Chateau Elan Opens Lemans Ballroom

SEBRING - A major expansion has been completed at the Four Points by Sheraton, Sebring Chateau Elan, which General Manager Reinhard Haubner hopes will attract more conventions to the hotel.

A grand opening for the $1 million Lemans Ballroom was held Thursday night, with guests offered drinks and appetizers. They were also invited to tour the new suite wing in the hotel.

The 4,000-square-foot ballroom can seat as many as 400 people for a sit-down dinner, according to Haubner. With a stage and dance floor, it can accomodate 350. The ballroom is equipped with high tech electronics and Internet.

The first official event held in the Lemans was the Race Ball in March.

The Chateau Elan will host the Rural Tourism and Economic Development Summit on Monday and Tuesday.

In trying to bring in conventions, Haubner said the hotel had the rooms but not the space. The ballroom will provide that space for conventions but also corporate meetings, weddings, reunions, banquets and social events.

Sebring High School's prom will be held there next weekend.

"We want to make it a more consistent year-round business," he said.

A total of 42 new rooms - 21 of which are suites - have been added to give the hotel 123 guest rooms. Every one of the new rooms faces the track at Sebring International Raceway and all have balconies. Haubner said two of the suites have outdoor terraces capable of seating 80 for dinner.

"I've been here six years, and we have been talking about it (the ballroom) for five years," Haubner said. "We love it."