New Logan Hilton Aims To Draw Big Boston Biz

<B> New Logan Hilton Aims To Draw Big Boston Biz</B>

By Frank Rosci

When the new 600-room, 10-story, $100 million Logan Airport Hilton opens at Boston's Logan International Airport next September, the city will establish a new standard in its airport properties, and reach a new level of quality and service for airport meetings.

The new hotel brings Boston, which ranks near the top nationally in terms of annual hotel occupancy rates, a step closer to realizing its stated goal of adding some 3,000 hotel rooms over the next four years. The process is being fueled largely by construction of a new convention center, which is set to open in the Spring of 2003.

"The quality of the new hotel will help create a new market for Hilton and Boston," said Bert James, the hotel's general manager. "Our aim is to attract new business to the area, with the expectation that we'll be able to go after new and bigger meeting groups, especially in the educational, high-tech and medical fields."

James, along with director of sales Stephen Colwell and his team, will push to make the new hotel a prime choice for airport meetings. "With daily flights by United, Delta, American and US Airways, we will be able to attract meetings with attendees flying in from Chicago, Atlanta and Montreal, for example," Colwell said.

As at most airport hotels, the booking of last-minute meetings--an industry practice based on the need for short-term planning--will figure into the marketing mix, he added.

And with Boston situated in the middle of two-thirds of the United States' and European populations, James said, business from European capitals, especially London and other areas of the United Kingdom, is expected.

Recent unification of the national and international Hilton brands means the property's sales team now has the resources to drum up business here and abroad, Colwell noted. "We now have a much stronger global presence and the resources to seek business from cities such as Paris on our own," he said.

Groups will find 30,000 square feet of meeting and banquet space all on one level. Within that space will be a fully equipped conference center designed with the latest technological touches, including meeting planner beepers and portable phone services, a meeting planner office on request, fully integrated audio and visual wall connections, boardrooms with ergonomically designed chairs, and Hilton TeleSuites--specially equipped rooms that offer synchronized audio and video among participating Hiltons.

In addition to 20 meeting rooms--each typically about 600 square feet--there will be a 6,080-sq.-ft. grand ballroom, a 3,375-sq.-ft. junior ballroom, and two banquet rooms covering 1,000 and 1,200 square feet, respectively.

A full service business center, offering high-speed Internet access, on-demand skilled secretarial staff, a complete shipping center, on-demand meeting essentials kits, boardroom tables with power strips and dataports, and a full service audiovisual department, also will be available.

"The hotel's layout and its people flow patterns will be conducive to meetings and conferences, which will attract a large number of guests who often must get from one place to another quickly," Colwell said.

Each guest room will contain two telephone lines with voicemail, dataports and conference call capabilities. There also will be a concierge level with 150 guest rooms, a 6,600-sq.-ft. health club outfitted with an indoor pool and jacuzzi, and a spa with sauna, weight room and full-time masseuse.

Continuous food service, around-the-clock complimentary shuttle service to airline terminals, water taxis and the subway, and prime time complimentary shuttle service to downtown Boston also will be offered.

A distinct advantage for the individual business traveler, James said, will be the hotel's core location at the airport. It will be attached to the airport's new central parking garage, and connected to the overseas terminal and Delta Air Line's terminal A via a climate-controlled, $1 million sky bridge being built by Hilton.

Moving sidewalks from the terminals will add to the hotel's accessibility. And business travelers will have only a three- to five-minute cab ride to the city's financial district via the Ted Williams Tunnel under Boston Harbor.

Convenience to downtown and the nearby Seaport district, a rapidly developing area of Boston, bodes well for the hotel, James said.

The new convention center, with 600,000 square feet of exhibit space and one million square feet overall, is expected to significantly broaden the city's meeting, conference and exhibition business. Colwell expects that when the new Hilton opens in the fall it will benefit from primary and spillover convention business.

Competition for the new Hilton will come principally from the Harborside Hyatt at the far end of the airport and the Holiday Inn in East Boston. While competitors by nature of their airport locations, each hotel attracts guests from different markets, Colwell said. Rates at the new Hilton will be very competitive and, of course, seasonal, he added.

Colwell called airport Hiltons at Chicago's O'Hare and Atlanta's Hartsfield shining examples of what a successful airport hotel should be and said he is aiming higher: "We want to be a bit better than those properties, and believe we will be because with a new hotel all the high-tech elements, special services and upscale amenities can be built in from the outset."

Advance inquiries are solid, he said, including for events such as the Rider Cup, which will be played in Boston in September 1999--the same month the hotel is scheduled to open.