What’s New

• Convention Center
• Hotels
• Other News & Venues
  
  

Convention Center

The 600,000 square-foot Albuquerque Convention Center, managed by SMG, was selected as New Mexico Hospitality Recycler of the Year at the New Mexico Recycling Conference on Tuesday, June 22nd at 4:00 PM during the conference reception. The Recycling Achievement Awards recognize individuals, businesses, municipalities and educational facilities for their outstanding work to promote recycling and composting throughout New Mexico. Award winners are recognized every other year at the New Mexico Recycling Conference.  They also has completed a multi-million dollar renovation. Improvements include:

• Upgraded lighting in the Kiva Auditorium
• Free wireless Internet hot zones in lobby areas
• 14 newly renovated meeting rooms in the lower level west building
• Centro Del Sol meeting room equipped with a permanent LCD projector, electronic screen and AV/data connections
• Improvements on the west complex’s heating, ventilation & air conditioning.
• West complex kitchen upgrade including equipment, wall painting, ceiling & smallwares and replacement of the kitchen floor.  SMG is now the official caterer.
• Interior improvements including: new flat panel LCD kiosks, fiber-optic cabling to all meeting areas, and lighting and ceiling replacements in the NW & SW Exhibit Hall entrance.
• New entry doors in the west complex, roof system renovations, and new exterior benches, urns, and trash receptacles.
• A renovated fire life safety system and an upgraded security system
• Installed a new LED back-lit Albuquerque Convention Center marquee on 3rd street entrance
• East building renovations to include wall fabric removal, texture and painting to hallway corridors
• Installation of a guest services reception station on the ground level to welcome all visitors to the convention center
• Renovated the entrances to the west building by installing a new ceiling, chandeliers and can lights throughout the ground level 

Hotels

• Hilton Albuquerque undergoes major "Greenovation"
  The Hilton Albuquerque is undergoing a comprehensive $14 million "greenovation" that will incorporate energy and water conservation and feature a fresh, contemporary Western style inside and out.  The Hilton Albuquerque has become the first, and so far the only hotel in the state, to receive New Mexico's Green Zia Environmental Excellence Recognition Program for its efforts to prevent pollution and implement "green initiatives."

  View the entire media release
   

• Heritage Hotels creates Going Green Program
  Heritage Hotels & Resorts is doing its part to help the environment and has developed a Going Green environmental program within its hotels and among its employees. This group of independent hotels located in Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Las Cruces, New Mexico and Rio Rico, Arizona is collectively participating in several levels of environmentally safe practices. View the entire media release for more information.

• Hyatt Regency Albuquerque has recently undergone a multi-million dollar guest room renovation. The enhanced rooms feature upgraded electronics including 32” flat panel TVs and iHome alarm clock systems. New guest room carpet and wall covering add a contemporary contrast to the design. New light fixtures are more energy efficient. Guest bathrooms now include porcelain tiles, redesigned lighting, plus new wall coverings and bath fixtures. Beyond the guest room upgrades, they have also recently completed a lobby renovation.
  

• Hotel Albuquerque at Old Town recently opened a private 8,000 sq. ft. special event venue called Casa Esencia. Now one of the most historic buildings in New Mexico has been transformed into a sophisticated contemporary event venue with a design scheme that marries contemporary style with its Spanish Territorial origins - Perfect for weddings, social functions and intimate gatherings. Visit their website to learn more.

• Sheraton Uptown has recently completed a $25 million renovation.  Renovation of the entire public space was completed consisting of the 17,000 sq ft of meeting space, lobby, registration and hotel bar.  The 295 rooms and suites furniture and furnishings have been upgraded.  Upgrades will be made to the ventilation, heating and air condition systems and the indoor swimming pool, as well as new additions including an Internet lounge and a media center.  The Link @ Sheraton is a specially designed communal lounge area featuring multiple broadband Internet-enabled Microsoft workstations complete with free Wi-Fi connectivity. Guests and visitors will enjoy comfortable seating and refreshment service in the TV, Search Bar, and games, books and magazines areas. 

• Albuquerque Marriott Hotel in the Uptown area has recently finished a complete renovation of the sleeping rooms and bathrooms in all of their 411 guest rooms. Hotel corridors have also been remodeled with new carpet and lighting fixtures. Albuquerque’s Uptown has experienced tremendous growth with the recent addition of a mixed-use facility development called ABQ Uptown. The project includes high-end shopping and dining options and will eventually incorporate residential properties as part of the lifestyle center.

• Doubletree Hotel is the newly renovated Downtown location which is the only hotel that is connected to the Convention Center and creates an enticing appeal never seen before in Albuquerque.  Blending together the richness and diversity of New Mexico, the Doubletree offers a chic and modern atmosphere unparalleled.

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  The historic Andaluz Hotel, located a block from the Albuquerque Convention Center, is now open. The hotel, previously the La Posada de Albuquerque, was closed for an extensive renovation and has returned as a vibrant component of downtown Albuquerque.  The new hotel décor incorporates Moroccan and Spanish colonial influence and features a mezzanine-level cultural center, honoring New Mexico's museums, cultural institutions, performing arts groups, and other culturally significant organizations.  The renovation preserves the charm and history of the building, while modernizing the technology and environmental sustainability.View factsheet for hotel details.
  
  Hotel Andaluz has opened Albuquerque’s newest rooftop bar, Ibiza. The mezzanine-level rooftop bar is a great place to join friends for a cocktail or settle in for an entire meal. Dance, dine and delight in Albuquerque’s newest nightlife hot spot. The rooftop bar is open through October, weather permitting.

• Albuquerque Grand Airport Hotel is undergoing a $12 million total renovation. They are currently renovating four floors, the lobby, and the pre-function space. After the renovations are complete, the 276 room hotel will become a Sheraton property and earn itself a four-star rating.  The hotel is set to change to a Sheraton on September 30, 2010.
  

• Radisson Hotel and Waterpark has recently completed a $30 million complete renovation of its 300 guest rooms and meeting space. Further, earlier this year they opened their 30,000 square foot water park, featuring two big slides, a lazy river, activity pools for little as well as older kids, an indoor/outdoor whirlpool spa and a dual wave rider that you can actually surf on. For more information on the park go to New Mexico's Only Water Park web site by clicking here.
  

• Courtyard Albuquerque Airport is undergoing a lobby reinvention.  We are striving to make it easier for our guests to transition between working, relaxing and socializing.  In addition to high-definition televisions and lobby PCs, the GoBoardTM has made its debut as a unique and iconic element for the Courtyard brand. The 57 inch touch screen provides content from USA Today including: airport delays, headline news, sport scores, weather and local content for the property including restaurant recommendations and local attractions.  At Marriott, our goal is to make life easier to travel.

• MCM Elegante is currently refurbishing their pool and public areas, as well as making landscaping improvements.

• Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort & Spa will be renovating their suites, bar and spa facilities.

• Plaza Inn Hotel is becoming a unique boutique hotel. All sleeping rooms now have upgraded furniture including armoires, upholstered chairs and marble topped nightstands. The pool area has also been refurbished. Other improvements include pillow-top mattresses, new carpets and lighting, and a full American hot cooked breakfast for each guest.

• The Hotel Blue is in its full effort to conserve water and energy. They are working diligently to adopt eco-friendly practices, while being aware not to compromise their guest’s comfort and services.  For a full list of what they are doing to be green please see here.
  
  
• Scheduled to open in fall 2010, Hotel Parq Central will add a unique new offering along Historic Route 66. Design elements of the hotel are inspired by the 1920s - the decade in which the building originally opened as the Memorial Hospital. Features of the 74-room Hotel Parq Central include a grand staircase, a rooftop "Apothecary Bar" with 1920s-themed cocktails & tapas, original clay tiles throughout the property and 1926-era windows. The hotel will also be home to three lushly landscaped gardens and a light-filled conservatory that opens onto an outdoor living plaza. Hotel Parq Central is located in Albuquerque's east downtown neighborhood (locally referred to as EDo).

Other News & Venues

• The Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, “Gateway to the 19 Pueblos of New Mexico” is launching several new exhibitions beginning August 15, 2010,  with “Gathering the Clouds Many Art Forms, One Story.” This exhibition introduces never before seen Hopi-Tewa Pottery made by the renowned potter, Nampeyo and other later potters as well as a Pueblo textile collection owned by Dr. Gregory Schaaf. The exhibition will run until October 23, 2011 to be followed by “One Hundred Years of Federal Policy and It’s Impact On Pueblo Nations” to open December 2011.  “IndiVisible: African-Native American Lives in the Americas” will be exhibited at the Center from March to September 2011. This exhibition explores the cultural integration of peoples and communities in the U.S., the Carribbean, Central America and the northern coast of South America. 

   In the new grand east entrance, a new ongoing mural installation by Zuni artist,  Mallery Qwetawki will take place throughout the summer and fall of 2010. Visitors can watch Mallery work on her piece that concentrates on the oral history of the Zuni people.

   The Indian Pueblo Cultural Center is the official cultural interpretive center for New Mexico’s 19 Pueblo Indian tribes. Located just north of I-40, the Center features a museum, restaurant, gift shop, changing exhibition galleries and year round public programming for the whole family. The Center is the only venue in North America that offers traditional Native American dance performances every week.
  

• Zoning ordinances were recently changed in the historic Old Town district. Historic Old Town provides a fantastic venue for experiencing the traditions of New Mexico during a reception or special event. The new rule allows for receptions and events at restaurants in the Old Town area to serve alcoholic beverages on outdoor patios. Patrons and event attendees may now enjoy Albuquerque’s beautiful weather all year round.

• For an evening reception, plan an outing to historic Old Town. The Albuquerque Museum of Art and History, which recently added an 8,000 square feet gallery plus a large multi-function event space and an outdoor amphitheater, has a tremendous view of the mountains from a new balcony.

• Albuquerque’s newest museum, the Anderson-Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum, located at Balloon Fiesta Park, provides a beautiful facility for special event functions with a mountainous landscape as the event backdrop. The museum hosts up to 500 people indoors or 1,000 including the outdoor space.  

What's New in Albuquerque