Greater Miami
- The new Gansevoort South (305.604.1000; www.gansevoortsouth.com), the first extension of the Gansevoort brand outside New York City, boasts 334 oversized guest rooms, a 110-foot rooftop pool that is literally the talk of the town, and meeting space that includes a 6,500-square-foot ballroom, six meeting rooms and a 55,000-square-foot beach club.
- Newly opened in November, the Canyon Ranch Miami Beach (305.993.0030; www.canyonranchmiamibeach.com) offers 150 suites in a boutique setting that includes a 70,000-square-foot Wellness Spa with 54 treatment areas.
- The 335-suite Mondrian South Beach (305.672.2662; www.mondriansouthbeach.com) made its debut in late 2008 and features extensive banquet and private event facilities, including an executive conference center and a bay-view meeting room with audiovisual options that include an LCD projector.
- The boutique-style Epic Hotel (305.424.5226; www.epichotel.com), a Kimpton property that recently opened in downtown Miami, features 411 rooms and suites, a wrap-around pool deck with private cabanas and 11,000 square feet of indoor meeting space.
- The W South Beach (305.938.3000; www.starwoodhotels.com) will open in May with 395 guest rooms and more than 12,000 square feet of event space. The property will enhance its meetings experience with programs such as Sensory Set Up, featuring mood music and signature scents, as well as Wish Workshops, allowing attendees to take yoga, train as chefs and partake in other “wish-fulfillment” programs.
- Coming to downtown Miami in March 2010, the JW Marriott Marquis Hotel (www.marriott.com) will offer 376 guest rooms, a full-service business center and 18,000 square feet of meeting space.
Greater Fort Lauderdale
- Set across from the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center, the 589-room Fort Lauderdale Grande Hotel & Yacht Club (954.463.4000; www.fortlauderdalegrande.com) emerged from a $70 million renovation project that modernized guest rooms and suites, refurbished the swimming pool and deck area, and enhanced the property’s 21,000 square feet of meeting and event facilities. In addition, Jeffrey Chodorow’s China Grill restaurant is set to open at the property this month.
- The St. Regis, Fort Lauderdale rebranded as The Ritz-Carlton, Fort Lauderdale (954.465.2300; www.ritzcarlton.com), offering 166 guest rooms and suites and more than 24,000 square feet of meeting space, including an oceanfront ballroom.
- Formerly the Sheraton Yankee Trader, the newly reopened Westin Beach Resort, Fort Lauderdale (954.467.1111; www.starwoodhotels.com) boasts 433 guest rooms and 32,000 square feet of meeting space, including a rooftop deck, along with a revamped Shula’s on the Beach restaurant for steaks and seafood.
- Opening this March, the 517-room W Fort Lauderdale (954.414.8200; www.starwoodhotels.com) will include 12,400 square feet of indoor meeting space—featuring natural lighting—and 5,500 square feet of outdoor event space, along with conference suites and Internet-based printing services.
- Set to open in the first quarter of 2009, the 298-room Trump International Hotel & Tower (www.trumpfortlauderdalehotel.com) will feature luxury accommodations ranging from deluxe studios to three-bedroom penthouse suites, along with a 5,000-square-foot health club and spa and a sixth-floor roof deck with Atlantic Ocean views.