What's New in Florida

MARGARITAVILLE"Florida offers a tremendous option to get away from it all,” Dana Young, CEO and president of Visit Florida, told Recommend during the recent Florida Huddle conference held in West Palm Beach. And that’s why you see “people from all over the U.S. coming to Florida.” She points to the drive market, which stretches out 750 miles from Florida. “That’s a really large [area], but we have found that people are willing to drive a lot farther…to vacation in Florida.” She also notes that Visit Florida has been marketing in the western U.S., in California, Oregon and Washington. “Traditionally, they would vacation in Hawaii, Mexico or Southern California, but those weren’t available during the pandemic; Florida was, and people came.” She says, too, that Visit Florida is pushing the “core and more” marketing plan so that visitors to the state explore beyond gateway cities such as Miami and Orlando. Young says, “We’ve been really pushing the ‘more’, but never abandoning the ‘core,’” pointing to hidden gems such as Crystal River, where you can swim with manatees, and other destinations within the state that offer lots of outdoor recreation options. Another reason to come to Florida, she says, is for its culinary offerings, especially now that Michelin has descended on the state and is honoring restaurants in Miami, Orlando and Tampa with its coveted recognition. But Visit Florida, says Young, is looking beyond these three cities with a “huge culinary push around the state,” starting with a video series that takes viewers on a journey of cultural and epicurean exploration through Southeast Florida, featuring eateries in Boca Raton, Dania Beach, West Palm Beach, Homestead and Boynton Beach. And what role do travel advisors play in tourism to Florida? Young says they are essential: “I think more than ever, travel advisors are so important. I have seen a tremendous increase with the desire to work with travel advisors, which is great.”CHEECA LODGE OCEANFRONTThe Florida Keys The Florida Keys might be located in the very southern part of the state, but it’s always top of mind for those heading to the Sunshine State. One of the first stops your clients need to make in this destination is at the reopened Old Seven Mile Bridge, which parallels the Florida Keys Overseas Highway in the Middle Keys. The 2.2-mile span is the gateway to historic Pigeon Key, a tiny island nestled beneath the “Old Seven” that was once home to about 400 workers constructing Henry Flagler’s Florida Keys Over-Sea Railroad some 110 years ago. There’s a 60-passenger tram that takes visitors back and forth across the bridge to Pigeon Key. Driving south, Key West eventually comes into view. Here, Key West International Airport has started construction on its 2.5-year, $100 million Concourse A terminal expansion, with completion targeted for summer 2025. The new second-level concourse will feature nearly 50,000 sq. ft. of space including an extensive contemporary departure area, additional baggage areas and an upgraded checkpoint supporting up to four security lanes. Key West is also home to Kimpton’s first flagged property that has evolved into an adults-only resort for guests 21 and older: the 23-room Ridley House. Your clients will find weekly blackjack, monthly tarot card readings and specialty poolside F&B offerings such as boozy popsicles, cocktails, mocktails and Key lime bites. Heading north, Islamorada, in the Upper Keys, is home to the 27-acre Cheeca Lodge & Spa, which has unveiled 43 new luxury oceanfront suites, each featuring more than 550 sq. ft. of space and floor-to-ceiling glass doors opening to an expansive private lanai with open-air spa tub. Miami & Its BeachesCombined, Miami and Miami Beach make for a dazzling destination that just doesn’t know how to turn down the fabulousness—the city is always alive and jumping, and Wynwood is one of its most dynamic neighborhoods. It’s here where you’ll find the new 217-room, ultra-trendy Arlo Wynwood, the first hotel to open in Miami’s preeminent creative and cultural district. Its F&B offerings are impressive with a signature restaurant, a cocktail-centric lounge and a bustling rooftop deck. Hop over to Miami’s more sedate Coral Gables neighborhood, known for its Mediterranean-style architecture, and you’ll find the destination’s second Loews hotel: the 242-room and 23-suite Loews Coral Gables. It features a presidential suite with panoramic city views, a ninth-floor pool deck, poolside cabana rentals, onsite bike rentals and several F&B venues. In South Beach, one of the newest properties to swing open its doors is the very boutiquey 26-room Life House, South of Fifth, an eclectic beach cottage with a cafe, kitchen and cocktail bar. Other musts to know include the opening of The Elser Hotel & Residence Miami in the city’s Downtown, with 646 accommodations including 306 suites, as well as the opening of both citizenM Miami Brickell, with 252 rooms, and citizenM Miami World Center, with 351 rooms. For family fun, your clients can head to Jungle Island, located across PortMiami, which has just debuted the 6-acre Treetop Trekking Miami, South Florida’s first and only aerial zipline adventure park. KIMPTON MOTELFort Lauderdale One of the newest properties to open in Fort Lauderdale is a real dazzler—the Four Seasons Hotel and Residences. With an aesthetic that’s inspired by the classic yacht club vibe surrounding it, the property offers 129 rooms, 19 suites and 41 hotel residences. Goodies include a 6-treatment room spa, two pools and the Ocean Sun Deck, a lush private hideaway, as well as two restaurants and a lobby cafe. Also new to the area is the pet-friendly Kimpton Shorebreak Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort, located just one block from the beach and offering in-room yoga mats and beach bags, a secluded courtyard pool as well as a rooftop pool with views of the Intracoastal Waterway, and an onsite Italian eatery. CORAL COVE PARK BEACHThe Palm BeachesThis area of South Florida is growing by leaps and bounds, with new and reimagined properties swinging their doors wide open. The upscale, 200-acre The Boca Raton waterfront resort saw the reopening late last year of its family-friendly Tower, which is the property’s fully reimagined fifth hotel. Following a $65 million transformation, the 27-story Tower, situated next to the newly constructed Harborside Pool Club, has expansive suites, breathtaking vistas and distinctive programming, including Tower butlers. Opportunities to unwind abound, from a listening lounge to a classic games area to a book-lending library curated in partnership with Assouline. Also in Boca Raton, look to Florida’s second Mandarin Oriental property, featuring 158 rooms. In West Palm Beach, meanwhile, the 150-room and -suite Banyan Cay Resort & Golf is debuting this fall and it’s set to become Florida’s first Destination by Hyatt hotel and the first full-service Hyatt-branded property in Palm Beach County. On Singer Island, the Amrit Ocean Resort & Residences is set for its long-awaited opening. This wellness resort will feature 100,000 sq. ft. of spa and wellness facilities spanning four floors, plus beachfront water sports, indoor-outdoor fitness and mind-body offerings plus a landscaped third-level pool with cabanas and daybeds offering views of the Atlantic. And in Jupiter, the Jupiter Beach Resort is undergoing renovations to its guestrooms, in-house restaurant and spa. Florida’s Paradise CoastThe biggest news coming out of this destination is the evolution of The Ritz-Carlton Naples properties. In summer 2023, The Ritz-Carlton, Naples will debut the “Evolution of an Icon,” a transformation of the guest experience that will include a new lobby and lobby bar, an expansive Ritz-Carlton Club Lounge, three new dining outlets, a new pool experience and newly designed guestrooms. Meanwhile, The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, Naples has rebranded to The Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburon, and will introduce refreshed public spaces and a guestroom remodel in 2024. Fort Myers, Beaches & NeighborhoodsThe Fort Myers area continues to recover from the impact of Hurricane Ian, with almost 70 percent of the destination’s guestrooms reopen, as of press time. This September will see the reopening of the iconic South Seas Island Resort in Captiva, which was heavily damaged during the hurricane. Immediate plans include stabilizing the facilities, but long-term goals will bring a reconceptualization of the resort’s F&B operations and golf course, plus the building of the Captiva Club.
With an eye on a fall opening, the Margaritaville Beach Resort Fort Myers, overlooking the Gulf of Mexico and Matanzas Bay, will be home to 254 rooms, several eateries and lots of fun activities such as renting a private cabana on the expansive pool deck. In addition, the resort has purchased the Silver Sands Resort and plans to incorporate it into an extension of Margaritaville Beach Resort with balcony suites and retail outlets. Currently in the design stage, the opening date is planned for 2025.SEAWORLD ROLLER COASTEROrlandoFor 2023, Orlando has unveiled an array of new experiences. Let’s check out the new hotels first, including the Conrad Orlando at Evermore, set for a late 2023 opening. It will have 433 rooms, including 10 spacious family suites. Other features include a spa, numerous dining options and a signature rooftop experience. The hotel will be the first phase of a massive 10,000-bedroom resort complex, Evermore, offering an array of stay experiences, from single homes to villas, flats and hotel guestrooms. The JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes has completed a massive renovation, including refreshed guestrooms—there are now executive family suites—and an expansive water park. The Alfond Inn at Rollins, meanwhile, located in the heart of historic Winter Park, will renovate 112 existing rooms and suites and add another 71 luxury guestrooms and suites. In addition, a new spa will feature seven treatment rooms. And, opening fall 2023, Aloft Lake Nona will be a 6-story, 205-room, music-themed property. This being the theme park capital of the world, your clients will be happy to hear that TRON Lightcycle / Run, based on the Disney sci-fi film “TRON: Legacy,” is scheduled to open at Magic Kingdom this spring. Meanwhile, Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana, an all-ages attraction that will allow guests to explore and engage with water as it travels from the skies to the oceans and back again, will open in late 2023 within World Nature, one of EPCOT’s newly realized neighborhoods. Over at SeaWorld Orlando, Pipeline: The Surf Coaster will be the theme park’s seventh roller coaster when it debuts this spring. It will feature a surfing launch and “wave jumping” motions. And Illumination’s Villain-Con Minion Blast is set to open this summer at Universal Studios Florida. The new attraction will be part of a new Minion land, featuring the Despicable Me Minion Mayhem attraction, a new Minion cafe and more. PONTE VEDRA INN CROCKETTEFlorida’s Historic CoastHere, in the most historic destination in Florida, the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum recently completed the most comprehensive restoration of the 165-ft.-tall light tower since the 1990s, encompassing all areas of the lighthouse, interior and exterior, with every window and door restored. St. Augustine’s acclaimed Lightner Museum, meanwhile, is in a celebratory mood as 2023 marks 75 years since its founding—the building itself, a Gilded Age resort hotel commissioned by railroad magnate Henry Flagler, is celebrating its 135th anniversary. Although historic attractions are part of its tourism landscape, the destination is always looking to create new offerings for its visitors. For example, over at The Ponte Vedra Inn & Club, one of the area’s most iconic hotels, 64 luxurious beachfront guestrooms have been renovated in the Summer House and St. Johns House, and the resort has added a Croquet Lawn and Bocce Court. The tournament-style lawn setup has two golf croquet courts, each court accommodating up to four players. The debut of the 120-room Hyatt Place Vilano Beach is coming up in April, with an Art Deco design and rooftop dining. When the hotel opens, it will feature what is to be one of St. Augustine’s finest dining experiences, Pesca Vilano, with one-of-a-kind views of St. Augustine’s skyline, the Matanzas Bay, St. Augustine Inlet and the Atlantic Ocean. Contact InformationVisit Florida: visitflorida.com/travel-professionals

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