Miami
- The Biltmore Hotel (305.445.1926; www.biltmorehotel.com) renovated and restored its historic 1925 golf course last fall, unveiling rebuilt greens, tees and bunkers, as well as new environmentally friendly free-span bridges.
- Newly opened late last year, the 124-room Regent Bal Harbour (305.455.5400; www.regenthotels.com/balharbour) would be luxurious enough on its own, with details like in-mirror plasma TVs in the bathrooms, but even the most seasoned travelers will be impressed with the presidential suite, featuring a media room, grand piano, sauna, and 46-bottle wine collection. The property has 3,700 square feet of function space.
- Metropolitan Miami’s Met 2 project, a joint real estate venture between MDM Development Group and MetLife, will be home to the Miami Met Marquis (www.metropolitanmiami.com), a signature new addition to the JW Marriott collection. The 396-room property is slated for completion in the first half of 2009 and will feature 25,000 square feet of column-free ballroom and meeting space.
- Due to open this summer, the 250-room Sole on the Ocean in Sunny Isles Beach (www.soleontheocean.com) will include a business center, concierge services and 5,000 square feet of event and meeting space.
- Biscayne Lady Yacht Charters (305.379.5119; www.biscaynelady.com) recently added a $6 million yacht, The Venetian Lady, to its fleet. With three decks to accommodate up to 140 guests for private corporate or social events, the yacht offers dinner, lunch, brunch, breakfast, and cocktail cruises.
- Miami Flightseeing Air Tours (305.767.1903; www.miamiflightseeing.com) expanded its fleet to six aircraft, allowing it to accommodate group tour packages for the first time.
Fort Lauderdale
- The Harbor Beach Marriott Resort & Spa (954.766.6133; www.marriott.com) recently completed a $25 million floor-to-ceiling guest room renovation, with new fabrics, furnishings and goodies like 32-inch, flat-screen TVs. The resort also offers 30,000 square feet of indoor meeting space and 22,500 square feet of outdoor oceanfront terraces.
- The Hyatt Regency Bonaventure Conference Center & Spa (954.616.1234; www.bonaventure.hyatt.com) recently finished a $100 million renovation that included the addition of a Red Door Lifestyle Spa by Elizabeth Arden and elevated the property to Hyatt’s global standard of superior lodging. The property’s 100,000-square-foot conference center now features three newly designed ballrooms, an amphitheater, three executive boardrooms, and 10 breakout rooms.
- Brand new on the ocean is the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort (954.760.7177; www.fortlauderdalebeachresort.hilton.com), with 373 studios and suites, a 25,000-square-foot terrace with zero-entry pool and cabanas, and 10,000 square feet of meeting space.
- The Crowne Plaza Hollywood Beach (954.454.4334; www.crowneplaza.com/hollywoodbeach) opened last fall with 311 guest rooms with balconies, a tiki bar, a marina, and 10,000 square feet of flexible meeting space.
- Situated across the street from the Broward County Convention Center, the 589-room Fort Lauderdale Grande Hotel & Yacht Club (954.463.4000; www.fortlauderdalegrande.com), formerly the Fort Lauderdale Marina Marriott, embarked on a $65 million renovation that will include the redesign of public spaces and guest rooms, enhancements to the property’s 20,000 square feet of meeting space and the addition of a new China Grill restaurant.
- Set to open this June, the $205 million W Fort Lauderdale (954.462.1633; www.wfortlauderdaleresidences.com) will feature 346 guest rooms and more than 15,000 square feet of meeting space.
- Donald Trump is adding Fort Lauderdale Beach to his portfolio. Construction has begun on the Trump International Hotel & Tower Fort Lauderdale (www.trumpfortlauderdale.com), a 24-story building with Art Deco accents recalling a circa-1925 cruise liner. Inside will be 301 one- and two-bedroom suites. Completion is slated for 2009.