The Millennium Knickerbocker Hotel Chicago has completed the 1st phase of a 27k renovation. All 306 guest rooms, including one-bedroom suites & guest corridors have been transformed. Details

Benchmark Hospitality International and five-time Grammy Award-winning singer Gloria Estefan and her husband, producer Emilio Estefan, Jr., opened the highly anticipated Costa d’Este Beach Resort, the 94 guestroom, luxury property located in Vero Beach, Florida. Details

The Intercontinental Chicago O’Hare opens Monday Sept.8th.    Five minutes from the airport, the 556 room hotel offers 24-hour complimentary shuttle service and is just across the street from the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center. Details

Stamford Plaza Sydney Airport recently received the 2008 World Travel Awards for ‘Australia’s Leading Airport Hotel’. This prestigious awards program is considered the “Oscars of the Travel Industry" by the Wall Street Journal. Details

Turtle Bay Resort, on the North Shore of Oahu was voted “Top 25 Hotels in Hawaii” for 2008 by the readers of Travel + Leisure magazine, which has presented the “World’s Best Awards,” by approximately 1,000,000 subscribers to select their favorite hotels. Details

The Doubletree Hotel Chicago Magnificent Mile has opened after more than $21k was invested in the former Chicago City Centre Hotel & Sports Club. Details

Crowne Plaza Toledo will open shortly. The contemporary 14-story property is a conversion from a Wyndham Hotel. The 241-room hotel features 18,600 square feet of meeting and banquet space including a 10,000 square foot ballroom. Details

Leading the way, Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts has appointed Patricia Gallardo as the first corporate social responsibility and sustainability manager. Directing initiatives for the environment, employees and the community, health and safety, supply chain management and stakeholder relations for their Philippine properties. Details

Suffering from allergies and asthma, breathe easier thanks to Wyndham® hotel’s new ClearAir(sm) initiative to offer allergy-friendly guest accommodations. Eight Wyndham hotels offer the rooms today, all will be required to convert 10 percent of their room inventory or a minimum of 25 rooms into allergy-friendly environments . Details

Doubletree Hotels are building environmental awareness in conjunction with the Arbor Day Foundation and the Dimensions Educational Research Foundation. Keeping it Green through THINK TREES is educating our young. The Hotelier has pledged to plant trees for every medal TEAM USA bring home from the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Details