Why here?
Southeast Florida is a world-class meeting destination, underscored by sun-splashed recreation -- think premium golf, tennis, scuba diving and snorkeling, beach activities and saltwater fishing -- plus astonishing and elegant nightlife, entertainment, top restaurants and premier shopping.
THE KEYS
• The 95-room Courtyard Marathon Florida Keys opened this winter. The property has 1,100 square feet of meeting space, a business center and two dining options.
• The 167-room Playa Largo Resort & Spa, a Marriott Autograph Collection property, debuted in April. Offerings include 10 private bungalows, a waterside restaurant, a spa, a private marina and 39,000 square feet of indoor/outdoor meeting space.
HQ DEBUT
The 400-room Hilton West Palm Beach, which is connected to the Palm Beach County Convention Center, is now open for business. The property has 24,000 square feet of meeting and event space.
FORT LAUDERDALE
Local Update
• The 349-room Margaritaville Hollywood Beach Resort debuted in Hollywood in November 2015. The Jimmy Buffett-themed property offers 30,000 square feet of meeting and event space, a spa and eight dining outlets.
• The B Ocean Resort -- formerly the Sheraton Fort Lauderdale Beach Hotel -- is renovating its outdoor and public spaces, lobby, restaurants, corridors and all 487 guest rooms. The refurbishment project, slated for completion this summer, will nearly double the resort's 14,000 square feet of meeting and event space.
• The historic Escape Hotel is being rebuilt and rebranded as the Gale Boutique Hotel. The North Beach Village property, slated to debut later this year, will have 96 guest rooms and 128 residences. Opened in 1951, the Escape helped launch Fort Lauderdale's legacy as a popular beachfront destination. The $120 million project will feature a rooftop sky deck, a fitness center, a spa, concierge services and a pool.
• The 198-room Ritz-Carlton, Fort Lauderdale, has elevated its classic look with an $8 million makeover to its guest rooms, spa, restaurant and public spaces. The property has 24,000 square feet of ocean-view meeting space.
• The 384-room Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty-Six has completed renovations to its 5,900-square-foot Panorama Ballroom. The event and meeting space has been detailed with new carpeting, lighting, furnishings and more.
Meeting Hotels: Properties include the 650-room Fort Lauderdale Marriott Harbor Beach Resort & Spa, 589-room Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina, 500-room Bonaventure Resort & Spa, 487-room B Ocean Resort, 432-room Westin Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort, 430-room W Fort Lauderdale, 384-room Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty-Six, 374-room Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort, 361-room Embassy Suites by Hilton Fort Lauderdale, 315-room Fort Lauderdale Marriott North and 298-room Westin Fort Lauderdale.
In Hollywood are the 998-room Diplomat Resort & Spa, 500-room Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino-Hollywood, 349-room Margaritaville Hollywood Beach Resort and 311-room Crowne Plaza Hollywood Beach.
To find and compare hotels, and send RFPs, visit mcvenues.com.
Convention Center: Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center; exhibition space, approximately 200,000 square feet; number of meeting rooms, 31. (954) 765-5900; ftlauderdalecc.com
Airport Transit: Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, six miles south of Fort Lauderdale; transfer cost by taxi to Port Everglades and Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center, $10-$15
Taxes: Tourist development tax, 5%; sales tax, 6%; total tax on hotel rooms, 11%
Group Venue: The historic waterfront Stranahan House was built in 1901, with the lower floor serving as a trading post and the upper floor as a community hall. The venue can be toured during the day by groups; at night, the house serves as the launching point for Fort Lauderdale's River Ghost Tour. Events for up to 75 guests can be staged on the patio. (954) 524-4736
Contact: Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau; (954) 765-4466.
DOWN UNDER
Pompano Beach's offshore
Shipwreck Park is a popular dive destination. This summer, a 300-foot ship will be submerged on-site, giving scuba divers a total of 17 shipwrecks to explore.
ALL ABOARD
Construction has begun on All Aboard Florida's Brightline, the $2.5 billion privately run express passenger train that will connect Miami to Orlando. Reaching speeds up to 125 miles per hour, Brightline will trim 60 minutes from the four-hour, 240-mile trip, culminating at a new station adjacent to Orlando International Airport.
THE PALM BEACHES
Local Update
• A 150-room Canopy by Hilton Hotels will open in early 2018 in West Palm Beach, two blocks from the CityPlace entertainment and retail center. The hotel will have a rooftop pool and lounge, and two full-service restaurants.
• The 152-room Residence Inn West Palm Beach Downtown/CityPlace Area recently opened with 2,500 square feet of event space, fully equipped kitchens, free WiFi, an outdoor pool and complimentary breakfast.
• The 200-room Hyatt Place Boca Raton will open next month. The downtown property will have 4,000 square feet of meeting space and an 8,000-square-foot restaurant.
• The Flagler Club, an exclusive 25-room boutique property at The Breakers Palm Beach, has completed a refurbishment. In other Breakers news, The Spa at The Breakers has reopened following a $4 million refresh. The facility now offers 17 treatment rooms in all, plus a private courtyard, upgraded lounges, and a salon area for hair and nail services.
• Throughout 2016, the 339-room PGA National Resort & Spa is offering new groups a complimentary round of golf on the resort's Palmer, Fazio or Squire courses, or a 50-minute spa service for each guest (restrictions apply). The resort recently completed a $4 million facelift of its 33,000-square-foot Sports and Racquet Club.
• Café Boulud Palm Beach, chef Daniel Boulud's popular restaurant at the 80-room Brazilian Court Hotel, has completed a redesign of its private dining areas, which accommodate a total of 150 guests.
• The Mandarin Oriental, Boca Raton, will celebrate its grand opening in 2017. The luxury property, which will be part of the upscale Via Mizner mixed-use development, will have a rooftop restaurant, a fitness center and a spa. The property's extensive meeting space will include a ballroom spanning 4,500 square feet.
Meeting Hotels: Properties in the area include the 1,047-room Boca Raton Resort & Club, A Waldorf Astoria Resort; 538-room The Breakers Palm Beach; 400-room Hilton West Palm Beach; 352-room West Palm Beach Marriott; 339-room PGA National Resort & Spa; 309-room Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa; 274-room Delray Beach Marriott; 211-room Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach, and 154-room Seagate Hotel & Spa.
To find and compare more area hotels and meeting spaces, as well as send RFPs, go to mcvenues.com.
Convention Center: Palm Beach County Convention Center; exhibit space, 100,000 square feet; number of meeting rooms, 19; (561) 366-3000; pbconventioncenter.com
Airport Transit: Palm Beach International Airport, about four miles southwest of West Palm Beach; transfer cost by taxi, $35. Convention Center transportation via Uber starts at $6.
Taxes: Room tax, 6%; sales tax, 6%; total tax on hotel rooms, 12%
Group Venue: Events at the new Manatee Lagoon--An FPL Discovery Center in Riviera Beach will make a real splash with groups. The 16,000-square-foot center offers hands-on exhibits, second-floor meeting space, on-site catering, modern audiovisual equipment and up-close views of Florida's endangered gentle giants. (561) 626-2833.
Contact: Discover The Palm Beaches; (800) 833-5733.
THE KEYS TO FUN
• A 125-mile island chain, the Keys are home to the continental United States' only living coral barrier reef, a "backbone ecosystem" teeming with fish and other marine life. Scuba and snorkeling enthusiasts can rent equipment and enjoy dive outings offered by
Rainbow Reef Dive Center on Key Largo. (800) 457-4354.
• Eat Drink Discover Key West recently launched "Tall & Crawl," a four-hour adventure that includes food and rum tastings plus activities aboard the 80-foot pirate ship replica, Jolly II Rover. (305) 741-7828
• On Key West, a permanent exhibit of 15 paintings by playwright Tennessee Williams has debuted at the Custom House Museum. Williams lived on the island for more than 30 years. Originally home to a customs office, a postal service and various district courts, the eclectic venue is available for private events. (305) 295-6616.
• For more information about the Florida Keys, contact the Monroe County Tourism Development Council, (800) 352-5397.
MIAMI
Local Update
• The 640-room Trump National Doral Miami has completed a renovation that included the addition of three new ballrooms, giving the 800-acre resort more than 100,000 square feet of function space, plus an upgrade of its guest rooms and 48 spa suites.
• A $615 million investment is transforming the Miami Beach Convention Center. Located in the heart of South Beach, just 12 miles from Miami International Airport, the historic venue is undergoing an expansion and other work that, when completed in 2018, will give the center more than 500,000 square feet of exhibit space, a 60,000-square-foot ballroom and 81 new breakout rooms totaling 190,000 square feet.
• Miami Beach has voted down a proposed 800-room hotel that would have been connected to the Miami Beach Convention Center. At press time, local officials were considering putting a new hotel proposal on this November's ballot.
• The former Thompson Miami Beach is now an independent hotel, renamed The Confidante, and part of the Unbound Collection by Hyatt. The property has 380 guest rooms, including 30 suites, as well as two restaurants, two heated swimming pools, direct beach access, a rooftop spa, a full-service salon, indoor/outdoor fitness areas, and 35,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor function space.
• The 175-room Residence Inn by Marriott Miami Beach-Surfside has opened near the Bal Harbour Shops. Amenities include a private beach, a pool with a bar and grill, complimentary full breakfast, free WiFi, a fitness center, venue catering, audiovisual services, five event rooms and a rooftop terrace with room for about 150 guests.
• The 243-room YVE Hotel Miami has added a new conference room, two boardrooms and two breakout areas that accommodate a total of up to 50 people, giving the hotel more than 3,500 square feet of meeting space.
• After an extensive 18-month renovation, the Haddon Hall Hotel reopened last November under a new name, The Hall South Beach. The boutique Miami Beach property has 163 guest rooms, free WiFi, an Olympic-size pool with cabanas, a fitness room, a cocktail bar, a 500-square-foot conference room and an outdoor event area.
• The Nobu Hotel Eden Roc Resort Miami Beach has added a farm-to-fork restaurant designed by chef Helene Henderson. The new eatery caps off a multimillion-dollar renovation of the hotel's 350 guest rooms, spa, public areas, and 70,000 square feet of meeting and event space.
• The 126-room Langford Hotel has opened in the heart of downtown Miami. The property -- a 1920s-era bank that is now on the National Register of Historic Places -- has four meeting rooms, a restaurant, bar and lounge, an exercise studio and free WiFi.
Convention centers: Miami Beach Convention Center; exhibit space, 502,848 square feet; number of meeting rooms, 70; (786) 276-2600.
Miami Airport Convention Center; exhibit space, 75,000 square feet; number of meeting rooms, 50; (786) 276-2600.
Miami Convention Center; exhibit space, approximately 28,000 square feet; number of meeting rooms, 34; (305) 539-3000.
Airport Transit: Miami International Airport, seven miles west of downtown Miami; transfer cost by taxi to downtown, $42; by shuttle, $17 per person; by Uber, $13. By taxi to Miami Beach, $53; by shuttle, $21 per person; by Uber, $15. By taxi to Key Biscayne, $64; by shuttle, $29 per person
Taxes: Miami: room tax, 6%; sales tax, 7%; total tax on hotel rooms, 13%.
Miami Beach: room tax, 7%; sales tax, 7%; total tax on hotel rooms, 14%.
Group Venue: One-of-a-kind nightclub experiences are on tap at the Drinkhouse Fire & Ice in Miami Beach. Anchored by a 23-degree Fahrenheit ice palace made from 100,000 pounds of ice, the place lets intrepid guests enjoy custom-cut ice sculptures, a premium vodka ice bar, and -- when things start to really chill -- complementary use of plush faux fur coats and gloves. (305) 534-2423.
Contact: Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau, (305) 539-3000.
Miami Beach Visitor and Convention Authority, (305) 673-7050.