With a few convention centers and a slew of hotels and resorts dedicated to meetings, Southwest Florida balances its wild side with state-of-the-art facilities for gatherings of any size.
In the Naples/Marco Island area, there is literally a size to fit all, from 225,000 square feet of event space at the Marco Island Marriott Beach Resort to 4,000 square feet at the Mediterranean-flavored Bellasera Hotel, or the intimate meeting rooms of Naples Bay Resort.
You can meet beachside, with a huge spa and golf course at hand, at the Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club, boasting 34,000 square feet of function space, or stay in the heart of downtown Naples’ shopping and dining scene at the lovely Inn on Fifth, which is expanding to include 32 new club-level suites while increasing its meeting space to nearly 9,000 square feet.
Meetings here are also served by the Naples Grande Beach Resort, LaPlaya Beach & Golf Resort, GreenLinks Golf Villas at Lely Resort, two Ritz-Carlton properties and the Hilton Marco Island Beach Resort and Spa, among many others.
Boasting a similar variety of sizes and styles, the Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel checks in with convention-dedicated properties like the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa, offering 73,000 square feet of meeting space, Sanibel Harbour Marriott Resort & Spa, with 45,000 square feet of function space, and South Seas Island Resort, boasting 31,000 square feet of event space.
Midsize meetings may appreciate the Resort at MarinaVillage, with space for up to 500, or the Crowne Plaza Fort Myers at Bell Tower Shops, which is adjacent to a mall and offers 11,300 square feet of meeting space. If a downtown ambience feels right for your group, the 42,000-square-foot Harborside Event Center anchors a River District of shopping, dining and special events in downtown Fort Myers.
Heading northward to Charlotte County, the gleaming new Charlotte Harbor Event & Conference Center offers waterfront vistas and 43,500 square feet of event space. Next door is the Four Points by Sheraton Harborside, home to two meeting rooms plus an executive board room, while 5,000 square feet of meeting space is also within walking distance at the Best Western Waterfront.
For an Old Florida-style gathering, the nearby Fishermen’s Village, set against the picturesque Peace River, can accommodate up to 150 for a waterfront reception; or if your group wants to disappear entirely, Palm Island Resort on Knight Island, with function space for 120, is only accessible by ferry or boat.
