Westin Irving Convention Center Hotel, 305-room Embassy Suites DFW Airport South, 302-room Sheraton DFW Airport Hotel, 282-room DoubleTree by Hilton DFW Airport North and 152-room Texican Court Hotel.
To find and compare hotels, and send RFPs, visit Northstar Meetings Group’s venue finder.
- Exhibit space, 97,228 square feet
- Number of meeting rooms, 28
- Contact: (972) 252-7476
Airport Transit
Dallas–Fort Worth International Airport, about 10 miles from downtown. Transfer cost:
- by taxi, $33
- Uber and Lyft start at about $20
Taxes
- Room tax, 9%
- sales tax, 6%
- total tax on rooms, 15%
Group Venues
Contemporary Texas cuisine is the specialty of the Ranch at Las Colinas. Beyond the requisite steak on the menu, diners can choose from Gulf shrimp and striped bass, chile-brined chicken and much more. The restaurant hosts groups of up to 550, and there are four private ining areas: The Porch seats 100; the Eldorado Room, 80; the Fire Pit, 40; and the Chef’s Corner, 34.
Giving off a hacienda vibe, the 152-room Texican Court isn’t a typical meetings property. Rough wood touches give spaces, such as the Serape Boardroom, a ranch-in-the-city feel.
The galleries at the Irving Arts Center are full of local and international works, and can host up to 300 people in the 3,000-square-foot Suite 200.
The 87,742-square foot Pavilion at the Toyota Music Factory can be configured into the event of your attendees’ dreams. Or take it all outside to the event lawn and amphitheater.
Contact
Visit Irving, (800) 247-8464
San Antonio
Event Venues, Additions & Renovations
A 347-room Kimpton property is coming to San Antonio, part new-build and part adaptive reuse of an 1850s schoolhouse. To open in 2024, the hotel will feature more than 10,000 square feet of meeting space.
A multimillion-dollar propertywide renovation has been completed at the 1,000-room San Antonio Marriott Rivercenter, one of the city’s largest hotels. In the process, the event space was increased by 11,000 square feet to a total of 70,136 square feet. The property’s new M Club overlooks the Alamo, and the revamped F&B options include the signature restaurant, Tributary, serving seasonal and local fare; the Café Bocadillo coffeehouse; and Sundry for grab-and-go bites.
Green thumb
The
JW Marriott San Antonio has hired culinary gardener Hector Rivera to maintain plant beds, and harvest and prepare produce for the resort’s dining outlets.
A luxury 390-room InterContinental hotel, the city’s first of the brand, will open in the city in 2023. A remake of a former Wyndham hotel, the project will transform the property’s 40,000 square feet of meeting space, add new food-and-beverage options, and revitalize the rooftop pool area. The InterContinental will have direct access to the River Walk.
Now open is the 277-room Estancia del Norte San Antonio, part of Hilton’s Tapestry Collection, with 10,000 square feet of gathering space. Lazo Restaurant serves South Texas classics, and the Paseo Bar looks out on the Grand Courtyard.
- Exhibit space, 514,000 square feet
- Number of meeting rooms, 70
- Contact: (210) 207-8500
Airport Transit
San Antonio International Airport, 8 miles north of downtown. Transfer cost:
- By taxi, $29
- Lyft and Uber start at $17
Taxes
- Room tax, 16.75%
- sales tax, 8.125%
- total tax on rooms, 16.75%
Group Venues
Still a fan favorite is Biga on the Banks, a fine-dining spot serving “very new American cuisine.” The brainchild of chef Bruce Auden, a London transplant, the menu changes daily; on a recent night, dishes were made with Scottish salmon, Australian lamb, Gulf shrimp and New Zealand deer. Private dining options host from 10 to 400 people, offering river and River Walk views.
Send a group out to see the city by recumbent bike with San Antonio Bike Tours. Two-, four- and six-hour outings head out to the missions, the historic downtown and more.
Once available by food truck only, the delightful confections of Mary Collazzo make the perfect gift for your chocolate-loving VIPs. The delectables vary seasonally, so it’s worth a stop at the downtown shop, Chocollazzo, whenever you visit the city. Maybe you’ll be able to grab a few of these honey-touched bites.
Seven signature beers and outdoor space for mingling are available for up to, yes, 18,000 people at the expansive Alamo Beer Co.
Contact
Visit San Antonio
Tyler
Event Venues, Additions & Renovations
The brand-new W.T. Brookshire Conference Center, just steps from one of the largest rose gardens in the United States, will open in Rose City in April. The facility will offer 23,089 square feet of meeting space, and 79,458 square feet for outdoor events, including a 47,535-square-foot lawn and the 16,365-square-foot Tree Grove. The rose garden features more than 32,000 bushes and 600 varieties.
Retreats for up to 40 people overnight are hosted at the High Hill Farm, 20 miles outside of town. Luxurious bungalows and a barn suite are among the singular accommodations, and groups gather in the 3,000 square feet of meeting space. Also on-site are the fine-dining Coté Restaurant, a resort pool, hiking trails and skeet shooting.
Meeting Hotels
The Rose City features about 3,000 downtown guest rooms. Top meetings properties are the 182-room Holiday Inn Tyler-Conference Center, 129-room La Quinta Inn Tyler, 125-room Hilton Garden Inn Tyler and 113-room Homewood Suites by Hilton Tyler.
To find and compare hotels, and send RFPs, visit Northstar Meetings Group’s venue finder.
Transportation
Tyler Pounds Airport, 6 miles from downtown, offers three flights a day to DFW Airport on American Airlines. Transfer cost:
- by taxi to downtown, from $25
Taxes
- Room tax, 7%
- state tax, 6%
- venue tax, 2%
- total tax on hotel rooms, 15%
Group Venues
The first part of the Goodman-LeGrand House and Museum was built in 1859, a second story was added in 1880, and the structure was redesigned in 1921 to its current Classic Revival style. Among the items on display inside are antique hand-carved furniture and musical instruments, medical books dating back to the early 1800s, and Civil War-era surgical tools. The house hosts events for up to 300.
Contact
Visit Tyler
- Best CVB/DMO, Southwest, Visit Fort Worth (Bronze)
- Best Food and Beverage, Southwest, Texas A&M Hotel and Conference Center, College Station (Gold)
- Best Food and Beverage, Southwest, AT&T Hotel and Conference Center, Austin (Silver)
- Best Food and Beverage, Southwest, Hotel Drover, an Autograph Collection Hotel, Fort Worth (Bronze)
- Best Hotel/Resort, Southwest, Texas A&M Hotel and Conference Center (Gold)
- Best Hotel/Resort, Southwest, AT&T Hotel and Conference Center (Bronze)
- Best Hotel/Resort, Southwest, The Adolphus, Dallas (Finalist)
- Best Hotel/Resort Event Space, Southwest, Texas A&M Hotel and Conference Center (Gold)
- Best Hotel/Resort Event Space, Southwest, AT&T Hotel and Conference Center (Silver)
- Best On-Site Support Staff, Southwest, Texas A&M Hotel and Conference Center (Gold)
- Best On-Site Support Staff, Southwest, AT&T Hotel and Conference Center (Silver)
- Best Decor/Design, Southwest, Hotel Drover, an Autograph Collection Hotel, Fort Worth (Gold)
- Best Decor/Design, Southwest, Texas A&M Hotel and Conference Center (Silver)
- Best Boutique Property, Southwest, Hotel Drover, an Autograph Collection Hotel, Fort Worth (Gold)
- Best DMC, Southwest: Kennedy DMC Austin
- Best Hotel/Resort, Southwest, Silver: Texas A&M Hotel & Conference Center
- Best Boutique Property, Southwest, Gold: Hotel Drover, an Autograph Collection Hotel
- Best CVB/DMO, Southwest, Silver: Visit San Antonio
- Best Convention Center, Southwest, Silver: Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center
- Best Hotel/Resort Renovation, Southwest, Gold: Plaza Hotel Pioneer Park
- Best Hotel/Resort Event Space, Southwest: Hotel Drover, an Autograph Collection Hotel (Silver); Texas A&M Hotel & Conference Center (Bronze)
- Best On-Site Support Staff, Southwest, Gold: Texas A&M Hotel & Conference Center (Gold); AT&T Hotel and Conference Center (Bronze)
- Best Sustainability Initiative, Southwest, Silver: Texas A&M Hotel & Conference Center
- Best Food and Beverage, Southwest: Texas A&M Hotel & Conference Center (Gold); AT&T Hotel and Conference Center (Bronze)
- Best Décor/Design, Southwest, Bronze: Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center