Surf Watch
Before hitting Fort Lauderdale's beaches, visitors can check wave conditions and crowd control via webcam:
sunny.org/webcam.Local Update
In January, the city of Hollywood approved a 99-year lease for the $130 million, 349-room Margaritaville resort, to be built on a six-acre beachside plot. The 17-story hotel will feature 35,000 square feet of function space, a wave pool, restaurants and an entertainment venue. Construction is set to begin in November 2012.
The 600,000-square-foot Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center is undergoing a $3 million revamp that will enable it to become LEED-certified by the end of this year. Plans include beginning a Renewable Energy Certificate purchasing program to keep 20,722,187 pounds of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere.
B Ocean Fort Lauderdale opened this past January with 236 guest rooms and suites. The property includes approximately 8,000 square feet of meeting space, two full-service restaurants and an infinity pool.
Greater Fort Lauderdale is celebrating its 100th birthday in 2011 with events year-round at sites such as the Bonnet House Museum & Gardens, a 1920s estate that can be rented out for corporate events of up to 350 people. For a complete list of happenings around the area tied in to the centennial, visit bit.ly/fortactivities.
JetBlue recently added nonstop service to Fort Lauderdale from Los Angeles, while Condor began nonstop flights from Fort Lauderdale to Frankfurt, Germany, in April. Last month, Spirit began flights to San Salvador, the capital of El Salvador in Central America.
Good Connections
The Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention Collection partners the Broward County Convention Center with six nearby hotels. For more details, see "New Headquarters."
Meeting Hotels
In Fort Lauderdale, properties include the 637-room Harbor Beach Marriott Resort & Spa; 589-room Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina; 517-room W Fort Lauderdale; 433-room Westin Beach Resort, Fort Lauderdale; 358-room Embassy Suites Fort Lauderdale, and 293-room Westin Fort Lauderdale.
The city of Hollywood offers the 1,000-room Westin Diplomat, 500-room Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino-Hollywood and 311-room Crowne Plaza Hollywood Beach Resort.
Convention Center
Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center; exhibit space, 200,000 square feet; number of meeting rooms, 39; (954) 765-5900
Airport Transit
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, about six miles south of Fort Lauderdale. Transfer cost by taxi to Port Everglades and the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center, $10-$15; to Fort Lauderdale Beach, $18-$22; by shuttle to Port Everglades, $7-$10; to Fort Lauderdale Beach, $11-$18
Taxes
Fort Lauderdale/Broward County: room tax, 6%; sales tax, 5%; total tax on hotel rooms, 11%
Group Venue
At the International Game Fish Association Fishing Hall of Fame in Fort Lauderdale, guests can explore myriad exhibits and try their hand at interactive fishing simulators before heading to the banquet hall for dining and dancing. The venue can host up to 1,000 people. (954) 924-4312
Dining Out
Dine Out Lauderdale is a six-week gastronomic event featuring the area's top restaurants, chefs and cuisine. Every year from Oct. 1 through Nov. 10, participating restaurants offer a variety of delicious, three-course prix-fixe menus for $35. The sweet deal can be found throughout Greater Fort Lauderdale, including Hallandale Beach, Hollywood, Lighthouse Point, Pompano Beach and Weston. The following eateries are Dine Out options but also make great group venues year-round.
Owned by two sommeliers, Market 17 in Fort Lauderdale features more than 350 labels of international wines that can be paired with market-fresh seafood, meats and produce. Though the menu changes daily, past plates are representative and have featured Florida pork corquettes, locally caught grouper served with black barley and eggplant chutney, and roasted North Carolina red feather chicken over saffron couscous. The venue has space for private parties of up to 40 people; buyouts can serve up to 150 inside and 70 outside. (954) 835-5507
Le Bistro in Lighthouse Point, about 20 minutes north of Fort Lauderdale, features classic Mediterranean fare, such as escargot with garlic pesto butter, and veal scallopini. The place also offers cooking classes for up to 20 guests, led by in-house chef Andy Trousdale; students learn how to prepare several dishes before diving into their creations fork-first. (954) 946-9240
For a complete list of Dine Out Lauderdale participating restaurants, visit sunny.org/dineout.
Contact
Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau, (954) 765-4466