Hartford Business Journal

14 Hartford Business Journal • September 21, 2020 • www.HartfordBusiness.com FOCUS: MEETINGS & VENUES an orientation for the 2021 Miss America Pageant with about 200 participants and held a U.S. Census training event, among other small corporate gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic. Rumors are also swirling that Mo- hegan Sun could host a college bas- ketball tournament in a bubble-like format this winter, according to a report by CBS Sports. Depending on how many teams are invited to play at Mohegan Sun Arena, the prospec- tive tournament would likely create a need for catering and hospitality services and meeting spaces on-site. Meanwhile, the ongoing health crisis has largely stifled Connecti- cut's multibillion-dollar meetings, events and convention industry. "We are able to accomplish events in an uncanny amount of space, and are able to flex up because we have such large meeting rooms," said John Washko, Mohegan's vice presi- dent of exhibitions and convention sales. "There are ways that you can create a safe overall environment." Mohegan's events are being guided by what Washko calls the industry's "most robust" health and safety guidelines. Under its new playbook, Mohegan Sun, which requires face masks on its entire property, has implemented ther- mal temperature scans at all entrances for guests and employees; those with temperatures of 99.8 degrees or lower are able to enter the premises. The casino has also adjusted its air handlers to draw from fresh air as opposed to a mixture of recycled and fresh air; added ultraviolet lighting to most of its air handlers; implemented a contact tracing program for workers; and removed furniture to provide at least 6 feet for social distancing, among many other protocols. Thousands of staff members have also completed an extensive retrain- ing program focused on mandatory mask wearing, social distancing, hand washing, cleaning and disin- fecting initiatives. "We've created a resource center for the industry," he said. "It's helpful for us in our sales process as we help planners imagine what a socially distanced event would look like." Still, the overwhelming majority of Mohegan events this year were either canceled or rescheduled, Washko said. Notably, the Connecticut Inter- national Auto Show scheduled this fall has been nixed, but the four-day Hartford Boat Show is still planned for mid-January. Washko is hoping that the mass distribution of a potential coronavi- rus vaccine next year will increase its slate of large-scale events in April and May. Mohegan will also need airline carriers to expand the number of flights they're provid- ing at Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks to score a larger number of regional travelers. "Coming out of the gates it's still going to be heavily skewing toward the drive market," he said. THE LIST Largest hotels in Connecticut Ranked by number of guest rooms as of September 2020 Source: Each hotel via survey. Note: Figures reflect "business as usual" capacities and do not reflect restrictions due to COVID-19. Price ranges are approximate and subject to change. Some hotels did not provide a price range for this reason. The 215-room Red Lion Hotel in Cromwell closed in January 2020. NA = Not available. (a) Did not respond to survey. Information from 2019 survey. —Compiled by Timothy Doyle. >> Events Contractor continued Precautions for group gatherings at Mohegan Sun Purell hand sanitation stations throughout property including convention center. Disinfecting of conference rooms overnight before events, and during group breaks as time allows with disinfecting spray and/or foggers. Frequent common space sanita- tion of high contact surfaces including but not limited to re- strooms, door handles, escalator hand rails, elevator buttons, sit- ting areas (chairs and tables). Conference center restroom staffing for disinfecting during conference events. Banquet team members have PPE and sanitize during set up, refreshes and all catered events. Sanitation of shared AV equip- ment between speakers. Pre-function space with one way entry and exit lanes. Multiple registration areas with staggered attendee arrival times. Source: Mohegan Sun Mohegan Sun event staff take COVID-19 precautions that include wearing masks and using disinfecting spray on high-touch areas. PHOTOS | CONTRIBUTED Largest hotels in Connecticut (Ranked by number of guest rooms as of September 2020) Rank Hotel No. overnight rooms/ Price range Meeting contact(s) No. meeting rooms Max. theater/ Max. classroom/ Max. banquet Catering/ AV equipment/ Airport shuttle 1 Foxwoods Resort Casino 350 Trolley Line Blvd., Mashantucket, CT 06338 800-369-9663; www.foxwoods.com 2,230 NA Resort sales 40 5,500 3,225 3,230 Y Y N 2 Mohegan Sun 1 Mohegan Sun Blvd., Uncasville, CT 06382 888-226-7711; mohegansun.com 1,600 $150 - $350+ Kevin Barosso 45 11,170 10,370 9,000 Y Y Y 3 Stamford Marriott Hotel & Spa 243 Tresser Blvd., Stamford, CT 06901 203-357-9555; www.stamfordmarriott.com 508 $139-$349 Tom Civitano Chris Frazza 19 1,000 550 650 Y Y N 4 Hilton Stamford Hotel and Executive Meeting Center 1 First Stamford Place, Stamford, CT 06902 203-967-2222; www.hiltonstamfordhotel.com 484 $139-$239 Sales department 37 1,200 575 950 Y Y N 5 Crowne Plaza Hotel Stamford 2701 Summer St., Stamford, CT 06905 203-359-1300; www.crowneplaza.com/stamfordct 455 $119-$350 Jenna Arcese 24 1,100 500 880 Y Y N 6 Marriott Hartford Downtown 200 Columbus Blvd., Hartford, CT 06103 860-249-8000; www.HartfordMarriott.com 409 $119-$449 Robin McHill 13 900 470 600 Y Y N 7 Hilton Hartford 315 Trumbull St., Hartford, CT 06103 860-728-5151; www.hartfordhilton.com 393 $109-$389 Sherri Powers 15 600 350 470 Y Y N 8 Hartford Marriott Farmington 15 Farm Springs Road, Farmington, CT 06032 860-678-1000; www.marriott.com/bdlct 380 $99-$189 Carol Kelley 22 650 300 450 Y Y N 9 Sheraton Stamford Hotel 700 E. Main St., Stamford, CT 06901 203-358-8400; www.sheratonstamford.com 379 $89-$269 Vincent Valente 16 350 200 300 Y Y N 10 Hyatt Regency Greenwich 1800 E. Putnam Ave., Old Greenwich, CT 06870 203-637-1234; www.greenwich.hyatt.com 373 NA John Di Lorenzo 23 1,000 500 840 Y Y N 11 Trumbull Marriott 180 Hawley Lane, Trumbull, CT 06611 203-378-1400; www.marriotttrumbull.com 325 $129-$229 Beryl Russell 13 700 350 500 Y Y N 12 Omni New Haven Hotel at Yale 155 Temple St., New Haven, CT 06510 203-772-6664; www.omnihotels.com/newhaven 306 $239-$1800 Dana Zimmerman Laura Sokoloski 19 1,000 600 700 Y Y N 13 Hartford/Windsor Airport Marriott 28 Day Hill Road, Windsor, CT 06095 860-688-7500; www.marriott.com/bdlap 302 $89-$350 Trisha Caron 12 600 480 600 Y Y Y 14 Mystic Marriott Hotel and Spa 625 North Road (Route 117), Groton, CT 06340 860-446-2600; www.mysticmarriott.com 285 NA Jennifer Christy 11 1,200 750 756 Y Y N 15 Doubletree by Hilton Norwalk (a) 789 Connecticut Ave., Norwalk, CT 06854 203-853-3477; www.norwalk.doubletree.com 265 $89-$269 Sales department 6 330 200 220 Y Y N 16 Sheraton Hartford South 100 Capital Blvd., Rocky Hill, CT 06067 860-257-6000; www.SheratonHartfordSouth.com 250 $109-$199 Gina Molde 10 480 220 300 Y Y N 17 Crowne Plaza Danbury Hotel 18 Old Ridgebury Road, Danbury, CT 06810 203-794-0600; www.cpdanbury.com 242 $99-$159 Marie Risk 15 600 300 700 Y Y N 18 Sheraton Hartford Hotel at Bradley Airport 1 Bradley International Airport, Windsor Locks, CT 06096 860-627-5311; www.sheraton.com/bradleyairport 237 NA Stephanie Simmons 15 400 200 300 Y Y Y 19 Holiday Inn Hartford Downtown Area (a) 100 E. River Drive, East Hartford, CT 06108 860-528-9703; www.holidayinn.com/easthartfordct 215 $119-$149 Chris O'Connor 10 350 200 225 Y Y N 20 Courtyard by Marriott at Yale 30 Whalley Ave., New Haven, CT 06511 203-777-6221; www.marriott.com/hvndt 207 $129-$249 Clarizza Baldonado 1 70 60 72 Y Y N 21 DoubleTree by Hilton Hartford - Bradley Airport 16 Ella Grasso Turnpike, Windsor Locks, CT 06096 860-627-5171; www.bradleyinternationalairport.doubletree.com 202 $149-$289 Karen Spada 5 200 130 150 Y Y Y 22 Courtyard Waterbury Downtown 63 Grand St., Waterbury, CT 06702 203-596-1000; www.courtyardwaterbury.com 199 $119-$249 Tiffany A. Wilson 7 350 300 350 Y Y N 23 Ethan Allen Hotel 21 Lake Ave. Ext., Danbury, CT 06811 203-744-1776; www.ethanallenhotel.com 193 $109-$249 Kimberly Olson 15 450 300 500 Y Y N 24 Water's Edge Resort & Spa 1525 Boston Post Rd., Westbrook, CT 06498 860-399-5901; www.watersedgeresortandspa.com 189 $109-$1000 Stephen Jarzabek 15 400 240 340 Y Y N 25 Holiday Inn Bridgeport Hotel & Conference Center 1070 Main St., Bridgeport, CT 06604 203-334-1234; www.hibridgeport.com 184 $109-$229 Deborah Salsman 9 400 280 375 Y Y N Source: Each hotel via survey. Note: Figures reflect "business as usual" capacities and do not reflect restrictions due to COVID-19. Price ranges are approximate and subject to change. Some hotels did not provide a price range for this reason. The 215-room Red Lion Hotel in Cromwell closed in January 2020. NA = Not available. (a) Did not respond to survey. Information from 2019 survey. —Compiled by Timothy Doyle.

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