Alabama

• Country Inn & Suites Saraland recently opened with 60 guest rooms. The hotel, located 10 miles from downtown Mobile, offers one-bedroom and extended-stay suites, and each guest room features complimentary wired and wireless high-speed Internet access and flat-screen televisions. For more information, call 251.675.3580.

Florida

• The 162-room Margaritaville Beach Hotel debuted in June on the barrier island of Pensacola Beach in the Gulf of Mexico. The guest rooms, which include 24 suites, all overlook the bay or the gulf. The Land Shark Landing beach pavilion offers groups an open-air setting that includes beach ping pong tables and live music. Other amenities include complimentary in-room high-speed Internet access, meeting space for small groups, a business center, fitness center and a poolside tiki bar. A waterpark is planned for the future. For more information, call 850.916.9755.

Mississippi

• The Four Points by Sheraton Biloxi Beach Boulevard recently opened across from the newly restored Biloxi beachfront and on the site of a former condominium building damaged by Hurricane Katrina. The hotel features 195 guest rooms with complimentary high-speed Internet access. Amenities include an outdoor pool and deck with water views, a fitness center and two meeting rooms offering a total of 1,000 square feet of space. For more information, call 228.546.3100.

Texas

• The Candlewood Suites San Antonio-Downtown opened in June, the first mid-scale extended-stay property in the northwest San Antonio area. The new four-story, 81-room hotel features an outdoor pool, a business center and a gazebo with a barbecue grill. The property also offers complimentary high-speed Internet access and a 24-hour fitness center. For more information, call 210.226.7700.
• The newly renamed Doubletree Hotel San Antonio Downtown recently opened following an $8 million refurbishment project. Formerly the Radisson Downtown Market Square Hotel, the Doubletree offers 250 guest rooms and suites, all with complimentary high-speed Internet access and 32-inch LCD televisions. The hotel also features 9,000 square feet of flexible event space, including two independent ballrooms for more than 200 people banquet-style. Amenities include the Ventanas Bistro & Wine Bar, a fitness center, an outdoor swimming pool and whirlpool. For more information, call 210.224.7155.

Virginia

• The Aloft Winchester opened in June with 94 guest rooms. Located in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley, the guest rooms offer plug-and-play connectivity linked to a 42-inch LCD television. Hotel amenities include the re:mix lounge and w xyz bar. The hotel also offers meeting space outfitted with a 50-inch flat-panel plasma television. For more information, call 540.678.8899.
• The former Sheraton Richmond West converted to the Ramada Plaza Hotel Richmond West. The hotel’s 372 rooms are located in six buildings on 13 acres. The property features 26,000 square feet of meeting space. The hotel provides both indoor and outdoor swimming pools, two restaurants and a fitness center. For more information, call 804.285.2000.
• Country Inn & Suites by Carlson, Virginia Beach, VA opened in May close to the Virginia Beach Boardwalk. The hotel features an indoor pool, fitness center and over 1,300 square feet of meeting space for up to 110 guests. The 114 guest rooms offer complimentary wired and wireless high-speed Internet access and flat-screen televisions. For more information, call 757.437.9100.