in Newport News, Va., LTD Hospitality Group has purchased the Magnuson Hotel at the gateway to City Center. LTD now plans to close the hotel and renovate its 183 guestrooms, lobby, restaurant and more than 10,000 square feet of meeting space, and reopen the property by the end of 2017 as a Holiday Inn hotel.
According to Neel Desai, managing principal of LTD Hospitality Group, the renovation plans will incorporate IACC design standards that adhere to a set of standards in physical meeting room design, food and beverage, and service. The IACC is a professional association representing small- to medium-sized venues focused on meetings, training courses and conference-related standards.
The planned conversion will include the Holiday Inn brand's newest guestroom design, which can adjust from a single room with a king bed and chaise lounge to a family room with a king bed and two twin beds, letting business travelers and families use the same room throughout the week. In-room elements in this design include a “Welcome Nook” that serves as a drop zone for guests to hang their coat, drop their keys or bag, and plug in devices; and a new moveable desk and more than five "power points" throughout the room for working on electronic devices.
