Florida always seems to be going in one direction—forward. And 2013 is no exception, as tourism bureaus report strong gains in group business complemented by ongoing improvements that include new and improved hotels, new restaurants and more services for meeting groups.
“We came out of the recession very strong. We’re seeing strong demand growth, our forecast is continued growth, and we’re seeing excellent reception from our meeting planners,” notes Danielle Courtenay, chief marketing officer for Visit Orlando, the Orlando Tourism Bureau, adding that third-party planners and the SMERF markets are prolific sources for increased group business in Orlando.
Contributing to the positive outlook in Orlando is the fact that many groups are bringing back some program components that were cut when times were leaner.
“They’re looking at CSR opportunities, and they’re looking at the theme parks and the special experiences they offer, along with our arts venues, to create that inspiration that groups are looking for,” Courtenay says.
Other CVBs concur that groups are reinstating elements such as pre and post activities and off-site venues, albeit at a conservative pace.
“We’ve seen some growth, but everyone would like to see more,” says Tamara Pigott, executive director of the Beaches of Fort Myers and Sanibel.
But with fingers crossed that group expenditures will grow, this Southwest Florida enclave is staying busy with capital improvements throughout the destination.
“We take more than a quarter of our bed tax and put it into beach and shoreline projects. It’s a very strong commitment for us,” Pigott says. “The dollars are allocated so that the next time you come, everything is as beautiful as the last time you were here. And we have a high repeat rate.”PageBreak
Major improvements are also on tap in downtown Fort Myers, where a $150 million Riverfront Development Plan will encompass an 80,000-square-foot addition to the city’s main convention venue, the Harborside Event Center, along with a 200-room convention hotel, a riverfront amphitheater and 100,000 square feet of retail and restaurant spaces. The project is already under way, as a new water feature now connects the downtown historic district to the Caloosahatchee River.
“We’re on the cusp of some major changes,” Pigott says.
Meanwhile, group business is slowly but steadily getting back to normal in the Southwest Florida city of Naples, where overall, the destination is getting close to 2007 ADRs, reports Jack Wert, executive director of the Naples, Marco Island, Everglades CVB.
“Our group meeting hotels are reporting advance bookings for 2013 and are above pace,” he says. “However, the booking window continues to be short.”
Booking windows and bookings in general are on the rise in Palm Beach County, where group business is up 9.2 percent for year-end 2012 and group occupancy is up 20 percent for the last quarter of 2012.
“We’re seeing improved occupancy and attribute a great deal of that to the return of the meetings market,” says Jorge Pesquera, president and CEO of the Palm Beach County CVB. “The economic recovery is taking hold and corporations are feeling a little better about spending money and getting their meetings out there.”
Part of the county’s ascending tourism figures relate directly to its own robust marketing efforts.
“Some of our success can be traced back to an extraordinary effort we made when the bottom was falling out,” Pesquera says. “We presented a stimulus package and instituted an aggressive meeting rebate program. We’re still benefitting from the effects of that.”
The bureau has also noted an increase in lead time from planners bringing groups in, another indication of an improving market.
“With demand coming back, planners are getting the signal that they have to start earlier, and we now see them planning into 2014,” says Doug McLain, the Palm Beach CVB’s senior vice president of global sales. “The incentive meetings are also starting to bubble back. They were all but dead in 2008 and 2009. So that’s a good sign as well.”PageBreak
Hotel Happenings
Another good sign of recovery is a strengthening infrastructure—new hotel projects and major hotel renovations. Florida is seeing both in a big way, including a new 119-room Aloft property for downtown Orlando this summer, new Club Level suites at Naples’ luxurious Inn on Fifth, and coming to Miami in 2014, the Edition, complete with a nightclub, a bowling alley and an ice skating rink.
Following are additional hotel developments.
- Coming to the Walt Disney World Resort in 2014, the $360 million Four Seasons Orlando Resort will offer 444 rooms, nearly 38,000 square feet of meeting space, a 14,000-square-foot spa and the existing Tom Fazio-designed Osprey Ridge championship golf course.
- Also due in 2014 is a new on-site property for Universal Orlando, the Cabana Bay Beach Resort, sporting a unique vintage look that recalls family roadtrips of yore, including bright period colors and touches of neon. The new property will feature 900 family suites and 900 standard rooms.
- Ground broke last fall on the Holiday Inn Resort Destin West, a 152-room, $25 million project slated to open in spring 2014 on 17 beachfront acres in Northwest Florida’s Okaloosa County. Resort amenities will include a waterfront lazy river, a tiki bar, an on-site restaurant and 2,000 square feet of meeting space.
- Newly opened south of Sarasota, the Ramada Venice is located minutes from the beach and offers 10,000 square feet of meeting space as well as suite accommodations, an on-site restaurant and a fitness center.
- The Hyatt Place Delray Beach opened last summer in the city’s Pineapple Grove arts district, steps from Atlantic Avenue shopping and dining. The new property features 134 rooms and more than 2,000 square feet of meeting and function space.
- Fort Myers-based SunStream Hotels & Resorts recently welcomed its first resort property outside Southwest Florida, the Oceanside Inn Daytona Beach, with 171 rooms and 2,250 square feet of meeting space.
- The Orlando World Center Marriott has completed phase one of a multimillion-dollar transformation, enhancing guest rooms, suites and 13 meeting rooms in its North Tower. The new upgrades are the beginning of a multi-faceted overhaul at the 200-acre, 2,000-room property.PageBreak
- The former TradeWinds Sandpiper Suites on St. Pete Beach just became what is touted as the country’s first Guy Harvey Outpost, reflecting the art and marine wildlife themes of artist, scientist, diver, angler, conservationist and explorer Guy Harvey. Part of TradeWinds Island Resorts, the combined meeting space of Guy Harvey and its sister property, TradeWinds Island Grand, can host up to 1,000.
- Originally a 360-room property, the Mainsail Suites Hotel & Conference Center in Tampa is transitioning to 120 one- and two-bedroom suites, converting the remaining 240 rooms to rental residences. The conversion will include $1.5 million in interior upgrades to guest rooms and the lobby, and is scheduled for completion by August. Mainsail offers 12,000 square feet of flexible indoor meeting space and 6,000 square feet of outdoor space.
- The Doubletree by Hilton Orlando at SeaWorld recently put the wraps on a $35 million makeover and now boasts renovated guest rooms and meeting facilities, as well as a new restaurant.
- Following an extensive renovation, the Westin Cape Coral Resort at Marina Village, formerly known as the Resort at Marina Village, opened in December as Starwood’s first Westin property in Southwest Florida, equipping all 263 rooms and suites with the brand’s signature Heavenly Bed and other amenities. The property is home to more than 25,000 square feet of versatile event space.
- Key Largo’s Ocean Reef Club just finished a multimillion-dollar remodeling of its Spa at Ocean Reef, which expanded its offerings to include 10 individual massage and treatment rooms, plus a VIP couples suite.
- Seminole Paradise at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood welcomed Playa Boutique to its popular retail lineup. If you can tear yourself away from the casino, you’ll be set for fun in the sun after shopping the boutique’s selection of swimwear, activewear and accessories.
