Besides adding 42,000 sf of meeting space to its existing 35,000-sf area, Wyndham is also creating a 24,000-sf site that would accommodate tenting facilities for outdoor special events. Inside the hotel, the new construction will include an 18,500-sf ballroom with a 2,000-guest capacity. Outside, there will be a new grand entrance, resurfaced walkways and redesigned landscaping.

The facelifting program comes as Wyndham prepares to compete in the metro area's hotly-contested meetings industry. "The expanded meeting space will allow us to accommodate a greater number of groups who often need variety and flexibility for simultaneous or different themed events," says Tim Corder, sales director at the hotel.

Wyndham's renovations also dovetail with the opening of two major meeting-oriented hotels this month--the 1,000-room JW Marriott Hotel connected by a 120-foot walkway to a 15-story, 584-room Ritz-Carlton Hotel at 4012 Central Florida Parkway in south Orlando. The $600 million venture, called Grande Lakes Resort, was developed by the Thayer Lodging Group of Annapolis, MD, as GlobeSt.com previously reported.