Lounge Here
The 1,641-room Peabody Orlando
recently opened its newest upscale lounge, Rocks. The 6,000-square-foot
venue seats up to 187 and offers live music every night.
Local Update
The Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort Bonnet Creek opened last month with 400 guest rooms and 25,000 square feet of function space. Near Disney World, Sea World and Universal Studios, the property has a 10-acre lake, two pools, five food and beverage outlets, and a spa.
The 781-room Renaissance Orlando at Seaworld completed a five-year, $35 million renovation last month that included revamping the 23rd-floor meeting rooms and 65 suites and the addition of a new 8,000-square-foot lawn for functions. The hotel now features a total of 185,000 square feet of meeting space.
Meliá Hotels International recently announced the opening of its second property in the United States, the 240-room Meliá Orlando Hotel at Celebration, formerly the Mona Lisa Suite Hotel. The flag change took place in September.
The 489-room Sheraton Safari and Suites on Lake Buena Vista Drive recently was purchased by AREA Property Partners and Winston Harton Holdings LLC. The new owners will spend $25 million on renovations. The property offers 13,000 square feet of meeting space.
The ONE80 Grey Goose Lounge opened on the sixth floor of the Amway Center in February. The combination rooftop/indoor lounge features two bars and can accommodate up to 360 people for private events. The $480 million, 875,000-square-foot center itself just opened last fall with a 20,000-seat arena (available for exhibitions, meetings and events) and 70 suites on three levels. Other function space within the center includes five banquet rooms and one boardroom.
The Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts began construction in June. The complex will include three theaters, a 3,000-seat public performance space and 10,000 square feet of meeting space.
The Rosen Centre Skywalk, a covered pedestrian walkway, opened in January and connects the West Building of the Orange County Convention Center to the 1,334-room Rosen Centre hotel.
In 2013, a new entertainment, dining and shopping complex called I-Walk Orlando will open on International Drive with attractions such as Madame Tussauds wax museum and the Orlando Eye, a 425-foot-high observation wheel.
Meeting Hotels
Downtown properties include the 341-room Sheraton Orlando-Downtown, 290-room Marriott Orlando Downtown and 250-room Grand Bohemian Hotel.
Along International Drive and near the Orange County Convention Center are the 1,641-room Peabody Orlando; 1,334-room Rosen Centre Hotel; 1,094-room Doubletree Resort Orlando-International Drive; 1,000-room Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Orlando, a Loews Hotel; 800-room Rosen Plaza Hotel; 650-room Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Orlando, a Loews Hotel; and 584-room Ritz-Carlton, Orlando, Grande Lakes.
Near Orlando International Airport are the 510-room Florida Hotel and Conference Center, 483-room Marriott Orlando Airport, 353-room Crowne Plaza Orlando Airport and 287-room Holiday Inn Orlando International Airport.
In Lake Buena Vista, near Walt Disney World, are the 2,000-room Orlando World Center Marriott Resort, 1,497-room Bonnet Creek Resort, 1,497-room Caribe Royale All-Suite Hotel & Convention Center, 750-room Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress and 489-room Sheraton Safari Hotel and Suites.
Convention Center
Orange County Convention Center; exhibit space, 2.1 million square feet; number of meeting rooms, 74; (407) 685-9800 or (800) 345-9845
Airport Transit
Orlando International Airport, about 13 miles southeast of downtown Orlando and 14 miles east of the Orange County Convention Center/International Drive. Transfer cost by taxi, $26 to downtown, $33 to the convention center/International Drive; by shuttle, $16 to downtown, $17 to the convention center/International Drive
Taxes
Orlando/Orange County: room tax, 6%; sales tax, 6.5%; total taxes on hotel rooms, 12.5%
Group Venue
A new 3,700-square-foot downtown nightclub called Touch Orlando opened in March. The venue allows patrons to place their drink orders via interactive touch screens, which also can be used to play video games. For events, the space can be rented for up to 375 people. (888) 455-2634
Dining Out
The Shipyard Brewing Co. recently opened its first restaurant in the Winter Park neighborhood. The Shipyard Emporium includes a TV-equipped demonstration kitchen that can seat up to 30. For larger groups, the restaurant can host up to 75. Menu items include a classic Maine lobster roll, plus craft beers brewed on-site. (321) 274-4045
Contact
Visit Orlando, (407) 363-5872 or (800) 972-3304