It was a busy week in Los Angeles this past week; in addition to the more than 1,300 general managers from Marriott properties around the world that descended on the JW Marriott Los Angeles LA LIVE, the Ritz-Carlton LA LIVE, and various other hotels in the downtown Los Angeles area, many of the Marriott brands announced major expansion efforts, giving guests as well as GMs something to look forward to in 2012 and beyond.

To kick off the week, Marriott Hotels & Resorts announced a partnership with Steelcase and IDEO to recreate the traditional meetings and conference rooms at hotels that appeals to the next generation of business travelers.

"The Future of Work Innovation Co-Labs" - the collaboration of the three companies - will offer solutions to meeting spaces that help make doing business a bit easier. Most of the labs introduced would appear outside of the meeting rooms spaces, typically in the foyers, of most hotels.

The new concepts include a Tech Guru center, which would employ knowledgeable tech experts to help meeting participants with their own technology needs; and a meetings app that would allow organizers to communicate directly with hotel staff without having to step outside of the meeting to seek help. The labs and new designs will be be integrated into Marriott hotels on a rolling basis over the next few years.

On the heels of the new meeting rooms announcement, JW Marriott introduced some new partners to their portfolio. The JW Marriott Brand Partnerships were launched in 2011 as a way to bring a bit more "lifestyle" into the guest experience.

The purpose, according to the JW Marriott team, was to "enrich the luxury experiences" that are relevant in guests' every day lives.

Coming to a JW Marriott near you:

• JW Marriott will launch a new line of bath amenities with Aromatherapy Associates, and an Aromatherapy Associates signature scent for the brand
• A partnership with Christie's, which in addition to unique artwork at hotels will also provide guests with information on Christie's favorite museums, galleries, restaurants, nightlife and shopping in cities worldwide.
• A new wine program in conjunction with Treasury Wine Estates that will include everything from hosting wine makers for exclusive dinners at JW Marriott properties, to on-property wine programs.
• Partnerships with health and lifestyle experts Keri Glassman and Dr. Pamela Peeke to provide guests with tips on maintaining a healthy lifestyle while traveling.

Speaking of lifestyle… Marriott's trendy lifestyle brand, Renaissance Hotels, announced the expansion of nine new properties opening this year around the world. Renaissance Hotels is currently in 35 countries worldwide, and is known for its inspiring array of amenities and guest programs, courtesy of the brand's entertainment platform RLife LIVE and the R Navigator program.

Renaissance will open hotels in Abu Dhabi, Barcelona, Shanghai, Rome, Warsaw, Amsterdam, Huizhou, Shenzhen, and Istanbul, and will re-open the Il Ciocco Hotel in Tuscany after a complete renovation. The Shanghai hotel, the Renaissance Shanghai Caohejing Hotel, will be the sixth Renaissance Hotel in Shanghai. The new Shanghai hotel will feature 383 guest rooms, three restaurants, a Club Lounge, full-service spa and an indoor swimming pool.

With the addition of the nine new hotels, the Renaissance Hotel portfolio will include 160 hotels worldwide.

Melanie Nayer is a hotel reviewer and expert on luxury travel around the world. She has covered all aspects of hotels including corporate restructures, re-branding initiatives, historical aspects and the best of the best in luxury hotels around the world.

Melanie writes a weekly exclusive column for 4Hoteliers.com