Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts opened a property in Istanbul, Turkey in an old converted neo-classic prison that is located in the heart of the city's Old Town.

With 65 guest rooms the Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at Sultanahmet works well for smaller incentive travel programs and conference or board meeting. Its location is unsurpassed for touring Istanbul’s sites. The property is just steps away from the Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace.
For events, the ballroom accommodates 150 banquet, 175 theater and 190 for a reception. The ballroom has a pre-function area and there also is a meeting room and a boardroom.
Seasons Restaurant features a glass-enclosed courtyard and an outdoor terrace. The restaurant was recently named ‘Best Hotel Restaurant in Turkey’. The property also has a luxurious spa and is only twenty minutes from Atatürk International Airport.
Website: www.fourseasons.com

The Kempinski Palace Portoroz, dating from 1910, and its surrounding parkland were declared a cultural monument in 1983 and then closed in 1990. The hotel reopens at the end of October after a total renovation with 107 guest rooms in the historic Palace and a newly built modern section with 78 guest rooms, a total of 185 guest rooms and suites.
Meeting facilities include three congress halls all equipped with top quality audio-visual equipment. The property has eight restaurants and bars including a fine dining restaurant, a wine cellar, a wine and aperitif bar, the Crystal Hall and a pool bar.
The wellness area is another highlight of the hotel. The pool with an indoor section and a bigger outdoor section set in the idyllic environment of the hotel park is a part of the wellness oasis.
E-mail: reservations.portoroz@kempinski.com
Website: www.kempinski.com

Marriott recently rebranded Hotel Central Park Rome, which is located in the quiet residential area of Balduina/Monte Mario. The 162-room property has spectacular views of St. Peter’s Basilica and each room has a balcony with views of the Rome skyline. The hotel was rebranded Courtyard by Marriott Rome Central Park by Marriott International, Inc. following a renovation.
The open-space lobby bar/lounge works for impromptu mini-gatherings. Conference facilities accommodate 300 attendees.
For dining, the hotel has a contemporary fine-dining restaurant, Moscati, which offers Mediterranean and traditional cuisine. For recreation, the hotel’s “Corpus Sport Center” with sauna, Turkish bath, a relaxation area and gymnasium. Additional amenities include a business center, concierge services, a retail shop, hairdresser, parking and an airport shuttle service to downtown.
Website: www.marriott.com

Four Seasons Hotel Firenze – consisting of  two protected palaces, the 15th century Palazzo della Gherardesca and the Conventino, a 16th century Palazzo - recently opened following a seven-year restoration program. The hotel is situated in Florence’s largest private garden on the bank of the River Arno.
Each of the hotels’s 117 bedrooms and suites has different dimensions and idiosyncratic original features such as skylights, staircases, fireplaces and stoves.
For meetings and events there is a total of 660 sqm/7,104 sqft of space with seven meeting rooms including a former church. Outdoors 1,840 sqm (19,805 sqft) of lawns, gardens and terraces are available for events. For dining, the hotel’s restaurant, Il Palagio, uses Tuscan ingredients sourced directly from local producers. There is also a winery, breakfast restaurant and two lounges. For relaxation and pampering, the hotel Spa, an outdoor pool, fitness center, library/reading room and sun-lit Atrium Bar are available.
Website: www.fourseasons.com

The 5-Star deluxe, 318-room Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea located in Jordan, designed in a tribute to the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, opened a 10,000 sqm/107.639 sqft Anantara Spa. The new Spa is part of the hotel’s recreational facilities, which include 9 fresh water swimming pools, a Gymnasium and the longest private beach in Jordan.
All guest rooms and suites are outfitted with patios or balconies and have views of the Dead Sea. The 117 private Villas are like a hotel within the hotel. Conference and banqueting facilities accommodate up to 800 attendees in Grand Ballroom, 228 in the Auditorium and there are several additional meeting rooms. The hotel offers meeting packages, state-of-the-art technology, and free wireless high-speed Internet connections all backed up by an in-house Technical Support Team. There are seven food and beverage venues.

Email: info.ishtar@kempinski.com

I&MI Media Presentation: Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea

Last month, the 5-Star, 605-bedroom Sofitel London Heathrow opened at Heathrow’s Terminal 5 (T5). It is one of the largest luxury airport hotels and events venues in the world and it is only 21 minutes from central London via the Heathrow Express.
Hotel owner and Chairman of Arora International Hotels, Surinder Arora said, “…It’s a five star luxury hotel which just happens to be at an airport". Yes, this property brings new meaning to the descriptive adjective ‘airport’ hotel.
The property has 45 state-of-the-art event and boardroom spaces, ranging in size up to a maximum capacity of 1700, or 1000 for banquets. There is also a 117-seat tiered auditorium. The hotel’s two restaurants are Vivre, a ‘show cooking’ restaurant with five cooking theaters and Brasserie Roux (opening dateTBA) a French cuisine fine dining restaurant.  The hotel spa’s opening is forthcoming.
E-mail: enquiries@sofitelheathrow.com
Website: www.sofitel.com

Marriott recently unveiled 'QuickGroup', an online booking system for small groups. As a meeting planner QuickGroup gives you the ability to check availability, receive instant rates, and book accommodation and meeting space for groups needing 10 to 25 guest rooms. QuickGroup makes it possible to compare rates and availability at participating Marriott, Renaissance, JW Marriott, Courtyard, Residence Inn, SpringHill Suites, Fairfield Inn and TownePlace Suites hotels in a particular area.
David Marriott, senior vice president, global sales said, "We sell the way the customer wants to buy and more and more people, including small group planners and social business planners, want the convenience of buying online 24 hours a day, seven days a week."
For more information or to book rooms for small groups, log onto the website.
Website: http://marriottmeetings.com/

Following its recent restyling, the 377 guest room Hilton Sorrento Palace with it’s spectacular view over the Bay of Naples combines contemporary design with Mediterranean warmth, refinement with functionality, technological innovation with a sense of tradition.
The Hilton Sorrento Palace offers numerous opportunities to create unique team building events within the hotel itself, and there are so many beautiful locations within easy reach: Capri, Pompeii and Herculaneum, the spectacular Amalfi coast Positano, Amalfi, Ravello and Naples.
The hotel Congress Centre is one of the largest in Southern Italy with 23 meeting rooms. The largest can accommodate up to 1,500 persons (theater) or 648 persons (classroom).

Contact: Valeria Fruscio, Groups & Events Sales Manager

E-mail: cb.sorrento@hilton.com
www.i-mi.com: Hilton Sorrento Palace

The 366 guest room 5-Star deluxe Kempinski Hotel Corvinus Budapest is situated in the pedestrian shopping area and financial district, a few steps from the Danube and the Chain Bridge, the Opera House and St. Stephen's Basilica.
The state-of-the-art conference and event facilities range from boardrooms for 6 persons up to theater configurations for 450 persons. Themed events, such as a royal tour in Queen Elizabeth’s footsteps, Puszta tour or other events may be arranged for groups.
Solutions for larger groups are available with the hotels conference & banqueting department. Furthermore the hotel may arrange for venues up to 5,000 persons (reception) or 3,000 persons (banquet).

Contact: Mr. Zoltan Somlyai, Director of Sales & Marketing

E-mail: events.corvinus@kempinski.com

www.i-mi.com: Kempinski Hotel Corvinus Budapest