From Concept to Reality

The new Renaissance Montgomery Hotel & Spa at the Convention Center

by Jennifer L. Solt

Renaissance: A revival of intellectual or artistic achievement and vigor; the period of such a revival. The term renaissance is often used to describe any revival or rediscovery. The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition. Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.

There can be no denying that a revival has started in the heart of the city, and the renaissance surge just keeps gaining momentum. The latest catalyst: The new Renaissance Montgomery Hotel & Spa at the Convention Center on Tallapoosa Street that opened on February 1, 2008. How ironic that this high-end Marriot brand would have a name so apropos, given the quantum growth and development that Montgomery’s downtown culture and entertainment district has been experiencing over the last five years.

Described as a “cool, Generation-Y brand” by Sam Bonfe, Area Director of Food, Beverage and Event Management for PCH Hotels and Resorts, Inc., the Renaissance appeals to the Millennial Internet Generation with state-of-the-art media capabilities throughout the hotel and meeting facilities, and wireless access in every room.

Every aspect of the Renaissance Montgomery hotel points to five-star luxury, attention to detail and service. From the dramatic entrance with porte-cochere to the fountain and flags in the motor court, the hotel entrance will create a real sense of arrival. The well-appointed guest rooms feature 300+ thread count linens, 9 foot ceilings and four fixture baths.

The sensory experience continues from the dramatic first-floor lobby area with its inviting living room all the way to the rooftop level, where you will find a signature zero-entry pool, perimeter jogging/walking track, a restaurant and cabana bar called The Exchange, and a fabulous 9000 square-foot European-style day spa. Spa amenities include men’s and ladies’ quiet rooms, sauna and steam rooms, a movement studio and fullservice salon.

The hotel and convention center have a combined total of over 103,000 square feet of meeting space, encompassing two full city blocks. This space includes a 14,000 square foot ballroom perfect for any grand southern wedding, an abundance of pre-meeting space, breakout rooms, small conference rooms and one fully refurbished convention center. The place is a meeting planner’s veritable dream-come-true. The Renaissance Montgomery Hotel and Convention Center has partnered with such industry professionals as Freeman Decorating Company, the company responsible for producing expositions, conventions and corporate events in major convention centers across the country, like Chicago’s McCormick Place, the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, and the Jacob Javits Center in NYC. A few of the events that are already lined up for the new convention center in 2008 include ones hosted by the United Negro College Fund, the Alabama Music Hall of Fame and Buckmasters.

Special features of the Renaissance Montgomery are too numerous to detail, however we would be more than remiss not to mention the 1800-seat Performing Arts Center within the hotel. The Center is equipped with a full orchestra pit and level-1 lighting and sound systems that ensure there won’t be a bad seat in the house. The Performing Arts Center opened March 1st and is currently the largest theatre of its kind in central Alabama. Many already compare it to New York’s Carnegie Hall. Managing the theatre will be Allen Sanders, formerly of the Saenger Theatre in Mobile and founder of Mobile’s Centre for Living Arts. Sanders is known for his role in the artistic revitalization in Mobile, which the city is still enjoying today. The Performing Arts Center is enhancing what was already underway in Montgomery through the efforts of the Alabama Shakespeare Festival and Troy University’s Davis Theatre. The Center plans to partner with existing theatre companies in the city to bring a new dynamic to performing arts in Montgomery.

As with all of the Marriot hotels owned by the Retirement Systems of Alabama, the Renaissance Montgomery promises to become an Alabama destination resort. In fact, RSA is responsible for such resort destinations as the Marriot Shoals in Florence, Alabama, a 200-room hotel featuring a European-style spa and rotating specialty restaurant atop the 22-story Renaissance Tower. This four-diamond hotel has had a significant impact on travel and tourism in the Shoals area since its 2005 opening.

Another well-known destination resort by RSA is the Renaissance Ross Bridge. Just minutes from downtown Birmingham, Ross Bridge also opened in 2005. The resort offers many of the same amenities as the Renaissance Montgomery, such as a spa, salon, and meeting facilities – all designed for travelers that are attuned to refined comfort. Ross Bridge boasts 259 rooms and 15,000 square feet of meeting space, including a 10,000 sq. ft. ballroom. The resort features the Robert Trent Jones Ross Bridge golf course, and an additional 54 holes of RTJ Golf Trail within 2 miles. Ross Bridge was rated number 1 in guest satisfaction for all Marriot hotels worldwide in 2006. The similar demographic situation of Ross Bridge encourages high expectations for the Renaissance Montgomery, and the similar features and design aesthetic ensure that the newest Renaissance hotel will not disappoint.

The hotel is an enhancement to the downtown cityscape and is adding to the momentum of Montgomery’s own cultural renaissance. The proximity of the hotel to the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail and the connection to the convention center, combined with the luxurious appointments, superior design quality and the unsurpassed reputation for excellence held by both the Marriot’s Renaissance brand and RSA are strong indicators to the future success of Montgomery’s travel and tourism economy.

Downtown visitors and workers are enjoying to the special amenities of the hotel, which are open to hotel guests and locals alike. The House restaurant, with an open, exhibition-style kitchen inside and 160+ seats on the outdoor patio on the covered, cool side of the building is a new favorite for downtown workers and ladies groups. Of course, the spa is also be open to the public, so why not go ahead and reserve a spring weekend getaway right here in the city?

For more information about the Renaissance Montgomery Hotel & Spa, visit their website at www.renaissancemontgomery.com

Renaissance Montgomery Hotel & Spa at the Convention Center 201 Tallapoosa Street Montgomery, Alabama 36104 Phone: 1-334-532-0700 Fax: 1-334-532-0701 Sales: 1-334-532-0700 Sales fax: 1-334-532-0701 Toll-free: 1-888-668-7221

Travel Guide: Discovering Alabama Wineries

A Vintage Freshness

W.E.P. French, The Commander’s Palace Restaurant New Orleans

by Amy C.C. Zimmer
Appearing in FUTURE Montgomery Sept/Oct 2007 issue

Uncork the delicious and surprising world of Alabama wines this season by taking a tasting tour of local vineyards and wineries within easy driving distance from Montgomery. Spend a golden autumn afternoon sipping wine in Alabama’s Napa Valley, with vineyards and wineries stretching from Calera to Gadsden. Experience the flavors and aromas of the wines, whether made from native muscadines, from new varieties cultivated in this state, or from grapes brought in from other places. Explore the regional influence upon the process of winemaking, and enjoy the tales that emerge from a bottle enjoyed near the wine’s origin. Experience an Alabama urban winery, a trend that is springing up across America that allows for great wine to be made from the best juices and grapes in the world in an urban setting where there is no room for a large vineyard.

...And when you return from your exploration, be sure to ask your local wine guy to keep a wide array of Alabama wines in stock, so you can enjoy the Southern sipping tradition all season!

Inside Vizzini Farms Winery, I can see out the window onto rows of grapevines winding along the hillside. Later, during a wine-tasting, when I speak with owner Debby Vizzini, I learn that Tom Vizzini, her husband, is in the back room crushing the first harvest of grapes grown upon those vines.

“It takes at least two to three years to establish the vines and get a harvest,” she explains while pouring me a sample of viognier, pronounced Vee-oh-nay. As I savor the few sips of the white wine, appreciating the combination of elements, Debby tells me the story of her wines. Second generation Italian winemakers, the Vizzinis trace their heritage to the Sicilian town of Vizzina, where their family were local winemakers. Tom and Debby entered the family business three years ago to “make wines we like to drink” and, in the fine Italian tradition, to invite others to come to their table and partake. I try a sample of the Sangiovese, considered the “grandfather of Chianti”, and believed to have been drunk at the Last Supper. As I let the mellow red linger in my mouth, I look out at the young vineyard. Despite their newness, the vines have a long history that carries with them all the flavors of the people and places witnessed by their history, combining with the new flavors of this place. I think of my own life and the way I carry within my own story traces of all the places that have influenced me, of all the people who have touched my life. I carry the history of my family and the homelands they have known. And I bring those flavors with me, where they distinctly infuse my life in Alabama. The layers of stories become a little intoxicating, so I ask the proprietress for a tour. She leads me down a hallway, past the kitchen where we look through a window and see the large steel vats used in vinification, the process of selecting, crushing, aging, pressing, and bottling wine. While we watch the grapes from the Vizzini farm being crushed, I am informed that all of the wines are produced on the farm with grapes from northern Alabama and from the West Coast, before being aged in antique Italian barrels. I leave the farm that afternoon with many thoughts fermenting in my mind about all I have seen and learned and tasted. I take one final look at the thriving vines. These hardy plants tell the tale of the very passion and commitment of the winemakers themselves. I encourage you to tour, taste, and discover the Alabama wineries that are so easily accessible from Montgomery – responsibly, of course – and experience this winemaking tradition for yourself.

The Winery on Main

Following a growing trend of making wine away from the vineyard, this urban winery blends the flavors of the city with the richness of many great winemaking traditions, importing juices from all over the world for their wines. Traditional selections offered here include Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet-Merlot. Unique blends include Black Raspberry Merlot, Strawberry White Merlot, and their signature Peach Chardonnay. Teal Dick, the winemaster offers suggestions for food pairings to complement the wines he creates, but reminds his customers that the best pairing is the one that they like.

Morgan Creek Winery

White Oak Vineyards

With a background in agriculture and an appreciation for excellence, Randal, the winemaker, creates award-winning vintages that include dry reds and whites,sparkling wines, muscadine wines, and fruit wines, such as blueberry and peach.

Randal and Dana invite you to their farm to enjoy a taste of their fine wines, that include the Blue Velvet, a semi-sweet blend of bronze muscadine and French hybrid blue, or their Burgundy, produced from “Cabernet of the South” grapes. The gift shop offers a selection of jellies, jams, candles, baskets, and apparel; gift baskets are assembled during the holidays or upon request.

Wills CreekVineyards

Vizzini Farms Winery

Bryant Vineyards

Ozan Winery

discovery: urban wineries

Who said you have to have 100 acres of sprawling rural space to have a winery? A perfect solution for the city setting where a vineyard isn’t possible, but great winemaking is, the urban winery is growing in popularity, and gaining respect in the wine community.

From San Francisco to St. Louis and Cleveland to Clanton - yes, Clanton - urban wineries are springing up across America, bringing in carefully selected grapes and juices from all over the world to produce their own brand of wine in the new-urban tradition. These small-production wineries are making a big splash on the wine scene, with events like urban winery festivals, some even allowing customers to create their own wine, special-ordered to their tastes and specifications.

So where can you find one around here? The closest to Montgomery: The Winery on Main in Clanton, Alabama, owned and operated by Teal Dick, a down-to-earth wine enthusiast who prides himself on making wine that even non-connoisseurs can enjoy.

Log onto graperadio.com, winner of the 2006 podcast of the year award, for more on the urban winery trend -

http://www.graperadio.com/archives/2006/09/25/urban-wineries/