What's New

Miami

Despite the shaky real estate market and predicted bust, the city remains as photogenic as ever. Still beautiful, especially at night and during sunset, the photogenic Miami skyline is peppered with cranes working hard to raise swank, zillion-dollar condos and hotels -- or, for the really trendy, condo/hotels for which buyers plunk down millions to live like Eloise in a bona fide hotel. A cash crop of hyperluxe hotels and restaurants have proven that, yes, people will spend thousands of dollars per night on a hotel room and $30 for a drink. Today there's more culture than what is dubiously found inside the city's nightclubs. The nearly $500-million Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts is in the very fashionable black and ready for its own close-up -- despite the fact that, in typical Miami fashion, they forgot to build a parking lot. But that's another story.

Where to Stay in Miami -- Miami Beach's famed Eden Roc Resort and Spa (tel. 305/531-0000) reopened with $110 million worth of renovations. In the multimillion-dollar makeover, the hotel added a second tower with 283 rooms.

Fontainebleau Hotel & Resort (tel. 800/548-8886 or 305/538-2000) debuted its $500-million reconstruction/expansion of the original resort. Gone are most of the Art Deco details and new are 11 restaurants, nightclubs, spa, 825 ultramodern rooms -- and a 70% increase on room rates.

Hip has arrived on South Beach's quiet, residential west end in the form of the Morgans Group's terminally trendy Mondrian, 1100 West Ave. (tel. 305/672-2662), a Marcel Wanders-designed marvel modeled in the vein of, say, Sleeping Beauty meets South Beach.

The W Hotel chain has begun construction on an old Holiday Inn at 2201 Collins and is in the process of turning it into a 25-story condo/hotel with 511 units, trademark Bliss spa, two pools, and a Rande Gerber-owned hip hotel bar. Completion is slated for mid-2010.

Giuseppe Cipriani, of the famous Italian hotel and Harry's Bar, plans to transform the Deco Saxony Hotel into a 170-room luxury condo/hotel. The Cipriani Resort and Residences South Beach is expected to open in 2010.

Downtown Miami is still slowly on its way to being a decent place to stay, and Kimpton Hotels hopes to make the area hot with its new Epic Hotel, 270 Biscayne Blvd. Way (tel. 305/424-5226), a modern, 411-room stay with 13,752-square-foot wraparound pool deck with two swimming pools, and fine and casual waterfront dining, including a modern Mediterranean-style restaurant, a waterfront lounge, and a full-service spa and fitness center operated by Exhale.

Across the bridge is the Viceroy, 485 Brickell Ave. (tel. 866/720 1991), a 162-room, Kelly Wearstler-designed resort featuring a sweeping, 15th floor recreation area, hip restaurant, and 28,000-square-foot spa.

Where to Dine in Miami -- Jonathan Eismann was forced to close his Lincoln Road mainstay, Pacific Time, because the rent was too high, but the move into the cheaper, hipper Design District at 35 NE 40th St. (tel. 305/722-7639) won rave reviews in 2008. Meanwhile occupying the old Lincoln Road Pacific Time is the aptly titled Meat Market, 915 Lincoln Rd. (tel. 305/532-0088), yet another contemporary American steakhouse brought to us by the owners of the now defunct fusion eatery Touch.

China Grill continues to dominate Miami's culinary continent, not just by adding a branch of the Asian-eatery in Fort Lauderdale or with its new zillion-dollar Kobe Club at the South Beach China Grill, but with its brand-new Miami branch of Asia de Cuba at the hot new Mondrian, 1100 West Ave. (tel. 305/672-2662).

After moving to its new home at the Hotel Astor, Maison D'Azur, 956 Washington Ave. (tel. 305/403-1062), is still where St. Tropez meets South Beach over a flute of champagne and some seriously spectacular seafood.

In other hotel restaurant news, Philippe, 2305 Collins Ave. (tel. 305/674-0250), the high-end (read: pricey) Chinese gourmet spot owned by Philippe Chow opened in the Gansevoort South. Also expected to open there, another steakhouse, this time STK; over at the Fontainebleau, another celeb-owned meatery, Alfred Portale's Gotham Steak, 4441 Collins Ave. (tel. 305/674-4780); and high-end N.Y.C. Italian import Scarpetta, 4441 Collins Ave. (tel. 305/674-4660). At the newly renovated Betsy Hotel on Ocean Drive -- no joke -- another steakhouse, BLT, owned by star chef Laurent Tourondel. And just around the corner from bustling Prime 112 in the South of Fifth area of South Beach, Red The Steakhouse, 119 Washington Ave. (tel. 305/534-3688), a Cleveland import housed in a sleek, sexy space and a favorite of basketball legend Michael Jordan.

Nearby in the Design District are star chef Michelle Bernstein's restaurant Sra. Martinez, 4000 NE 2nd Ave. (tel. 305/573-5474), a hip Spanish tapas eatery and brick-walled lounge, and Fratelli Lyon, 4141 NE 2nd Ave. (tel. 305/572-2901), a fantastically modern Italian restaurant and wine bar housed in a funky furniture showroom.

After Dark in Miami -- The masterminds behind Opium, Prive, Mansion, and SET debuted Louis, at the Gansevoort South (tel. 305/531-4600), yet another den of hipster inequity housed behind the hotel's shark tank. LIV, a Vegas-style nightclub, has opened at the expanded Fontainebleau Miami Beach. Also at the Fbleau: Blade, a subterranean sushi spot and bar located near the resort's pool. The number is the same for both (tel. 305/538-2000).

The Keys

The newest luxury resort to hit Key West, Beachside Resort & Conference Center, 3841 N. Roosevelt Blvd. (tel. 800/546-0885 or 305/296-8100), is now a Marriott. Apparently luxury still needs a name brand. Official new name: Key West Marriott Beachside Hotel. More luxe in Key West can be found nearby at the Parrot Key Resort, 2801 N. Roosevelt Blvd. (tel. 305/809-2200), featuring 74 comfy chic, conch-style beach houses.

The Gold Coast

While the Gold Coast's beaches remain less congested than those in Miami, the area isn't impervious to development -- especially when it comes to resorts, restaurants, and nightlife.

Where to Stay on the Gold Coast -- Florida's first St. Regis, a $135-million, 23-story luxe property in Fort Lauderdale, with nearly 200 rooms, a gourmet restaurant, an air-conditioned walkway to the beach, a massive spa, and more, couldn't swing it and is now the Ritz-Carlton Fort Lauderdale (tel. 800/325-3589).

The W Hotel (tel. 954/525-8133) is slated to open in the spring of 2009 on Fort Lauderdale Beach. The $220-million boutique-hotel-condominium features the usual W Hotel bells and whistles, including the signature bar and restaurant.

A former Marriott went the boutique route and is now the 589-room Fort Lauderdale Grande Hotel & Yacht Club (tel. 954/761-8011), after a $70-million transformation added a new lobby, redesigned guestrooms and suites, a refurbished swimming pool and tropical deck, and a China Grill restaurant.

Donald Trump is converting a private condo on Fort Lauderdale Beach into the Trump International Beach Club. True to Trump's character, some of the 14-story building's suites will be available for purchase. Opening is slated for mid-2009. By the time we go to print, construction should be completed on the Trump International Hotel & Tower Fort Lauderdale, a 24-story building designed by world-renowned Michael Graves & Associates. The property will be composed of residences as well as hotel rooms, and its location will afford views of both the Atlantic Ocean and Greater Fort Lauderdale's Intracoastal Waterway. The future of Trump Las Olas, a 95-unit resort on Fort Lauderdale beach, is still unclear as we go to print; construction is mostly finished, but Trump says they won't open if fewer than 50 percent of buyers close on their units. Another casualty of the economy?

Southwest Florida

Although Southwest Florida still rests on its natural laurels, it's not impervious to inevitable development, which has taken shape in the form of new museums, shopping centers, and hotels.

The Children's Museum of Naples (www.cmon.org) is scheduled to open in spring 2010 with a unique array of quality, interactive educational experiences for children. The museum is located in North Naples Regional Park, a new Collier County public park that will also have a water-park attraction, nature trails, and extensive team sports facilities.

The Hotel at Naples Bay Resort, 1500 5th Ave. South (tel. 230/530-1199), is an 85-room hotel that opened in 2008, part of the new Naples Bay Resort mixed-use development on the Gordon River, with direct access to Naples Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. Naples Bay Resort also includes condos, a spa, vacation cottages, a marina, restaurants, and shopping.

The Ritz-Carlton, Naples, 280 Vanderbilt Beach Rd. (tel. 239/598-3300), opened its state-of-the-art Natures Wonders children's activity center, all themed around the Southwest Florida environment.

Bellasera Hotel, 221 9th St. S. (tel. 239/649-7333), opened Verde, a new environmentally friendly spa, in April 2008 boasting 100% organic products.

Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens, 1590 Goodlette Rd. (tel. 239/262-5409), is the only zoo in Florida to exhibit the fosa, a rare predator from Madagascar.

Everglades Area Tours (tel. 239/695-9107) now offers guided half-day kayak eco-tours, customized bird-watching expeditions, as well as bicycle and aerial tours of the Everglades.

A recently added third phase has been opened on the Great Calusa Blueway (www.greatcalusablueway.com) through Estero Bay. The third phase leads paddlers to the Caloosahatchee River's creeks and meandering waters.

New on Sanibel Island: The Sanibel Sea School (tel. 239/472-8585), where children and adults learn about marine ecosystems on Sanibel and Captiva islands.

The Tampa Bay Area

The Hyatt Regency Tampa, 2 Tampa City Center (tel. 813/2254-1234), has renovated all 521 guest rooms with contemporary furnishings and modern amenities, including the signature Hyatt Grand Bed, 32-inch LCD flatscreen televisions, expanded work stations with oversize desks, and T-Mobile wireless Internet access. The new guest rooms also feature iHome clock radios with an iPod docking station and high-fidelity speakers. The new guest room bathrooms showcase sleek granite countertops and marble floors.

The Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel and Marina, 700 S. Florida Ave. (tel. 813/221-4900), spent $3 million on renovations to 719 rooms including flatscreen HDTVs and new carpeting.

New in 2009: The Tampa Bay History Center, 225 S. Franklin St. (tel. 813/228-0097), a 60,000-square-foot museum covering everything from Native Americans to tycoons and sports legends who have inhabited Tampa. The museum will feature interactive exhibits, theaters, map gallery, research center, event hall, museum store, and a branch of the internationally acclaimed Columbia Café.

The Tampa Museum of Art, 2306 N. Howard Ave. (tel. 813/274-8130), is constructing a new 66,000-square-foot facility in downtown Tampa. The state-of-the-art museum is scheduled to open in the Fall of 2009 and will provide the region with a variety of world-class traveling exhibitions, a growing collection of contemporary and classical art, expanded educational programs, and access to scenic outdoor events along Tampa's Riverwalk.

Walt Disney World (WDW) & Orlando

Disney has once again revamped their official website -- though I have to admit, I'm not convinced that it's for the better. While photos are more plentiful and the graphics more whimsical, the information is presented in a far more round-about (and at times a more generalized) manner. Those having never visited the site before will likely find it inviting -- however those who frequently visit the site may find maneuvering it a bit frustrating.

Where to Stay in Disney -- At press time, the Kidani Village, the second and final phase of Vacation Club villas being added to the lineup at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge (tel. 407/939-6244), was making its debut. Built adjacent to the existing lodge, the village features its own full-service restaurant (featuring African-inspired cuisine with an Indian twist), it's own recreational facilities, and an extensively themed pool and water-play area.

The first phase of Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa (tel. 407/827-1100) opened in May 2004, its final phase (an unanticipated addition) -- in 2009. Disney's Treehouse Villas, resurrected and completely redesigned, adds another 60 villas to Disney's lineup of Vacation Club resorts. As the name implies, Disney's Treehouse Villas are elevated some 10 feet up off the ground by pedestals and beams and are nestled amid the trees. With room for up to nine, each of the three-bedroom villas features all the comforts of home but with plenty of modern touches (cathedral ceilings, granite countertops, and flatscreen TVs among them).

At press time, construction was wrapping up on the Contemporary Resort's Bay Lake Tower (tel. 407/939-6244) -- and the newest member of the Disney Vacation Club resorts. Connected by a sky bridge to the existing resort (its restaurants, shops, and the monorail), the Tower sports a swanky rooftop lounge, a fireworks viewing deck, its own full service restaurant (yet to be named), and a lakeside zero entry pool and water play area. Spacious public areas, accents of modern artwork, trendy suite-style rooms, and an innovative design ensures that the newest addition is Disney chic all the way -- and a compliment to the Contemporary's original theme.

Where to Dine in Disney -- Recent additions to the Orlando Dining scene include Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar (tel. 407/226-1600), an exotic addition to the lineup of upscale eateries located at Pointe Orlando, featuring contemporary Cuban cuisine, lively Latin music, professional salsa floor shows, and an open-air tropical ambience with outdoor dining -- oh, did I mention the extensive rum selection?

Diners at the Village Tavern (tel. 407/581-1740) will find a varied, wide-ranging menu, unique cocktails, and an award-winning wine list. From bacon-wrapped scallops, 14-ounce rib-eye steak, and 10-spice glazed salmon to braised short ribs, Gruyère and bacon flatbread, and banana crepes, there's something to tempt every diner's palate at this upscale eatery located across from the Mall of Millennia.

At Downtown Disney, the Portobello Yacht Club has undergone a transformation to become Portobello (tel. 407/934-8888). A revamped menu features authentic, regional Italian fare and a reinvigorated wine list, while the atmosphere is now warmer and more inviting with accents of terra-cotta tiles and rustic iron running throughout.

Families may find the T-REX Café (tel. 407/828-8739) more to their liking given its interactive prehistoric environment -- think Rainforest Café only a thousand or so years earlier. The menu, while varied, is filled with familiar favorites (rotisserie chicken, ribs, salads, and the like) but with a slightly creative twist. Themes of water, fire, and ice combine with animatronic dinosaurs, bubbling geysers, meteor showers, and a slew of other prehistoric special effects to create an incredibly unique dining environment.

Ocean Prime (tel. 407/363-4801) is the latest restaurant to open along "Restaurant Row" (on Sand Lake Rd., in the Dr. Phillips district). A welcome addition to the lineup of upscale eateries, this elegant and very sophisticated establishment combines a menu of fresh seafood, sumptuous steaks, an extensive wine list, and an upbeat atmosphere reminiscent of a 1930s supper club (albeit chic and updated). An incredibly knowledgeable and attentive staff top off the exceptional experience -- this one should definitely top the list for the discerning diner!

Exploring Walt Disney World -- Park-goers with aspirations of becoming the world's next singing sensation should head directly to the all new American Idol Experience at Disney's Hollywood Studios, where they can audition and perform live on stage in an interactive setting (judges and all) that practically replicates the set from the hit TV show of the same name. Other changes include an updated version of the park's High School Musical street show, which now features songs from all three hit High School Musical movies.

At the Magic Kingdom, Celebrate a Dream Come True Parade replaces Disney's Dreams Come True Parade -- while there are few notable differences, the most predominant are the three stops made along the parade route, the new musical score, and the updated floats. Over in Tomorrowland, Stitch's Super Sonic Celebration is a high-energy, retro-futuristic dance party that invites guests to join in on the super-sonic fun with Stitch and troupe of dancers.

Exploring Universal Orlando & SeaWorld -- Hollywood Rip, Ride, Rockit, Universal's newest high-speed thriller, is said to be the most technologically advanced roller coaster in the world, and it's set to debut at Universal Studios just as this book goes to print. Word has it that the coaster will cruise through twists, turns, and a record-breaking loop at speeds of up to 65 miles per hour. Add in state-of-the-art special effects, a sophisticated video system, and the hottest music to hit the airwaves and the result is a musically themed multisensory experience like no other.

At Islands of Adventure, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter makes its long-awaited debut this year -- though few details (other than those released some 2 or so years ago) have been released, keeping fans and park-goers alike on the edge of their seats. SeaWorld, unwilling to fall behind, is set to debut its newest thrill ride at roughly the same time. Manta, a coaster unlike any other, takes riders soaring up to the sky and swooping to the deepest depths of the sea past underwater habitats filled with hundreds of sharks and rays -- all while lying face-down aboard manta-inspired cars.

Northeast Florida

World Golf Village Renaissance Resort, 500 S. Legacy Trail, St. Augustine, FL 32092 (tel. 888/740-7020), completed a $10-million renovation to rooms, suites, and technology and also added a new restaurant.

Amelia Island Plantation, 6800 First Coast Hwy. (tel. 888/261-6161), has earned a lifesaving certification from CR Certification Corporation ("CardioReady"). The organization announced that the Amelia Island Plantation Inn and its Beach Club and Conference centers have met the necessary standards to obtain the CardioReady Certification for cardiac emergency preparedness.

The new Cumberland Sound Ferry Service (tel. 877/264-9972; wwwameliarivercruises.com) runs a minimum of three round-trips per day from Amelia Island, Florida, to St. Marys, Georgia, on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

Kayak Amelia (tel. 888/305-2925 or 904/251-0016; www.kayakamelia.com) is based near Talbot Island State Park (technically in Jacksonville) and offers beginner and advanced-level trips on back bays, creeks, and marshes.

Northwest Florida: The Panhandle

New in 2009, in downtown Pensacola: Solé Inn and Suites, opened on Palafox Street in the heart of Downtown Pensacola (tel. 850/470-9298). Rates at the 1950s-style, retro hotel start at $89 and include complimentary cocktails from 5 to 7pm and breakfast.

If riding the wild surf is a bit too adventurous for you, check out YOLO Boarding, 820 N. County Hwy. 393 in Santa Rosa Beach (tel. 850/496-7286), a new kind of "surfing" that suits those who love the water but not the wave action. YOLO (an acronym for You Only Live Once) involves standing up and paddling on a big, safe, comfortable long-board.

The newest addition to Beaches of South Walton is the 158-acre master planned enclave of Alys Beach, which includes 1,500 feet of beach front and a 20-acre nature preserve.

Construction is underway at the new, $330-million Panama City-Bay County International Airport, a state-of-the-art international airport that is being built on 1,300 acres of a 4,000-acre site donated by the St. Joe Company. The new airport is expected to open in the first quarter of 2010.