What's New

With its 114,000 hotel rooms and 2.1-million-square-foot Orange County Convention Center, Orlando is constantly expanding its product to accommodate an expanding number of visitors. Planners will find that it's never the same city when they return.

Veranda Park, a $500 million multi-use project located three miles from Universal Studios Florida that is opening in phases through 2007, will encompass specialty shops, restaurants, and a 150-room luxury hotel. A high-tech, digital 20-screen movie theater is available for corporate events. Tenants debuting this spring include Dan Marino's Fine Food & Spirits, Bice's Grand Café, and Automatic Slims nightclub. Across from the Orange County Convention Center, Pointe Orlando, a shopping, dining, and entertainment complex, is undergoing a major redevelopment with an enhanced lineup of tenants that includes The Capital Grille, Tommy Bahama's Tropical Café & Emporium, and B.B. King's.

The area's culinary scene is expanding, with new restaurants such as Captain and the Cowboy Steak & Seafood Grill in Apopka; Manny's Chophouse in Longwood, featuring aged steaks, fine wine, and seafood; and Dixie Crossroads, a Titusville landmark seafood restaurant that opened a location at Festival Bay on International Drive.

And in nearby Kissimmee, the $30.2 million “BeautiVacation” roadway improvement project — a three-mile stretch of U.S. 192 — was recently completed.

In Daytona Beach, the big news is the February opening of the $29 million News-Journal Center, a performing arts complex on the west bank of the Halifax River that contains two theaters — one seating 859 and the other 264 — along with rehearsal rooms, classrooms, a catering kitchen, a gift shop, and a coffee bar. Further propelling the diversification plan in Daytona Beach is Ocean Walk Village, which is opening in phases through 2007 and includes resorts, a convention center, and a retail complex.

The other major city in the region, Tampa, will be the site of the NFL's Super Bowl in 2009. Coming online this summer will be a 360-suite Embassy Suites Hotel with 11,000 square feet of meeting space opposite the Tampa Convention Center.

Facility Updates

  • The 1,338-unit CARIBE ROYALE ALL-SUITES RESORT & CONVENTION CENTER, which encompasses 1,218 one-bedroom suites, 120 lakefront two-bedroom villas, and 150,000 square feet of meeting space, opened a new two-story, 3,500-square-foot fitness center in November.

  • Slated for completion in July at the 510-room FLORIDA MALL HOTEL, formerly known as the Adam's Mark at Florida Mall, is a $23 million enhancement program that includes the addition of 20,000 square feet of meeting space and technology upgrades.

  • Orlando-based real estate trust CNL Hotels & Resorts, which has a portfolio of 95 properties nationwide, has purchased the 500-acre GRANDE LAKES ORLANDO resort, which includes the J.W. MARRIOTT and RITZ-CARLTON, ORLANDO. Slated for a September 2006 debut at the 584-room Ritz-Carlton is a new 14,135-square-foot ballroom, which will accommodate up to 1,500 people, with a separate 3,000-square-foot private patio available for outdoor functions. The addition brings the Ritz-Carlton, Orlando's total meeting space to 47,635 square feet.

  • The 750-room PORTOFINO BAY HOTEL AT UNIVERSAL ORLANDO has completed a $5.5 million softgoods renovation of all rooms.

  • Scheduled to open late this year is the REGENT WINTER PARK SPA & RESIDENCES, operated by Regent Hotels International, which will feature a 150-room luxury hotel and spa in downtown Winter Park.

  • The 778-room RENAISSANCE ORLANDO RESORT AT SEAWORLD is gearing up for a $20 million makeover this year, which will include the complete refurbishment of the Crystal and Coral ballrooms. The hotel also plans to open a full-service spa in 2007.

  • The AQUA CONDO HOTEL AND ENTERTAINMENT COMPLEX, a 2,100-room property on International Drive, is scheduled to open in mid to late 2008. The hotel will have 50,000 square feet of meeting space.

  • Plans to build a HILTON ORLANDO CONVENTION CENTER were recently announced. The 18-story, 1,400-room hotel will feature 130,000 square feet of meeting space, a spa and fitness center, and several restaurants. It will offer direct access to the North Concourse of the Orange County Convention Center through a pedestrian skybridge. Construction is expected to begin at the end of 2006, with completion of the project in 2009.

  • EDEN SPRINGS RESORT AND SPA, a condo-hotel near International Drive, plans to open 1,139 units, a 25,000-square-foot spa, and a 1,250-person ballroom and conference center. The groundbreaking is scheduled for this summer.

  • A 1,260-room InterContinental hotel called PALAZZO DEL LAGO will be built on Lake Bryan in Orlando, four miles from the Orange County Convention Center. The luxury hotel will be the largest InterContinental in the world and the first in Orlando. Construction begins in the fall and should be completed in early 2009. The resort will also contain 994 condominium units in five 18-story towers called the Villas at Palazzo del Lago.

  • The 1,334-room ROSEN CENTRE HOTEL, adjacent to the Orange County Convention Center, with 106,000 square feet of meeting space, offers an off-site airline check-in and a TSA-approved remote skycap service that allows guests to receive their airline boarding passes and check their luggage directly from the hotel.

  • On schedule for a September opening is the 1,500-room ROSEN SHINGLE CREEK RESORT near the Orange County Convention Center. It will feature 250,000 square feet of meeting space, including a 95,000-square-foot ballroom; a spa; and an 18-hole championship golf course. The 230-acre resort will serve as the headquarters hotel next year for the National Hardware Show, the first show expected to use all 2.1 million square feet of the Orange County Convention Center's exhibit space.

  • ROYAL PLAZA in the Walt Disney World Resort has reopened after a multimillion-dollar renovation of its 394 guest rooms, common areas, and 17,500 square feet of meeting space. The hotel has been closed since August 2004, when it sustained damage in Hurricane Charley.

  • The 260-unit, 10-story SAGE RESORT, a new condominium hotel near the Orange County Convention Center, is scheduled to open in June 2007.

  • The LEXINGTON HOTEL, located in downtown Orlando's business district, opened in May with 227 studios and suites. Rooms have French doors opening to balconies, and there is 24-hour room service, a cyber café, and a pool. A six-story spa and fitness center will open in March 2007. The hotel has 4,400 square feet of function space.



Daytona Beach

  • Daytona Beach's largest oceanfront resort has undergone a $20 million refurbishment program and reopened as the HILTON DAYTONA BEACH OCEAN WALK VILLAGE.



Port Canaveral

  • RON JON SURF SHOP in Cocoa Beach is developing a 400-room hotel and resort complex along the Banana River in Port Canaveral. The surf-themed project will include conference space, a surf school, a Ron Jon store, entertainment, and retail stores and restaurants. It is scheduled to open within three years.



Tampa

  • The 800-unit SADDLEBROOK RESORT in Tampa recently introduced a new meeting venue that includes a 5,400-square-foot ClearSpan tent that is sealed and climate-controlled. It is surrounded by the 11,000-square-foot Fountain Courtyard.

  • TRADEWINDS ISLAND RESORTS is spending $12.6 million on renovations to the ISLAND GRAND RESORT AND SANDPIPER properties on St. Pete Beach.



Ask the CVB

DAYTONA BEACH AREA CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU
(800) 544-0415
www.daytonabeachcvb.org
Total Hotel Tax: 11.5%

KISSIMMEE-ST. CLOUD CVB
(407) 847-5000
www.floridakiss.com
Total Hotel Tax: 12%

ORLANDO/ORANGE COUNTY CVB
(407) 363-5872
www.orlandoinfo.com/meetings
Total Hotel Tax: 11.5%

ST. PETERSBURG/CLEARWATER AREA CVB
(877) 352-3224; (727) 464-7200
www.floridasbeach.com
Total Hotel Tax: 11%

TAMPA BAY CVB
(813) 223-1111
www.visittampabay.com
Total Hotel Tax: 12%

Phantom Planner

  • Toll road Florida 528, the main expressway from Orlando International Airport to the Orange County Convention Center, recently changed its marketing name from “The Bee Line” to “The Beach Line.”

  • Walt Disney World offers a weekly podcast featuring a mix of exclusive content such as behind-the-scenes tours of Disney's four Florida theme parks, celebrity interviews, news about upcoming events, and conversations with Disney “Imagineers.” Listeners can subscribe to the free program at http://disneyworld.com/podcast.

  • Orlando is close to the Atlantic Ocean. For a full- or half-day beach excursion, Cocoa Beach (take the Beach Line from International Drive) is only a 45-minute drive and Daytona Beach (take I-4 East) is about an hour. Port Canaveral, with Carnival, Disney, Royal Caribbean, and SunCruz Casino Cruise Lines, is located 45 minutes west of Orlando. Fare for a shuttle to Port Canaveral costs an average of $160 round-trip for up to four passengers.

  • For your shopaholics, try a combo shop-around/dine-around at the upscale Mall at Millenia, a 10-minute drive from the Orange County Convention Center.



Special Venues

  • The KISSIMMEE CIVIC CENTER is designed to meet the needs of small and large groups. The facility features 3,500 seats and has 18,000 square feet of meeting space as well as catering facilities. (407) 935-1412; www.kissimmeeparksandrec.com

  • The 57,000-square-foot HOUSE OF BLUES at DOWNTOWN DISNEY WEST SIDE can book a big-name entertainer for an event or host any performer provided by a group. In addition to a 1,500-seat concert hall, the complex has unique patio and courtyard locations and can accommodate as many as 3,000 guests. (407) 934-2270; www.HOB.com

  • CELEBRATION GOLF CLUB, located in the quaint Disney-created TOWN OF CELEBRATION, overlooks an 18-hole Robert Trent Jones Jr. — designed public golf course. There is a full-time event manager on staff, and two banquet/meeting rooms can accommodate up to 150 people. (407) 566-Golf; www.celebrationgolf.com

  • DOLLY PARTON'S DIXIE STAMPEDE DINNER AND SHOW, on Vineland Avenue just off I-4 near Lake Buena Vista, features a spectacular show with horses, American buffalo, singing and dancing, and a four-course meal. With a capacity of 1,100 for a seated dinner or reception, the attraction can accommodate private parties, teambuilding events, and buyouts. (866) 443-4943; www.dixiestampede.com

  • THE ORLANDO MUSEUM OF ART, near downtown ORLANDO, focuses its collection on 19th-century American art, African art, and the art of the ancient Americas. The building is available for receptions, meetings, and lectures; guided gallery tours; special events; and spouse programs. It can accommodate intimate receptions of 50, seated dinners of 180, or gala events of 1,000. (407) 896-4231; www.omart.org



Attraction Action

  • CYPRESS GARDENS ADVENTURE PARK near WINTER HAVEN recently debuted new shows and attractions to evoke the park's former glory, including a water-ski show, dinner cruise, water taxi, and botanical cruise. A classic, wooden roller coaster is slated to open by 2007. (863) 324-2111; www.cypressgardens.com

  • At KENNEDY SPACE CENTER VISITOR COMPLEX near TITUSVILLE, guests can now go behind the scenes to see modules being processed for the International Space Station (ISS), discover the contributions of the space station, and observe the final check-out of the next components to fly in space. Scheduled for an early 2007 opening is a space shuttle simulation called THE SHUTTLE LAUNCH EXPERIENCE. The 44,000-square-foot, $60 million attraction will be the most technologically advanced exhibit ever created at the complex. Using a custom-designed motion platform as well as multiple video screens, advanced audio effects, and special effect seats, the attraction promises to recreate the sensations of blasting into Earth's orbit. 321-449-4444; www.kennedyspacecenter.com

  • EXPEDITION EVEREST at DISNEY'S ANIMAL KINGDOM, a high-speed train bound for Mount Everest, takes trekkers on a daring adventure through rugged terrain, along icy mountain ledges, and inside dark snowy caves in the forbidden mountain. (407) 824-4321; www.disneyworld.com

  • Set to debut this spring at SEAWORLD ORLANDO is “BELIEVE,” a new production that showcases majestic orca whales with choreography, an original musical score, an elaborate three-story set, and large LED screens. (800) 327-2424; www.seaworld.com



On Location: Walt Disney World's Contemporary Resort

BACK IN THE EARLY 1970s on my first visit to Walt Disney World, I remember strolling wide-eyed into the Contemporary Hotel, a futuristic, 15-story A-frame tower with a monorail gliding through a massive lobby. It was the most exciting hotel I had ever visited.

Fast-forward more than 30 years, and on a recent visit I find I'm still enamored with The Contemporary — but for a different reason. The 1,008 guest rooms are being refurbished (or “reimagined,” as Disney officials like to say). Work started last May and is scheduled for completion this summer.

True to their heritage, the new rooms feature a design that's cutting-edge in both form and function. In the 1970s, there weren't many meetings at Disney World, so the rooms were fashioned more for leisure guests. With the new design, Disney addresses the needs of meeting attendees with sleek workstations made of frosted glass. Standard features include flat-screen televisions, high-speed Internet access, and designer bedding. Tasteful appointments and plush fabrics combine to make the rooms outside-the-box stylish and comfortable.

Balcony views from the Contemporary Resort have always been among the best in Disney World. Straddling a peninsula between Disney's Bay Lake and Seven Seas Lagoon, the resort offers panoramas from practically every guest room. It has two private concierge levels, 95,000 square feet of meeting space, and a fully staffed health club and fitness center that's complimentary for guests.
— ED SCHMIDT JR.