Five Conference Centers and Hotels Coming to Texas

The town of Fredericksburg, Texas, may be small, but it's about to get a very big resort: According to the Austin Business Journal, a $78 million resort and conference center -- one of the largest construction projects ever undertaken in Fredericksburg -- has received a green light to commence construction there this fall.

Located in Texas Hill Country, which is known for its rolling landscapes and wineries, Fredericksburg has more than 300 bed and breakfasts, guests of which come in droves to experience the galleries, boutiques and bistros that line the town's picturesque Main Street. Currently, however, there are no viable accommodations in the area for groups. In one fell swoop, the new resort will change that.

Known as Seven Hills Resort and Conference Center, the Benchmark-managed resort will open in 2020 as part of Hilton's Curio Collection. Occupying 22 acres, it will have a full-service hotel with 150 guest rooms; a rooftop bar; a 40,000-square-foot restaurant and retail "village"; an outdoor amphitheater; nearly a dozen Hill Country-style guesthouses; and a 35,000-square-foot conference center.

"The Seven Hills Resort and Conference Center will significantly strengthen the group-market appeal of Fredericksburg based on room count under one roof, level of service, amenities, and the amount of meeting and event space," Ernie Loeffler, president and CEO of the Fredericksburg Convention and Visitor Bureau, told the website CultureMap. "The resort will also be attractive to the leisure travel market as a full-service hotel -- a market niche currently missing in Fredericksburg."

Four More Texas Additions

Seven Hills Resort and Conference Center isn't the only new Texas hotel and resort to look forward to. Here are four others that are coming soon to the Lone Star State:

• Doug Pitcock '49 Texas A&M Hotel & Conference Center: Opening this month in College Station, Texas, the Doug Pitcock '49 Texas A&M Hotel & Conference Center is located adjacent to Kyle Field at Texas A&M University. Managed by Benchmark, it offers 250 guest rooms -- including two penthouses and 11 suites -- as well as several dining outlets specializing in scratch-prepared and locally-sourced cuisine. There's also a two-story bar and lounge with a terrace and a full-service conference center with 35,000 square feet of meeting and event space, including an 8,300-square-foot ballroom and 22 meeting rooms.

• Kalahari Resorts Round Rock: Scheduled to open in 2020, Kalahari Resorts Round Rock will occupy 350 acres in Round Rock, Texas. Kalahari's fourth property, the African-themed waterpark and convention center will boast nearly 1,000 guest rooms, including one-, two- and three-bedroom suites; 10,000 square feet of retail space; five restaurants; three acres of outdoor pools; an 80,000-square-foot adventure park with thrill rides, a ropes course, climbing walls, an indoor zipline, bowling, laser tag and mini-golf; a 223,000-square-foot indoor water park; and a 200,000-square-foot convention center with 40,000- and 27,000-square-foot ballrooms, 16 meeting rooms and a 50,000-square-foot outdoor event space.

• Rosewood Houston: Rosewood Hotels & Resorts will open its second Texas property, Rosewood Houston, in 2023. Located in the Uptown District of Houston, the hotel will encompass 150 guest rooms, a full-service restaurant, an outdoor pool and pool bar, a spa, a fitness center and -- according to Rosewood, which has not yet provided exact building specs -- "extensive meeting and event spaces."

• Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa: Although it's not a new resort, exactly, Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa in Austin, Texas, will soon feel like one thanks to the addition of a new, $150 million hotel tower that's currently under construction there. Scheduled for completion in May 2019 -- at which point the resort will have 493 guest rooms -- the new tower will have 180 guest rooms, including 50 suites. The resort also is opening seven new dining venues; a new conference center, ballroom and outdoor events pavilion; a new spa and wellness center; expanded poolscapes; and a new tennis complex. Plus, it's updating the décor and design in all of its existing guest rooms and meeting spaces.