Miami and Fort Lauderdale experienced unprecedented growth in the past year with myriad new hotels, renovations of existing and historic properties, new and unique venues, and increased lift at both Miami International and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood international airports. Meeting professionals, both those who have held meetings here in the past, or those who are considering either of these destinations in the future, are in for a great surprise.
“The exciting thing is Miami is ever-changing,” said Barry Moskowitz, vice president of sales for the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau. “Significant projects are underway with increased inventory, renovations and more off-site venues from which to choose. Miami continues to be a game changer.”
One of the biggest projects underway is the expansion of the Miami Beach Convention Center. Built in 1957, the center is undergoing a $515 million renovation and expansion, sure to position Miami among the top globally significant convention centers in the world.
The new 1.4 million-square-foot, LEED-certified facility includes a state-of-the-art 60,000-square-foot grand ballroom, additional meeting rooms allowing for flexible configurations, a 20,000-square-foot glass rooftop junior ballroom and new versatile indoor/outdoor public spaces.
This is good news for Timothy Moses, CMP, director, meetings and conventions, at the Schaumburg, Ill.- based American Academy of Dermatology. The group held its annual meeting in Miami in March 2013 and is anxiously waiting to see the finished convention center and additional infrastructure in hopes of coming back to Miami in the future.
“Unfortunately, the old convention center no longer fits our needs so we are awaiting the new construction and expansion,” Moses said. “We are also anxious to see if the new convention headquarter hotel gets approval in March 2017; we are in desperate need of more hotels in close proximity to the Miami Beach Convention Center.”
And while Miami currently has 50,000 rooms in its inventory, with an additional 8,500 on tap by 2019, Moskowitz said they are anxious as well about getting the right hotel in place as the headquarters hotel for the city.
“When that comes through, we’ll be able to open up to a host of new groups,” he said.
Another mega-project is the addition of the Marriott Marquis Miami Worldcenter Hotel & Expo Center in the heart of downtown, scheduled to open in fall 2018. The $750 million, 1,800-room Marriott will feature the most technologically advanced conference space in the nation, with amenities that include a 65,000-square-foot grand ballroom, the largest in South Florida. The hotel and expo center will also offer a 45,000-square-foot junior ballroom, 100,000 square feet of exhibition space, 390,000 square feet of additional meeting and event space, as well as a 1,500-seat theater.
A lot of international hotels companies are also making Miami their “port of call,” Moskowitz said. “Because of all the buzz, visitors here also travel around the world and spread the word. It’s good PR for these hotels.”
Other hotel openings include the Aloft Miami Dadeland, which opened this past November. With 119 guest rooms, it features a new lobby, fitness center and a 383-square-foot meeting room.
Not new to the neighborhood but very welcome is Washington Park Hotel, reopened in March 2016 after extensive renovations. This unique and charming boutique hotel is a collection of four Art Deco buildings completely reimagined with modern design.
The W South Beach hotel unveiled its newly renovated two-story penthouse this past fall, boasting unrivaled views of the Miami cityscape and Biscayne Bay.
The Brickell City Centre opened its doors in November. The $1 billion structure, built to keep Miami’s downtown area booming, features half-a-million square feet of fashion, dining and entertainment space in addition to 780 premium residences, 260,000 square feet of modern workspace and 352 guest rooms in the contemporary EAST, Miami hotel.
An interesting venue in the heart of southwest Miami-Dade County is The Fair Expo Center adjacent to Florida International University and Tamiami Park. The 86-acre site, with lushly landscaped grounds, is available to meetings groups for indoor and outdoor events such as tradeshows and concerts. The tropically designed main entrance to the Fair Expo Center leads to an expansive entrance plaza and contains a collection of rooms used for training sessions, meetings and conventions.
The 49,000-square-foot E. Darwin Fuchs Pavilion, for example, is an exhibition hall that has been used for tradeshows and special events for up to 6,900, and the 77,000-square-foot Arnold Hall & Reilly Coliseum features a quality sound system, extensive electrical capacity, private show offices and box offices. Other areas include Edwards Hall, Blue Ribbon Room and The Carousel Room for more intimate gatherings. The 22-acre tropically landscaped grounds have been used for everything from a company picnic to a lively outdoor concert.
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Transportation Hub
“Airlift is another area we can boast about. Miami has the most carriers of any other airport in the U.S.,” Moskowitz said. “What this does for us is to help us promote Miami as a meetings destination. It’s all about accessibility from around the globe.”
Miami International Airport boasts more than 100 air carriers. It’s also America’s second-busiest airport for international passengers—a boon for meeting groups with an international audience. For the 2012 Cardiovascular Research Foundation Convention in 2012, there were 90 countries represented, according to Moskowitz.
Due north of Miami, there’s a hub of activity in Fort Lauderdale, as well.
“It was the summer of transformation,” said Christine Roberts-Tascione, CMP, vice president of convention sales and services for the Greater Fort Lauderdale CVB.
The Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport opened Concourse G in Terminal 4, part of the first phase of a $450 million expansion and modernization project. Phase 2 will include nine new gates. When the expansion is completed in mid-2018, the terminal will have 12 international and two domestic gates.
Uptick in Upgrades
In addition, many of the hotels in Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood have, or are going through, major renovations.
“Meeting planners will be amazed. They have to experience it to see the extent of the changes. It’s not just a coat of paint; these are major transformations for a number of properties,” Roberts-Tascione said.
The 900-room Diplomat Beach Resort in Hollywood, between Miami and Fort Lauderdale, is fresh off a $100 million renovation and was the host hotel for September’s annual United States Conference on AIDS (USCA). The conference brought in 3,000 attendees from every U.S. state and nine countries. The Diplomat offers more than 200,000 square feet of flexible event space, including 10 new restaurants.
William Green, health care services administrator for the Broward County Human Services Department, was the chair of the host committee for the conference.
“The Diplomat, with its proximity to many of Broward’s natural treasures and attractions, has become the crown jewel on our beachfront. It’s right there in the center and the convention center is connected to it,” he said. “Just before we checked in, nearly 200 rooms were renovated and renovations to the main lobby were well underway since the last time we were here. It was an incredible conference experience as we celebrated our 20th anniversary.”
Some of the other hotels going through renovations include the W Fort Lauderdale, which is spending $60 million to refurbish rooms and update the W brand.
The Conrad Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort is expected to reopen this winter with 290 expansive studio and suite accommodations, four alfresco dining experiences and a 4,000-square-foot ocean-view spa and fitness center in addition to 20,000 square feet of flexible meeting and event space.
The Le Meridien Dania Beach, Fort Lauderdale is undergoing a $30 million renovation and conversion and will feature 245 contemporary guest rooms, 20,000 square feet of flexible meeting space and two redesigned restaurants.
The $23 million Tryp by Wyndham Maritime Hotel, scheduled to open in March, is an eight-story, 150-room, maritime-theme hotel, offering a European-style tapas bar and 11 aquariums.
A 23-story Four Seasons will open in 2018 with 150 hotel rooms and 95 residences, two restaurants, a spa, a fitness center, “Beach Butlers” and extensive ballroom and meeting facilities.
In downtown Fort Lauderdale, a dual-branded Starwood Hotel complex, featuring The Dalmar, with 209 rooms, will offer a rooftop lounge and sky lobby, an infinity pool and 24,000 square feet of meeting and retail space.
The B Ocean Resort, Fort Lauderdale recently underwent an extensive renovation that included a meeting space, guest rooms and the famous Wreck Bar. The 650-room Fort Lauderdale Marriott Harbor Beach Resort & Spa renovated guest rooms. Meanwhile, the Westin Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort is undergoing a $5.5 million renovation that includes the transformation of the entranceway and lobby, along with new oceanfront dining.
New additions include the 349-room Margaritaville Hollywood Beach Resort, which opened in September. Overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, the hotel has 30,000 square feet of combined indoor and outdoor event space.
With all the new-builds, renovations and other changes, even Roberts-Tascione seems amazed.
“We’ve only more recently been discovered as a favorable beach and resort destination due to increased flights and ‘secondary flights’ into Miami. We even welcomed our first flight from Dubai into Fort Lauderdale in December, which opens up the world to us,” she said.
