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Florida is riding a wave of new infrastructure projects

New infrastructure, expanded convention venues and new and renovated hotels are just some of what to expect this year across the Sunshine State.

One of the state’s big news items revolves around transportation. All Aboard Florida has made the headlines with its $3.5 billion high-speed Brightline passenger train. Already operating in South Florida—from West Palm Beach to Cocoa--it’s chugging its way into Phase 2, the extension into Orlando International Airport, expected to be complete in late 2020 or early 2021.

Orlando is also expanding its airport with a new South Terminal expected to accommodate 10 million more passengers. Orlando’s Orange County Convention Center is expanding, and this September, Miami is unveiling a $620 million renovation and expansion of its Miami Beach Convention Center.

Fort Lauderdale’s Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center also has an expansion that will add 400,000 square feet of contiguous exhibition space to the current exhibit hall. The recently remodeled Emerald Coast Convention Center, too, saw $465,000 worth of renovations completed in January.

Throughout the state there are new hotels and major renovations. Here’s a listing of what’s new.

Latest and Greatest

CAPE CORAL

The 293-room Westin Cape Coral Resort at Marina Village (www.westincapecoral.com) renovated guest rooms and added the multimillion-dollar Tarpon Point Ballroom. At 12,200 square feet it’s the largest function center in Cape Coral. The resort has 30,000 square feet of total meeting space.

COCOA BEACH

Wakulla Suites will be transformed into Westgate Cocoa Beach Resort (www.experiencecocoabeach.com) this summer after a $14 million renovation. The fully renovated 120-room property will boast two-bedroom, two-bathroom and fully equipped high-end condominiums. It will have 3,500 square feet of flexible banquet and meeting space overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.

DAYTONA BEACH

The 744-room Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort (www.daytonahilton.com) completed a $25 million renovation. The resort’s 60,000 square feet of meeting space has also been refreshed, as have the resort’s 30 beachfront cabana suites.

The DAYTONA (www.marriott.com), opening late this year, will have 145 rooms and about 10,000 square feet of flexible event space to accommodate events of all types.

The 200-room Hard Rock Hotel Daytona Beach (www.hrhdaytonabeach.com) opened March 1. The new property includes the signature Sessions restaurant, as well as 20,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space.

EMERALD COAST

Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa (www.hiltonsandestinbeach.com) in Miramar Beach near Destin recently began a $5 million capital improvement project to enhance the guest experience at the property. This multiphase project will start with its 602 guest rooms and expand out into the outdoor dining and amenity areas. The Hilton Sandestin has 60,000 square feet of meeting space.

Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort (www.sandestin.com) in Miramar Beach recently announced its multimillion-dollar renovation of the 15,000-square-foot Linkside Conference Center. The 1,280-room resort offers function space adjacent to Sandestin’s Bayside area and a short walk from the Bayside Villas. The conference center is suited for groups from 10 to 1,200. It includes two bay-front venues, a 5,500-square-foot ballroom, four breakout rooms and an executive boardroom.

FLORIDA KEYS

The 214-room Cheeca Lodge & Spa (www.cheeca.com) in Islamorada reopened March 30 after a renovation following Hurricane Irma. It has 4,600 square feet of redesigned meeting space and an upgraded spa. A new oceanfront pool and second tiki bar will open in May.

The 135-room all-inclusive Bungalows Key Largo (www.bungalowskeylargo.com), which is expected to open in late April or early May, will have 4,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space.

The 292-room Hawks Cay Resort (www.hawkscay.com), in Duck Key, which had been closed for renovations, will reopen in phases, with a reopening scheduled this summer with 20,000 square feet of oceanfront meeting space to accommodate up to 450.

The 178-room Margaritaville Key West Resort & Marina (www.margaritavillekeywestresort.com) offers new meeting amenities and refreshed rooms and suites. It features 16,000 square feet of flexible indoor and outdoor function space, including a 300-capacity Truman Ballroom and nine breakout rooms.

JACKSONVILLE

Lexington Hotel & Conference Center (www.redlion.com), a 323-room hotel, continues its $20 million renovation on the Jacksonville Riverwalk. All rooms will be renovated in phases. It has 35,000 square feet of meeting space.

Hyatt Place–The Strand at Town Center (www.hyattplace.com) is a new mixed-use development with retail and apartment homes. It will feature a five-story design with 160 guest rooms; the Gallery, complete with 3,000 square feet of flexible meeting space; an outdoor pool and fitness center; and an outdoor deck for social and private events.

MIAMI/FORT LAUDERDALE/HOLLYWOOD

A guitar-shaped hotel tower at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino (www.seminolehardrockhollywood.com) in Hollywood is under construction as part of a $1.5 billion expansion. It will include 60,000 square feet of new retail and restaurant space and a $100 million redesigned and completely rebuilt Hard Rock Live venue with 7,000 seats in a theater-style configuration. The expansion of Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino will open in mid-2019.

The 527-room Hilton Miami Downtown (www.hilton.com) recently completed a $35 million property-wide renovation. It has 45,000-plus square feet of flexible meeting space for up to 2,000 guests. Hilton Miami Downtown’s 19 spacious meeting rooms include five boardrooms and one of Downtown Miami’s largest ballrooms at 17,000 square feet.

The 251-room Palms Hotel & Spa (www.thepalmshotel.com) completed a multimillion-dollar renovation to its lobby, reception area and meeting rooms. The largest ballroom, the Royal Palm, seats 220.

Kimpton Angler’s Hotel South Beach (www.anglershotelmiami.com) will complete a new addition by this June that will house 85 guest rooms and 19,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space, including a terrace, open-air deck and rooftop pool and sundeck. Total hotel inventory features 132 studios, lofts, suites, villas, spa villas and poolside bungalows.

Turnberry Isle Miami (www.turnberryislemiami.com) will soon begin an expansion and makeover. The resort is adding a 323-room, 16-story building to be called the Orchid Tower. Upon completion, the resort will be rebranded as a JW Marriott. It has a 40,000-square-foot convention center.

The 650-room Fort Lauderdale Marriott Harbor Beach Resort & Spa (www.marriott.com) recently completed a renovation of all of its guest rooms, spa, lobby and meeting space. The resort has 66,965 square feet of total meeting space.

NAPLES/MARCO ISLAND

The Inn on Fifth (www.innonfifth.com), in downtown Naples, completed renovations and refreshments to its meeting rooms and added a new banquet kitchen. The 119-room Inn, which includes 32 Club Level Suites, refreshed all common areas as well.

The 809-room JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort (www.jwmarco.com) completed a multiphase $320 million renovation that includes the all-new Lanai Tower, with meeting space on the first three floors. The new event and meeting venue space features the 30,000-square-foot Calusa Grand Ballroom, the 17,000-square-foot Banyan Ballroom and the Sunset terrace. Apart from the tower, the existing 10,000-square-foot Palms Ballroom features 17-foot ceilings. 

The 317-room Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club (www.naplesbeachhotel.com) recently completed a total redesign of the beachfront resort’s historic golf course. The Clubhouse features 22,000 square feet of meeting space that serves as the centerpiece of its 34,000 square feet of flexible indoor function space. The largest ballroom is 6,283 square feet.

The Hilton Marco Island Beach Resort and Spa (www.hilton.com), which is slated to reopen June 1, recently completed a $40 million-plus renovation of its lobby, all public and meeting space, the pool and restaurants. The hotel renovated all of its 310 guest rooms and suites and offers 12,000 square feet of meeting space. 

The 189-room La Playa Beach & Golf Resort (www.laplayaresort.com) in Naples renovated all of its guest rooms. The property has a new Gulf Tower that includes the Baleen Restaurant.  

ORLANDO

The 146-room Villas at Grand Cypress (www.grandcypress.com) in Orlando has a newly renovated Executive Meeting Center for groups of up to 240. The AAA Four Diamond property features 45 holes of Jack Nicklaus Signature-designed golf, including the 27-hole North/South/East Course and 18-hole New Course. The Grand Cypress Golf Club can offer outings for 16 people or a tournament for up to 450.

Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort Bonnet Creek (www.wyndhamgrandorlando.com) recently completed a $5 million renovation, including the new 3,500-square-foot Bonnet Creek Ballroom, which accommodates up to 360 people, and its 2,155-square-foot Expedition Meeting Room. The renovation included a new wraparound balcony and terrace overlooking the 10-acre lake and updates to three restaurants.

Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort (www.swandolphin.com) recently completed a $140 million, three-year project that included a redesign of all of its guest rooms, the Dolphin lobby and renovation of all of its meeting space. All 2,267 guest rooms were transformed to reflect the resort’s water theme. A new 2,800-square-foot meeting and event space, Lake View, offers scenic outdoor views of the resort’s private lake and resort. Meanwhile, the resort’s 332,000 square feet of meeting space has been transformed with an updated appearance.

Margaritaville Resort Orlando (www.margaritavilleresortorlando.com) will feature 187 rooms, 1,000 Margaritaville-themed vacation homes and 300 timeshare units. A new dining and entertainment district is also planned, along with a 12-acre waterpark and a wellness center. It is expected to open in late 2018.

DoubleTree by Hilton Orlando at SeaWorld (www.dtresortorlando.com), with 1,004 rooms, is nearing completion of a significant expansion. When completed, the hotel will have 100,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting and event space. The largest addition will be the 20,000-square-foot ballroom and new outdoor event space.

Mission Inn Resort & Club (www.missioninnresort.com), located at Howey-in-the-Hills near Orlando, underwent a $3.5 million renovation of 170 guest rooms. The resort’s main Grand Ballroom, which accommodates up to 600, was also upgraded. All hallways have been freshly re-carpeted as well. Mission Inn has 30,000 square feet of meeting space.

PALM BEACH COUNTY

The Boca Raton Mandarin Oriental (www.moresidencesbocaraton.com), set to open in 2020, will include two adjacent towers that will form part of an upscale mixed-use development. This 118-room property will feature 65,000 square feet of luxury lifestyle retail as well as a world-class private club that will offer social, fitness, spa and championship golf amenities. It will also offer extensive banqueting and meeting space, including an expansive 4,500-square-foot ballroom and a variety of adaptable conference rooms.

The Spa at PGA National Resort (www.pgaresort.com) recently underwent a refresh and enhanced its gourmet spa cuisine options at the poolside cafe. In addition to the Spa upgrade, The Palmer Course layout has gone through a comprehensive revitalization from tee to green that now makes Palmer’s creation even more fun to play. For meetings, the resort provides a wide range of room types and configurations that can host groups from 12 to 1,200.

PENSACOLA

The 210-room Pensacola Grand Hotel (www.pensacolagrandhotel.com), will renovate this year. It has a total of 7,584 square feet of meeting space and an additional 1,264 square feet of exhibit space.

Courtyard by Marriott University Town Plaza (www.marriott.com), a 90-room hotel, is undergoing renovations this year. Its largest meeting room is 40 square feet and its total event space is 678 square feet.

SARASOTA

Art Ovation Hotel, Autograph Collection (www.marriott.com) opened a 162-room property with two suites and several on-site restaurants in March. It has 10,000 square feet of meeting space.

Carlisle Inn (www.dhgroup.com) in the heart of Pinecraft, an Amish and Mennonite community within the city of Sarasota, will open its first hotel this spring, with nearly 100 rooms and 4,000 square feet of meeting space.

ST. AUGUSTINE/PONTE VEDRA

South of St. Augustine, Hammock Beach, A Salamander Resort (www.hammockbeach.com) in Palm Coast completed a remodel of the lobby with all new furnishings and a sophisticated new lobby bar. The 311-room resort’s makeover extended to its premium oceanfront suites, meeting and function space and restaurants. The resort’s Ocean Ballroom can host groups up to 500, theater-style. For outdoor events, the beachfront lawn is available for up to 5,000. 

The $25 million resort-wide refresh of the Sawgrass Marriott Gold Resort & Spa (www.marriott.com) in Ponte Vedra Beach can be seen throughout its 511 guest rooms/villas, resort pool area, modernized front desk area, hotel facade, the Sawgrass Spa as well as the Cabana Beach Club. Other facets of the project are a “Premium Service” guest wing and the American Gator Club restaurant. The property offers 56,000 square feet of flexible meeting space.

The Ponte Vedra Lodge & Club (www.pontevedra.com) recently completed a multimillion-dollar renovation of its 66 oceanfront guest rooms. Each of the 24 suites, eight preferred rooms and 34 deluxe rooms has a new interior design.

 

ST. PETERSBURG/CLEARWATER

The 362-room Vinoy Renaissance St. Petersburg Resort & Golf Club (www.marriott.com) underwent a renovation of its meeting space and is enhancing rooms in its new tower. The resort features over 60,000 square feet of meeting space, including 24 breakout rooms ranging from the restored 1920s-era Vinoy Grand Ballroom to modern conference center facilities. Palm Court is the largest meeting room at 11,520 square feet.

The 287-room Hyatt Regency Clearwater Beach Resort & Spa (www.hyatt.com) recently concluded an extensive, multimillion-dollar renovation to its guest rooms, meeting and event spaces and public areas. The property offers a 4,000-square-foot terrace, 3,200-square-foot breakout room, 950-square-foot room with an adjoining terrace that adds 2,500 square feet, and a 700-square-foot room for smaller events.

The $120 million, 166-room JW Marriott, Clearwater Beach (www.marriott.com) will start construction this fall and be completed in 2019. It will have 7,500 square feet of meeting space.

TAMPA

The 277-room Sheraton Tampa Riverwalk (www.sheratontampariverwalk.com) renovated all of its guest rooms in 2017. An all-new pool deck and pool bar will debut this summer.

Construction began this year on the JW Marriott Tampa (www.marriott.com). The 519-room, 26-story hotel will rise steps from the Tampa Convention Center and Amalie Arena, where the National Hockey League’s Tampa Bay Lightning team plays. It will feature the highest rooftop bar in Tampa Bay and is expected to open in 2020.

The Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel and Marina (www.marriott.com) is spending $40 million to renovate the 719-room hotel. The renovation will add eight rooms, bringing the total to 727. The project also will add 3,111 feet of meeting space at the northwest corner of the hotel along Water Street. Work will be completed by early 2019.

The 228-room Streamsong Resort (www.streamsongresort.com), located in Bowling Green southeast of Tampa, added the Streamsong Black golf course this past fall. The course features The Gauntlet, a two-acre putting course; The Roundabout, a practice area; and a new clubhouse featuring Bone Valley Tavern. The resort will become the only location in the world where guests can enjoy three distinct courses by four legendary architects. 
The resort also has the Aqua Pietra spa and four restaurants on property.