New York

• Starwood Hotels & Resorts plans to redevelop the Sheraton Manhattan at Times Square and to drop the Sheraton name from the hotel, operating as The Manhattan at Times Square Hotel. The 665-room hotel is expected to fly another Starwood flag in the future, following a renovation. The hotel will remain open as the company finalizes redevelopment plans. For more information, call 212.581.3300 or visit www.starwoodhotels.com.

Ontario

• The Hilton Hotel and Suites Niagara Falls/Fallsview, Canada’s tallest hotel tower, recently unveiled a pair of presidential suites located on the 50th floor, each with views of the falls. Each of the 1,500-square-foot rooms features a balcony, a meeting table, flat-screen television, electric fireplace and Jacuzzi tub. The suites are part of a $150 million expansion. The second phase is slated to open in spring 2012 and includes 40,000 square feet of conference and meeting space and a 40,000-square-foot themed recreation pool and spa. For more information, call 905.354.7887 or visit www.niagarafallshilton.com.
• The Crowne Plaza Hamilton Hotel near Toronto opened in February after a conversion from an independent hotel. The hotel offers 214 guest rooms and suites, each with wireless high-speed Internet access. The hotel’s options for smaller meeting groups are complemented by 19,000 square feet of banquet space. A 372 seat state-of-the-art theatre allows for larger scale presentations. For more information, call 905.528.3451 or visit www.ichotelsgroup.com.

Quebec

• The Holiday Inn Express and Suites Saint-Hyacinthe debuted in January and was built to meet LEED certification standards. Located 30 minutes from Montreal, the 94-room hotel is part of the new ‘M’ Lifestyle Centre in Saint-Hyacinthe, which will include restaurants, shopping, a public market, houses and apartments. The hotel offers free high-speed Internet access, 32-inch LCD televisions in all guest rooms, a 24-hour business center, fitness center, indoor heated pool and more than 1,000 square feet of meeting space. For more information, call 450.251.1111 or visit www.ichotelsgroup.com.

Washington, D.C.

• Hilton Washington’s new Heights Executive Meeting Center opened in February as part the hotel’s $140 million restoration. The center is comprised of nine Wi-Fi-enabled rooms and a large outdoor courtyard offering skyline views of Washington and a central refreshment area with continuous food and beverage service. The hotel restoration project is scheduled for completion in June. The transformation of the legendary 1,070-room property includes a makeover of all guest rooms, public areas, lobby, health club, restaurants, meeting rooms and function space, including the International Ballroom. For more information, call 202.483.3000 or visit www.hiltonsofdc.com.