Three New Hotels for Autograph, Opal Sands Add to U.S. Hotel Openings

The Envoy
The Envoy

Three new hotels for Marriott's Autograph Collection, the upcoming Opal Sands Resort in Clearwater Beach, FL, and The Allegretto Vineyard Resort in Paso Robles, CA, are topping the latest hotel opening news in the U.S.

Three New Autograph Collection Hotels

Marriott's independent hotel brand Autograph Collection has welcomed three new properties: The Envoy in Boston, the Grand Bohemian Hotel Mountain Brook in Birmingham, AL, and The Citizen in Sacramento, CA

The Envoy is a 136 room property in Boston's Innovation District. In addition to the waterfront and city views, the hotel offers tech-friendly amenities like a collaborative work area with a reimagined billiards table holding six interactive computer touch screens. For dining, a Lookout Rooftop Bar serves waterfront views, seasonal cocktails and local beers, including a house brew created especially for the property by Boston's Harpoon Brewery, while the hotel's restaurant Outlook Kitchen offers progressive seasonal fare under the leadership of Excecutive Chef David Verdo, a Boston native with prior experience at French brasserie Miel and Asana.

The Grand Bohemian Hotel Mountain Brook, in Birmingham's affluent Mountain Brook suburb, is a 100-room boutique hotel with an art-inspired theme. Art lovers can check out the on-site Grand Bohemian Art Gallery, and oenophiles can experience the art of winemaking through wine blending sessions led by a team of expert sommeliers. The hotel also has interactive cooking classes at the hotel's Kessler Cooking School, a Poseidon Spa and a rooftop restaurant and terrace. 

The Citizen occupies Sacramento, CA's historic California Life Insurance Building, the city's first skyscraper built in 1925. The hotel's seasonal restaurant, Grange Restaurant and Bar, incorporates fresh, local ingredients from nearby Central California farms such as Capay Organics, Del Rio Botanical and Full Belly Farms.

Allegretto Vineyard Resort Opens in Paso Robles, California

Also in California, The Allegretto Vineyard Resort in Paso Robles, California, recently celebrated its official grand opening. Also aimed at wine lovers, the resort is set on 20 acres that include wine-grapes, olives and fruit trees, 171 guest rooms and suites, a restaurant with chef’s garden, wine bar, pool and cabanas, spa, Abbey (a multi-use French-inspired chapel), ballroom, indoor and outdoor event space, walking paths, manicured Mediterranean gardens, specially crafted vignettes, and arts and artifacts meant to evoke la dolce vita.

In terms of dining, Cello Ristorante & Bar is an upscale yet casual Mediterranean-inspired restaurant that opens to a patio with iron fire bowls and bocce ball, to take advantage of Paso's warm evenings and sunsets. 

The Spa at Allegretto offers zero-gravity chairs and an infrared detox sauna, as well as massage, facial, and body treatments. Additionally, the spa offers a Wellness Program featuring Chära (a dynamic alternative to yoga) exclusively at Allegretto, as well as Barre & Balance, HIIT, and Glow Dance Fitness classes. 

Opal Sands in Clearwater Beach, Florida, to Open in Early 2016

Looking ahead, March 2016 will see the debut of Opal Sands Resort, the newest property under Ocean Properties, Ltd. & Affiliates, in Clearwater Beach. 

The curvature of the property, designed by Design Duncan Miller Ullmann, gives every room a clear view of the Florida Gulf sunsets, with all 230 guestrooms offering oceanfront views and private balconies. Guests can also enjoy the zero-entry outdoor pool and sundeck, as well as the fitness center, full-service spa, fire pits and retail shops.

In terms of restaurants, Sea-guini aims to offer a tropical twist on seafood-centric Italian dining, and the outdoor tiki bar Sandbar will serve signature cocktails, as well as light bites.