The venues worth knowing.

Downtown Lancaster's flagship 416-room Marriott connected to the Lancaster County Convention Center. 90,000 sq ft of meeting space across 24 meeting rooms, including the 43,050-sq-ft Freedom Hall and the 9,872-sq-ft Heritage Ballroom. Built 2009; last renovation 2019.

Max capacity

6,500

Air

LNS

Hilton Honors convention hotel on the Mississippi River at the foot of Poydras Street. 1,622 guest rooms (largest in New Orleans), 137,923 sq ft of meeting space across 55 rooms, a 26,894 sq ft Grand Ballroom (3,089 theater / 2,200 banquet), and direct indoor access to the Morial Convention Center via the Riverwalk.

Max capacity

5,000

Air

MSY

World of Hyatt convention hotel attached to the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans' Central Business District. 1,193 guest rooms across 32 stories, 200,000 sq ft of meeting space across 71 rooms, two 25,000 sq ft ballrooms (Empire and Elite), a 50,000 sq ft exhibit hall, and 14 miles from Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY).

Max capacity

4,850

Air

MSY

Beachfront convention center on the 32-acre San Luis Resort campus on Galveston's seawall. 140,000 sq ft of function space, 19 meeting rooms, two 21,550 sq ft exhibit halls combinable to 43,100 sq ft, and a 15,000 sq ft Grand Ballroom. Host of the TEXPERS 2026 Annual Conference.

Max capacity

4,700

Air

HOU

World of Hyatt convention hotel 1.5 miles from O'Hare in Rosemont. 1,095 rooms, 110,000 sq ft of meeting space across 68 rooms, a 30,545 sq ft Grand Ballroom (4,000 theater / 2,160 banquet), and a skywalk to the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center.

Max capacity

4,300

Air

ORD

Hyatt-flagship convention hotel attached to Dallas Union Station and Reunion Tower. 1,120 guest rooms, 160,000 sq ft of meeting space across 60 rooms, three ballrooms, and two exhibit halls. Host of the TEXPERS 2024 Annual Conference (35th Annual).

Max capacity

4,000

Air

DAL

Pennsylvania's largest convention resort. 100,000 sq ft of meeting and exhibit space across 35 rooms, 665 guest rooms, six restaurants, anchor host of the PSATS and PSAB annual conferences. Operated by Hershey Entertainment & Resorts Company.

Max capacity

4,000

Air

MDT

Grand Hyatt convention hotel on San Antonio's River Walk, adjacent to the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center. 1,003 guest rooms, 115,000 sq ft of meeting space across 31 rooms, anchored by a 31,000 sq ft Texas Ballroom and a 21,000 sq ft pillar-free Lone Star Ballroom. Host of the TEXPERS 2021 Summer Educational Forum.

Max capacity

3,500

Air

SAT

Marriott Bonvoy convention hotel at the edge of the French Quarter at 555 Canal Street. 1,333 guest rooms across 42 stories, 85,877 sq ft of meeting space across 49 rooms, a 27,089 sq ft Grand Ballroom (3,200 reception / 2,200 banquet), and host of the 2024 LAPERS Annual Seminar.

Max capacity

3,200

Air

MSY

Centennial Addison Mizner-designed coastal resort on 200+ waterfront acres in Boca Raton. Five hotels in one resort (Beach Club, Yacht Club, Bungalows, Tower, Cloister), 907-1,047 guest rooms, 80,000 sq ft Mizner Center plus extensive event venues, owned by MSD Partners since 2019.

Max capacity

2,700

Air

FLL

Boston Park Plaza opened 1927 as the Statler Hotel Boston, then the largest hotel in New England. 1,060 guest rooms plus 55 suites at 50 Park Plaza, 70,000+ sq ft of meeting space across 40 rooms (capacity 10 to 2,200). Hilton-branded; $100M renovation completed 2016. AAA Four Diamond.

Max capacity

2,200

Air

BOS

IACC-certified conference center on a 95-acre Fox River campus 35 miles west of O'Hare. 150,000 sq ft of meeting space across 118 rooms, a 19,304 sq ft Fox River Ballroom, two amphitheaters, and 1,043 guest rooms.

Max capacity

2,000

Air

ORD

Independent 26-story casino resort on Lake Charles' Calcasieu River, 9 miles from Lake Charles Regional Airport (LCH). 1,000 guest rooms, 26,000 sq ft of meeting space, a 14,140 sq ft L'Auberge Ballroom (1,555 theater / 1,200 banquet), and an 18-hole Tom Fazio golf course.

Max capacity

1,555

Air

LCH

Penn State's purpose-built conference hotel at the gateway to University Park. 302 guest rooms, 58,000 sq ft of function space across 49 rooms, 10,000-sq-ft President's Hall ballroom, capacity for 1,500 attendees. Scholar Hotels operated; multimillion-dollar 2023 to 2024 renovation.

Max capacity

1,500

Air

SCE

Hyatt Regency resort on a mangrove estuary in Bonita Springs (Naples / Fort Myers corridor). 82,500 sq ft of indoor and outdoor event space across 31 rooms, 462 guest rooms, 14,000 sq ft Calusa Ballroom divisible into 8 sections, 21-minute drive from RSW. Owned by Host Hotels & Resorts.

Max capacity

1,500

Air

RSW

Renaissance-flagship hotel in Fort Worth's Sundance Square. 504 guest rooms, 57,000 sq ft of meeting space across 18 rooms, plus an 11,000 sq ft outdoor terrace. Host of the TEXPERS 2022 Annual Conference (~530 general-session attendees).

Max capacity

1,400

Air

DFW

Marriott-managed Renaissance property in Austin's Arboretum, 18 miles north of downtown. 492 guest rooms, 69,288 sq ft of meeting space across 24 rooms, and a 30,000 sq ft Grand Ballroom. Host of the TEXPERS 2025 Annual Conference and Basic Trustee Training.

Max capacity

1,330

Air

AUS

21.6-acre beachfront resort on Cape Cod's Old Silver Beach. 253 guest rooms, over 30,000 sq ft of meeting space across multiple ballrooms, the 10,682-sq-ft Nauset Center, five dining venues. Acquired January 2023 by Certares and HHM; ongoing multi-year renovation.

Max capacity

1,100

Air

HYA

Mid-Cape conference resort in Hyannis. 232 guest rooms, ~31,000 sq ft of meeting space across 13 to 15 rooms (sources vary) including the 12,000-sq-ft Grand Ballroom seating 1,100 theater. Hyport Conference Center brand. Confirmed MACRS 2019 host.

Max capacity

1,100

Air

HYA

Greater Boston's "Castle Hotel" conference center along the Mass Pike. 200 guest rooms in the Renaissance core (371 across the Framingham Hotel Collection tri-brand campus), 25,199 sq ft of meeting space across 22 rooms, the 8,118-sq-ft Grand Ballroom seating 1,000 theater. 2026 transformation.

Max capacity

1,000

Air

BOS

13-story Marriott Bonvoy hotel in Schaumburg's Woodfield Corporate Center, 10 miles from O'Hare. 400 guest rooms, 25,101 sq ft of meeting space across 11 rooms, an 8,540 sq ft Schaumburg Ballroom (1,000 theater / 700 banquet / 1,000 reception), and an M Club lounge.

Max capacity

1,000

Air

ORD

Mediterranean Revival 1925 landmark on St. Petersburg's downtown waterfront. Roughly 75,000 sq ft of event space across 21 rooms and 4 ballrooms (Palm Court at 11,520 sq ft holds 1,000), 362 guest rooms, NRHP-listed since 1978, Marriott Autograph Collection.

Max capacity

1,000

Air

TPA

Marriott Bonvoy Renaissance hotel in south Baton Rouge's Bluebonnet corporate corridor. 256 guest rooms across 12 stories, 12,685 sq ft of meeting space across 9 to 13 rooms, a 7,488 sq ft Bourbeau Grand Ballroom (800 theater / 500 banquet), and Tallulah indigenous-Louisiana restaurant. Opened October 2011.

Max capacity

800

Air

BTR

Hilton Honors historic hotel in downtown Baton Rouge, originally opened 1927 as the Heidelberg Hotel. 290 guest rooms, 40,000 sq ft of meeting and banquet space across 13 to 16 rooms with two river-view ballrooms, 8 miles from Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport (BTR), and on the National Register of Historic Places.

Max capacity

800

Air

BTR

DoubleTree by Hilton in DuPage County's Interstate 88 corridor, 22 miles from O'Hare. 309 guest rooms across eight stories, 19,000 sq ft of event space across 23 rooms, a 5,280 sq ft Regency Ballroom (700 theater / 480 banquet), and the Thirty O Three restaurant. Reopened February 2019 after a $14 million renovation.

Max capacity

700

Air

ORD

Mediterranean-style coastal resort on Georgia's Sea Island. 31,440 sq ft of indoor meeting space across 18 rooms, 250 guest rooms at The Cloister, beach and oak-grove outdoor venues. Host of the 2004 G8 Summit.

Max capacity

600

Air

BQK

Independent conference resort on a 102-acre wooded campus in Itasca, 12 miles from O'Hare. 37 IACC-certified meeting rooms, 38,400 sq ft of function space, 295 guest rooms, an 18-hole golf course laid out by Charles Maddox in 1932, and a Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired 7,031 sq ft Red Oak Ballroom.

Max capacity

576

Air

ORD

Oceanfront Atlantic-coast resort in Palm Coast. Over 50,000 sq ft of indoor and outdoor event space (114,410 per Cvent), 285 guest rooms, two championship golf courses (Nicklaus Ocean Course and Watson Conservatory Course), Preferred Hotels & Resorts member.

Max capacity

550

Air

DAB

Mediterranean-style 1928 beachfront landmark on St. Pete Beach. 47,415 sq ft of indoor and outdoor function space, three ballrooms (largest 7,400 sq ft), 277 guest rooms, Gulf of Mexico views, NRHP-listed since 1975.

Max capacity

500

Air

TPA

Forbes Five-Star Cape Cod resort on 27 acres overlooking Pleasant Bay. 121 guest rooms across 22 buildings, 23,437 sq ft of event space across 19 rooms, six restaurants. Newly renovated 2025. Preferred Hotels & Resorts member; Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star Hotel since 2016.

Max capacity

320

Air

HYA

National Historic Landmark mountain spa in Pennsylvania's Cumberland Valley. 216 guest rooms plus four suites, 17 meeting rooms across roughly 48,700 sq ft (Cvent inclusive figure), eight natural mineral springs, Donald Ross 1923 18-hole golf course. Operated by Omni Hotels & Resorts.

Max capacity

316

Air

AOO

Forbes Five-Star Cape Cod oceanfront resort opened 1914 by Charles Hardy as an elegant hunting lodge. 217 guest rooms across the Historic Main Inn, cottages, and spa suites. 19,437 sq ft of event space across 18 rooms. Preferred Hotels & Resorts; renovated 2022.

Max capacity

300

Air

HYA