4 days ago
19 New Southern U.S. Meeting Venues
From modern convention centers to luxury hotels, the South is leading the way in new properties.
According to the latest United States Construction Pipeline Trend Report from Lodging Econometrics, the three fastest-developing cities for hotel development are in the South: Dallas with 204 projects (23,669 rooms), Atlanta with 168 projects (19,431 rooms), and Nashville with 130 (17,029 rooms)
The types of venues being built and undergoing renovations run the gamut from convention centers (Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale, FL and the Savannah Convention Center in Savannah, GA) to gaming properties (Caesars Virginia in Danville, VA, the Coastal Convention Center at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach, and Live! Casino & Hotel in Shreveport, LA). Luxury entries abound, from chains including Salamander, JW Marriott, Fairmont, and LeMeridien.
Explore 135 exceptional new properties hand-picked for meeting and incentive planners
Here's what's new in the Southern U.S., and take a look at our just-released report on 135 hotels for meetings and incentive travel here.
1. Caesars Virginia
Danville, VA
Caesars Virginia features a 320-room hotel with more than 50,000 square feet of meeting and convention space. The property's main ballroom measures 29,150 square feet and can accommodate 2,500 attendees in theater style. It can be split into a maximum of eight rooms, with a small boardroom also available, along with three pre-function areas and one terrace. The newly constructed $650 million resort and casino offers multiple dining options, a full-service spa, pool, and shopping experiences.
2. Coastal Convention Center at Fontainebleau Miami Beach
Miami, FL
The Coastal Convention Center at Fontainebleau Miami Beach opened in December 2024 offering 45,000 square feet of event space including a 16,500-square-foot ballroom, which can hold up to 1,380 in theater style. The venue also offers a 9,500-square-foot junior ballroom and a 7,000-square-foot rooftop deck. The connected Fontainebleau Miami Beach offers 1,504 guest rooms, 200,000 square feet of event space, 10 dining options, pools, wellness facilities, and multiple entertainment options.
3. Delano Miami Beach (Renovation)
Miami, FL
After extensive renovations, Delano Miami Beach will reopen in late 2025. It will feature 171 guest rooms and numerous dining and retail options. Other amenities include a wellness studio and spa, a ground-floor pool, a new beachfront deck, and an additional pool on the fourth floor. While specific details have not yet been disclosed, the renovations will include exclusive areas for meetings and events.
4. Fairmont New Orleans
New Orleans, LA
Opening in the summer of 2025, Fairmont New Orleans is returning to New Orleans as part of a redevelopment of the 1010 Common Street building, the former Bank of New Orleans Building. The 250- room hotel will feature 20,000 square feet of event space including ballrooms, meeting rooms, a library and a business center. The hotel will offer three food and beverage options, a 10,000-square-foot spa, a rooftop bar, and a speakeasy overlooking the swimming pool with city views.
5. InterContinental San Antonio Riverwalk
San Antonio, TX
InterContinental San Antonio Riverwalk is a centrally located luxury hotel one mile from the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center and steps away from the city's River Walk. The 390-room hotel features over 18,000 square feet of meeting and event space, including a 8,200-square-foot ballroom, and 10 meeting rooms. Additional amenities include four on-site dining venues, a rooftop pool, a lounge, and direct access to a water taxi landing zone
6. JW Marriott at Reston Station
Reston, VA
The JW Marriott at Reston Station is scheduled to open in mid-2025 and is the brand's first property in Virginia. Standing more than 25 stories high, the 243-room hotel will have 35,000 square feet of meeting and event space, including a large ballroom with an outdoor veranda. The hotel will also offer a fitness center, garage parking with 24/7 valet service, and a JW executive club offering private outdoor terraces and a boardroom.
7. Le Méridien Washington, D.C., The Madison (Renovation)
Washington, D.C.
Washington's historic hotel, The Madison, is now the Le Méridien Washington, D.C., The Madison. It reopened in September 2024 following a $15 million redesign. One of the 356-room hotel's unique features is its close proximity to the White House and National Mall. Meeting space includes a ballroom with capacity for 500 in a reception or 300, theater style, and a total of 16 separate event spaces. Amenities include three dining options and a fitness center
8. Live! Casino & Hotel Louisiana
Shreveport-Bossier, LA
Live! Casino & Hotel Louisiana is a $270+ million resort and casino in Shreveport-Bossier. The 549-room property features 25,000 square feet of customizable event space including a performance stage, ballroom, multiple breakout rooms, a pre-function space, and an executive boardroom. The resort also offers more than 47,000 square feet of gaming space, a pool, fitness center, live entertainment and nightlife venues, and numerous dining options.
9. Margaritaville Hotel Kansas City
Kansas City, KS
Scheduled to open in spring 2025, Margaritaville Hotel Kansas City is a $150 million project located in Western Wyandotte County. The 229-room resort will feature 13,000 square feet of event space across eight rooms with adaptable layouts, the largest of which can hold up to 380 guests. The property will offer Margaritavill-einspired restaurants and bars, indoor and outdoor pools, a fitness center, and a rock-climbing wall.
10. OKANA Resort & Indoor Waterpark
Oklahoma City, OK
OKANA Resort & Indoor Waterpark is a newly opened, 404-room resort in Oklahoma City. Event space includes two ballrooms accommodating 780 guests and 547 guests in theater style. Four breakout rooms and two smaller boardrooms are complemented by a 1,500-seat amphitheater and an event lawn. The resort's main feature is its 100,000-square-foot indoor waterpark. It also offers 13 different eateries, a spa, and a fitness center.
11. Omni Fort Lauderdale Hotel
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Set to open in late fall 2025, Omni Fort Lauderdale Hotel is directly connected to the Broward County Convention Center. It will offer over 120,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, including ballrooms, pre-function areas, and smaller meeting rooms. The hotel features six dining venues, a rooftop lounge, pool deck, and spa. It is ideal suited for planners needing a mix of onsite meeting space with access to over 1.2 million square feet at the adjacent convention center.
12. Opal Sol
Clearwater, FL
Opal Sol opened in February 2025 featuring 248 guest rooms and 57,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space, including an 8,800-square-foot ballroom that can accommodate 950 in theater style. Three outdoor spaces complement the total of 10 event spaces. Next door and connected via a skybridge, the older Opal Sands offers 230 guest rooms and more than 49,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space. There are 10 dining venues between the two properties on offer for all guests.
13. Palmetto Marriott Resort & Spa
Palmetto, FL
Palmetto Marriott Resort & Spa is a 252-room hotel which opened last summer that offers 9,000 square feet of indoor event space including a ballroom capable of hosting 936 guests in theatre style. The property also connects with the 40,000-square-foot Bradenton Area Convention Center, which is currently undergoing a $50-million renovation scheduled for completion in 2026. The property features two pools, a spa, a fitness center, beach volleyball and pickleball courts, and five dining options.
14. Salamander Washington, DC (Renovation)
Washington, D.C.
The centrally located Salamander Washington DC, is near the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Wharf dining and entertainment, and within walking distance of the National Mall. The newly renovated hotel offers 373 rooms with monument views, a new two-floor spa, a renovated club lounge, and 36,000 square feet of indoor/outdoor event space, including two ballrooms, garden rooms, and a grand lawn.
15. Santo Kimpton Hotel
San Antonio, TX
The Santo Kimpton Hotel opened in downtown San Antonio in the summer of 2024. The 347-room property is within walking distance of the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center and San Antonio River Walk. It offers more than 13,000 square feet of event space, including two divisible ballrooms, the largest of which can hold almost 600 guests in theater style, as well as five meeting rooms. The hotel offers one restaurant, one bar, and a rooftop pool and lounge.
16. Savannah Convention Center (Expansion)
Savannah, GA
Located across the river from downtown Savannah, the Savannah Convention Center recently unveiled its $276 million expansion that doubled the exhibit space to 200,000 square feet and added a new 40,000-square-foot ballroom with riverfront views. The venue's total event space has doubled, bringing it to 660,000 square feet. Other enhancements include a 58-foot-wide hangar door for oversized exhibits, floor-to-ceiling glass facades, and an adjacent ferry link to historic downtown.
17. The Cooper
Charleston, SC
Opening in 2025, The Cooper is a 196-room hotel on Charleston's waterfront, adjacent to Waterfront Park. It offers 20,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space, including a grand ballroom and conference areas. The design reflects the city's French Quarter aesthetic. Amenities include a full-service spa, fitness center, rooftop infinity pool, five restaurants, and access to a private marina with multiple yachts, providing planners with flexible options for both meetings and social events.
18. The St. Regis Longboat Key
Sarasota, FL
The St. Regis Longboat Key Resort is on Sarasota's barrier island across 18 beachfront acres. The resort opened in August 2024 with 168 guest rooms and 31,320 square feet of event space, including a ballroom capable of hosting 600 guests. It offers 800 feet of private beach access, six dining venues, a 20,000-square-foot spa and a lagoon showcasing the tropical aquatic environment. Guests can also enjoy the services of a dedicated Pool Butler, who is ready to assist both in and out of water.
19. Disney World Swan and Dolphin (Expansion)
Orlando, FL
In 2024, the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin announced a $275 million expansion project that will bring the total meeting space between its three buildings — the Swan, Dolphin, and Swan Reserve — to 469,000 square feet, including more than 349,000 square feet of indoor event space. Along with its 2,619 guest rooms the properties offer 99 meeting rooms (including six ballrooms), 110,500 square feet of contiguous exhibit space, and multiple outdoor function areas.
