Boca News
The 836-room
Boca Raton Resort and Club is refitting its 146 Cloister rooms with new furnishings and bathroom facilities. The resort has 146,000 square feet for meetings.
The 139-room Waterstone Resort & Marina Boca Raton-a DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel completed a major revamp last month and now features a new waterfront promenade. The hotel has more than 11,000 square feet of function space.
PALM BEACH
• The 403-room Hilton West Palm Beach at the Palm Beach County Convention Center broke ground in December 2013 and will open in fall 2015. Features will include two ballrooms, eight conference rooms, a 1,700-square-foot gym, a restaurant with both indoor and outdoor seating, a 27,000-square-foot pool deck and various event lawns.
• The PGA National Resort and Spa in Palm Beach Gardens recently completed a $100 million renovation. The project included a major makeover of all 339 guest rooms, a reinvention of the 18-hole The Fazio golf course, a new zero-entry pool, refurbished outdoor event venues, new dining options and enhancements to the resort's spa. The property has approximately 40,000 square feet of meeting space.
• In Jupiter Beach, the 179-room Wyndham Grand Jupiter at Harbourside Place will open this fall as part of a new $510 million complex that will include retail, dining and a marina.
• The Jupiter Courtyard Marriott Abacoa opened last month with 128 guest rooms and 2,500 square feet of meeting space. Also on-site are a restaurant, a café, a full-service bar, an outdoor pool and a fitness center.
MEETING HOTELS: Area properties include the 540-room Breakers Palm Beach; 339-room PGA National Resort & Spa; 353-room West Palm Beach Marriott; 309-room Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa; 210-room Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach, and 194-room Embassy Suites West Palm Beach Central.
To search and compare hotels, and to send RFPs, visit mcvenues.com.
CONVENTION CENTER: Palm Beach County Convention Center; exhibit space, 100,000 square feet; number of meeting rooms, 23; (561) 366-3000; pbconventioncenter.com
AIRPORT TRANSIT: Palm Beach International Airport, three miles west of West Palm Beach. Transfer cost by taxi, $35
TAXES: Palm Beach County: room tax, 5%; sales tax, 6%; total tax on hotel rooms, 11%
GROUP VENUE: With the chic vibe of a decadent speakeasy, HMF at The Breakers offers groups a curated list of handcrafted cocktails, more than 1,600 wines, and tasty dishes ranging from Wagyu beef sliders to blistered shishito peppers. A private area behind an illuminated glass case filled with wine bottles is available for groups of up to 20 people. (561) 290-0104; hmfpalmbeach.com
CONTACT: Discover Palm Beach County, (800) 833-5733; palmbeachfl.com
Perk City
When groups stay at one of six hotels in the Lauderdale Convention Collection, they receive complimentary services at the Broward County Convention Center, including a one-hour welcome reception and free meeting space. For participating hotels and a full list of benefits, visit
bit.ly/1irLawk.
FORT LAUDERDALE
• The Bonaventure Resort and Spa has completed a renovation of its 60,000-square-foot conference center, which includes a 175-seat amphitheater and several executive boardrooms. The 23-acre, 501-room resort has four outdoor heated pools, two newly renovated PGA golf courses, several restaurants, a tennis center with 16 courts, and a 48,000-square-foot spa with 30 treatment rooms.
• The 219-room Fort Lauderdale Marriott Pompano Beach Resort & Spa recently opened with a full-service spa and nearly 11,000 square feet of meeting space, which includes a 3,300-square-foot ballroom. Among other property highlights are a rooftop oceanfront terrace, several pools and an oceanfront seafood eatery.
• The 290-room Conrad Fort Lauderdale Resort and Residences is set to open in 2015. The building, formerly the Trump International Hotel and Tower, is undergoing a $34 million upgrade and will include a spa, a swimming pool and oceanfront dining.
• Now under construction, the new $147 million Margaritaville Resort is on target to open in July. The Jimmy Buffet-themed property will feature 349 guest rooms, seven restaurants, multiple pools and a full-service spa.
• This month, a 105-room Hampton Inn & Suites will open in Coconut Creek. The $14 million hotel includes a swimming pool, a fitness center and 1,000 square feet of meeting space.
• The 304-room Costa Hollywood, a $180 million condo-hotel complex, is readying a gym, a day spa, upscale dining and retail, and more for its grand opening in June. The hotel's rooftop pool will overlook the Atlantic Ocean.
• Set to open in the second quarter of 2015, the Beachwalk Resort in Hallandale Beach will have 216 two-bedroom resort rental units and a pool overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway.
MEETING HOTELS: Properties include the 650-room Fort Lauderdale Harbor Beach Marriott Resort & Spa; 589-room Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina; 517-room W Fort Lauderdale; 486-room Sheraton Fort Lauderdale Beach; 432-room Westin Beach Resort, Fort Lauderdale; 384-room Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty-Six; 374-room Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort; 363-room Embassy Suites Fort Lauderdale; 298-room Westin Fort Lauderdale; 240-room B Ocean Fort Lauderdale, and 236-room Renaissance Fort Lauderdale Cruise Port Hotel.
In Hollywood are the 998-room Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa, 500-room Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino and 311-room Crowne Plaza Hollywood Beach Resort.
To find properties and send RFPs, go to mcvenues.com.
CONVENTION CENTER: Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center; exhibit hall space, 200,000 square feet; number of meeting rooms, 31; (954) 765-5900; ftlauderdalecc.com
AIRPORT TRANSIT: Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, about three 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: Tourist Development Tax, 5%; sales tax, 6%; total tax on hotel rooms, 11%
GROUP VENUE: For an aerial view of the city and its surrounding waterways, head for the Pier Top Lounge with its 3,000 square feet for events atop the Hyatt Pier Sixty-Six. The space, which features a revolving circular floor and an outdoor patio, can accommodate up to 250 guests. (954) 728-3530; thepiertop.com
CONTACT: Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau, (954) 765-4466; sunny.org
Fontainbleau for Foodies
With 107,000 square feet of meeting space and a 40,000-square-foot spa, the 1,504-room
Fontainebleau Miami Beach (
fontainebleau.com) is a hit with planners and those seeking the soothing benefits of a spa treatment. But the hotel is a mecca for foodies, too, with 12 on-site restaurants, including the following three signature spots:
Overlooking the resort's expansive pool deck, Scarpetta offers rustic Italian cuisine from James Beard award recipient Scott Conant. Dishes include duck and foie gras ravioli, fennel-dusted black cod and 21-day aged rib eye of beef. Several private dining areas are available, including an oceanview terrace that can seat up to 55.
Hakkasan serves up modern Chinese fare amongst a backdrop of ultra-chic Chinese décor. The fourth-floor rooftop restaurant can seat 20 at the chef's table for an exclusive private meal.
At the two-level FB Steakhouse, guests can choose from any of 500-plus wines from around the world. Menu items include dry-aged steaks, fresh seafood and a raw bar. The restaurant's largest private dining space can seat up to 175.
MIAMI
• The Trump National Doral Miami is undergoing a $250 million renovation that includes expanded and upgraded meeting and event spaces. The 800-acre resort now has more than 100,000 square feet of function space with the recent addition of three ballrooms. Other enhancements include upgrades to its five golf courses, new dining options, a new lobby, a revamped pool complex and a redesigned fitness center. Renovations to the 640-room property will be completed in phases throughout the end of the year.
• Last year, Kimpton's 411-room Epic Hotel expanded its total meeting space to 50,000 square feet. The project included the creation of a new flexible mezzanine-level area; groups also can use a 16th-floor pool deck overlooking Biscayne Bay. The downtown property has a 12,000-square-foot spa complex.
• At the southern tip of South Beach, the 94-room Hilton Bentley Miami/South Beach unveiled a newly renovated 3,000-square-foot penthouse suite with wraparound views of the Atlantic Ocean, two master bedrooms, three full bathrooms, a private rooftop infinity pool, a Jacuzzi, two private terraces, a personal wine chiller and a full stainless-steel kitchen. The two-story suite's Dolby surround-sound system, electric privacy shades and climate controls can all be adjusted via iPad.
• In Surfside, the 80-room Four Seasons Hotel at the Surf Club is scheduled to open in early 2016. The property will be housed in the former Surf Club, originally founded in 1930 by automobile-tire magnate Harvey Firestone as a private membership club. The nine-acre site will include the hotel, two residential towers, two restaurants, four swimming pools, a spa, more than 40 beach cabanas, and an expansive park and gardens. Stay tuned for details on meeting space.
• A new 137-room Aloft hotel will debut in Coral Gables in January 2016. Amenities will include an outdoor splash pool, a bar, a gym and 600 square feet of meeting space. The property will be minutes from Miami International Airport and just one block away from the historic Miracle Mile shopping district, where guests can stroll among myriad retail stores, galleries, theaters and restaurants.
• Set in a 1930s art deco building, Metropolitan by Como opened this past February with 74 guest rooms, two restaurants and the Traymore Bar, which is stocked with more than 30 varieties of gin. The property offers a meeting room for small groups, as well as a rooftop terrace and a private dining room. The on-site spa has four treatment rooms.
• The Element Miami Doral will open in July 2015 with 139 guest rooms, a fitness center, an outdoor saline swimming pool, a 1,500-square-foot meeting room and free Wi-Fi throughout the property. Element, Starwood's eco-friendly brand, is known for its guest rooms and public spaces illuminated by natural light, electric-vehicle charging stations and LEED certification.
MEETING HOTELS: In downtown Miami and Key Biscayne, properties include the 641-room InterContinental Miami; 612-room Hyatt Regency Miami; 450-room Ritz-Carlton, Key Biscayne; 313-room JW Marriott Miami Marquis, and 203-room Conrad Miami.
Properties near Miami International Airport include the 693-room Trump Doral Golf Resort & Spa and 508-room Hilton Miami International Airport.
In Miami Beach and North Miami Beach are the 1,504-room Fountainebleau Miami Beach, 842-room Loews Miami Beach, 408-room Turnberry Isle Miami, 263-room Courtyard by Marriott Miami Beach Oceanfront and 120-room Setai.
To find and compare properties, and send RFPs, go to mcvenues.com.
CONVENTION CENTERS: Miami Beach Convention Center; exhibit space, 502,848 square feet; number of meeting rooms, 68; (305) 539-3071; miamibeachconvention.com
Coconut Grove Expo Center; exhibit space, 150,000 square feet; number of meeting rooms, none; (800) 933-8448, ext. 3071; coconutgroveconventioncenter.com
Miami Convention Center; exhibit space, approximately 28,000 square feet; number of meeting rooms, 37; (305) 579-6341; bit.ly/OnlHCe
AIRPORT TRANSIT: Miami International Airport, seven miles west of downtown Miami. Transfer cost by taxi to downtown, $25; by shuttle, $16 per person; by taxi to Miami Beach, $32; by shuttle, $21 per person; by taxi to Key Biscayne, $41; by shuttle, $24 per person
TAXES: Miami/Miami Beach: room tax, 6%; sales tax, 7%; total tax on hotel rooms, 13%
GROUP VENUE: Taking inspiration from the Prohibition-era speakeasies of the 1920s, the Avenue D Jazz Club in downtown Miami features a 32-foot performance stage, a bar, a lounge and reception space for up to 600 people. Décor includes 120-year-old chandeliers, a 130-year-old Steinway piano and ornate woodwork. (305) 371-4823; avenueddowntown.com
CONTACT: Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau, (800) 933-8448; miamiandbeaches.com
Miami Beach Visitor and Convention Authority, (305) 673-7050; miamibeachvca.com