Miami
Miami's still booming. Look at the skyline and you'll see what I mean. Cranes and construction are everywhere. On any given day, a new eatery seems to open, assuring everyone that while you may have blown your food budget on a swank boutique hotel, you don't necessarily have to starve in the city. And, to compete with the restaurant-as-nightlife trend, several bars and lounges have opened, offering more than just beer nuts and chips as snacks.
Miami's first Rosewood Resort, Aqualina, 17780 Collins Ave. (tel. 305/933-6666; www.acqualina.com), is slated to open in early 2006, featuring a 51-story Renaissance-inspired tower with 97 ultra-luxury suites that include everything from wi-fi to iPods.
Regent Bal Harbour (tel. 800/545-4000; www.regenthotels.com) is set to open in late 2006, with 17 stories, panoramic views of the Atlantic, and 1,650-square-foot guest rooms.
Conrad Miami, 1395 Brickell Ave. (tel. 305/503-6500; www.conradhotels.com), is a new 36-story, 308-room tower that's part of the Hilton's chichi luxe brand.
Meanwhile, Andre Balazs, owner of L.A.'s Chateau Marmont and Standard hotels, has purchased South Beach's legendary Raleigh Hotel, 1775 Collins Ave. (tel. 800/848-1775; www.raleighhotel.com). He is in the process of renovating and restoring it to its original Art Deco glory, fusing the restoration with his distinct brand of boutique-hotel hip.
In Sunny Isles Beach, Donald Trump established his gaudy presence with Trump International Sonesta Beach Resort, 18001 Collins Ave. (tel. 800/SONESTA; www.sonesta.com), whose bland interior should have Trump screaming, "You're fired!" to the designer.
Not too far away is Le Meridien's first Miami property, Le Meridien Beach Resort and Spa, 18683 Collins Ave. (tel. 800/543-4300; www.lemeridien.com), a 25-story resort. It features a second Miami location of the swank Italian restaurant Bice, which should bring fine dining to the chain-restaurant-dotted area.
Miami Beach's first-ever lodging, Browns Hotel, 112 Ocean Dr. (tel. 305/674-7977; www.thebrownshotel.com), which opened back in 1915, has been restored to its Old Florida fabulousness, featuring original Dade County pine floorboards and exterior clapboards. The boutique hotel has a requisite see-and-be-seen steakhouse, Prime 112 (tel. 305/674-7977; www.prime112.com).
The landmark Biltmore Hotel, 1200 Anastasia Ave. (tel. 305/445-1926; www.biltmorehotel.com), has nearly completed an $8.5-million, top-to-bottom renovation of its rooms, bringing new furnishings and artwork as well as flatscreen TVs to the pricey specialty suites.
The equally landmark Fontainebleau, 4441 Collins Ave. (tel. 800/548-8886 or 305/538-2000; www.fontainebleauresorts.com), celebrates its 50th anniversary with the opening of Fontainebleau Tower, featuring 462 luxe suites. In the main lobby, guests will be welcomed by seven waterfalls and fountains, palm trees, flowers, and priceless views of the Atlantic.
Yet another star chef will soon call Miami home. David Bouley is taking the helm at the Ritz-Carlton South Beach, 1 Lincoln Rd. (tel. 786/276-4000; www.ritzcarlton.com/resorts/south_beach), opening his first signature restaurant outside of Manhattan.
Over the causeway, a burgeoning nocturnal buzz is emanating from the once-desolate area of downtown Miami, off Biscayne Boulevard, thanks to cheaper rents and 24-hour liquor licenses. Among them is Pawn Shop Lounge, 1222 NE 2nd Ave. (tel. 305/373-3511; www.thepawnshoplounge.com), a massive warehouse of a club housed in a former pawnshop, featuring a full-sized school bus-cum-cocktail lounge, an Airstream trailer-cum-VIP lounge, and the interior of an actual jet.
The Keys
In early 2005, Key West's Ocean Key Resort, Zero Duval St. (tel. 800/328-9815; www.oceankey.com ), debuted its new SpaTerre, featuring Indonesian and Thai spa treatments, massages, facials, body wraps, and more.
The attraction that encompasses the winter cottage of Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Robert Frost has been renamed Key West Heritage House Museum and Robert Frost Cottage, 410 Caroline St. (tel. 305/296-3573; www.heritagehousemuseum.org), in recognition of the property's ongoing enhancements and place in Key West history.
Also in Key West, Pirates of the Scaribbean, at the Hilton Marina (tel. 305/292-0332; www.libertyfleet.com), is a cool new 90-minute high-seas sailing excursion. As the Liberty cuts through the waters with sails billowing, a pirate captain garbed in buccaneer regalia tells tales of pirates, shipwreck salvagers, and other scurvy sailors.
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. Whereas the Gold Coast used to be a sleepy beachfront, today it's slowly en route to rivaling the liveliness of a big city like Miami.
Opened back in the summer of 2004, but still debuting new restaurants, clubs, and bars, the $200-million Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, 1 Seminole Rd., Hollywood (tel. 800/937-0156; www.seminolehardrockhollywood.com), offers 500 luxury rooms as well as a lakeside beach club, 130,000-square-foot casino, and European health spa. It's sort of like the Hard Rock in Vegas, only without blackjack, slots, and all other forms of "bet against the house" gambling. Well, there's always bingo. . . .
Plans for a full-service Marriott (tel. 888/236-2427; www.marriott.com) on Hollywood Beach are in the works. The new $30-million boutique-style hotel will feature 229 rooms, a full-service spa, and a Tiki bar.
Still under construction is Florida's first St. Regis Resort (tel. 954/568-4623; www.stregis.com), 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. It's scheduled to open in late 2005.
In the winter of 2006, Florida's first-ever W Hotel (tel. 954/525-8133; www.whotels.com) will open on Fort Lauderdale Beach. The $220-million boutique-hotel-slash-condominium features the usual trendy W Hotel bells and whistles, including the signature bar and restaurant.
Donald Trump just can't stay away from Florida. The egomaniacal mogul-cum-reality-TV-star has just taken over a private condo on Fort Lauderdale Beach and will turn it into Trump International Beach Club. True to Trump's character, some of the 14-story building's suites will be available for purchase.
The Inn at Boca Teeca is now known as the Inn at Ocean Breeze Golf and Country Club, 5800 NW 2nd Ave., Boca Raton (tel. 561/994-0400; www.oceanbreezegolf.com).
The legendary Breakers Palm Beach, 1 S. County Rd. (tel. 800/833-3141; www.thebreakers.com), has revitalized the Breakers West championship golf course with a $6-million reconstruction under the guidance of Rees Jones.
Southwest Florida
All telephone numbers in Fort Myers, Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel and Captiva islands, Naples, and Marco Island are now in area code 239. Boca Grande and Charlotte County phone numbers remain in area code 941.
The beaches of Fort Myers and Sanibel have rolled out the Great Calusa Blueway (tel. 800/296-0249; www.greatcalusablueway.com), over 40 miles of a new paddling trail for kayakers and canoers. The trail covers the waters of Lovers Key State Recreation Area; Mound Key State Archaeological Site; Koreshan State Historic Site; Fort Myers Beach; and Sanibel, Captiva, and Pine islands, ending at Cayo Costa. Even cooler, the Blueway utilizes GPS technology, marking key points along the trail to aid navigation. Calusa Heritage Trail is now open, featuring a 3,700-foot pathway that allows visitors to walk along the mounds and remnants of an ancient canal.
In Naples, the Registry Resort & Club, 475 Seagate Dr. (tel. 800/247-9810; www.registryhotel.com), has received a $30-million makeover that revamped guest rooms as well as the hotel's nightclub.
Bellasera, 221 9th St. S., Naples (tel. 888/627-1595; www.bellaseranaples.com), has received the coveted AAA Four Diamond rating -- the hospitality industry's equivalent of winning an Oscar.
Over in Fort Myers, Edison and Ford Winter Estates, 2350 McGregor Blvd. (tel. 239/334-3614; www.edison-ford-estate.com), is in the throes of a $9-million restoration project that will include historical plantings to achieve the look of the homes during the time their famous residents dwelled here.
The Tampa Bay Area
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, 3000 E. Busch Blvd. (tel. 888/800-5447; www.buschgardens.com), has premiered SheiKra, the nation's first dive roller coaster. The coaster carries brave souls up 200 feet at a 45-degree angle and then drops them at 70 mph at an absurd 90-degree angle. The coaster is the centerpiece of the park's Stanleyville area.
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, 5223 Orient Rd., Tampa (tel. 866/502-PLAY), features 250 rooms, a 9,000-square-foot casino, restaurants, clubs, bars, and lots of rock memorabilia.
Saddlebrook Resort-Tampa, 5700 Saddlebrook Way, Wesley Chapel (tel. 800/729-8383; www.saddlebrook.com), finished its $8.5-million redecoration of all 800 guest rooms.
A 20-story, 360-unit Embassy Suites Hotel (tel. 800/445-8667; www.embassysuites.com) is expected to open in mid-2006 opposite the Tampa Convention Center.
Orlando and the Theme Parks
Walt Disney World has introduced the ultra-convenient Disney's Magical Express, which provides complimentary shuttle service between Orlando International Airport and any Disney-owned resort. Not only will the shuttle service get Disney resort guests to your hotels, it will deliver your baggage straight from the plane to your room, allowing you to bypass luggage claim!
The new Omni at ChampionsGate (tel. 407/390-6664; www.omnihotels.com) offers 730 luxurious accommodations, as well as a fabulous array of recreational activities. Nickelodeon Family Suites Resort by Holiday Inn (tel. 877/387-5437 or 407/387-5437; www.nickhotel.com), formerly Holiday Inn Family Suites, officially reopened in May 2005. A multimillion-dollar makeover has transformed the property to reflect a Nickelodeon theme throughout. The pools have also been dramatically changed.
And other properties in town aren't resting on their laurels. The Renaissance Orlando Resort at SeaWorld (tel. 800/327-6677 or 407/351-5555; www.renaissancehotels.com) gave their pool and outdoor recreational area a face-lift. The Hilton in the Walt Disney World Resort (tel. 407/827-4000; www.hilton.com) has undergone a refurbishment, adding new lighting, carpeting, and furnishings, with more improvements on the way. Lastly, Acadia Estates (tel. 888/249-1779; www.acadiaestates.com), a gated community, is now renting. The resort features lavishly decorated vacation homes with private pools and other perks just minutes from Disney.
Internationally acclaimed chef Todd English has opened the artsy Todd English's bluezoo (tel. 407/934-1111; www.toddenglish.com), and it's already the hippest hottest happening place to dine in town. The Portofino Bay Hotel's Bice! (tel. 407/503-3463; www.loewshotels.com/hotels/orlando_portofino_bay) is the area's newest upscale Italian restaurant, featuring family-style dining and authentic Italian fare in an upscale setting.
In January 2005, Disney launched Magic Your Way, an entirely new way to purchase Disney park tickets that rewards vacationers who stay and play at the House of Mouse a bit longer than you may have before.
Aside from the new ticketing system, the big news at Disney is the Happiest Celebration on Earth (tel. 407/824-4321; www.disneyworld.com), which began on May 5, 2005, in honor of Disneyland's 50th anniversary, and will last for 18 months. Several new attractions, imported from other Disney parks, have opened as part of the event.
Universal Studios Florida added only one new show in 2005, but it's a biggie: Fear Factor Live (tel. 800/837-2273 or 407/363-8000; www.universalorlando.com) is the first-ever reality show turned into a theme-park attraction. Audience members perform stunts that test their courage, strength, and at times their stomach -- similar to the stuff seen on the hit TV show, but live in Orlando.
Northwest Florida
The Shores Resort & Spa, 2637 S. Atlantic Ave. (tel. 800/774-1500; www.shoresresort.com), is the newest incarnation of the former Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort. The 214-room resort includes a brand-new SpaTerre fitness center and an outpost of Baleen, the stellar Miami-based eatery specializing in seafood and regional cuisine.
Believe it or not, there is something scarier in Daytona than half-naked, mullet-sporting teenagers. Haunts of Daytona (tel. 386/253-6034; www.hauntsofdaytona.com) is the only ghost tour in Florida that is owned and operated by a certified ghost hunter and active certified paranormal researcher. Tours begin at 7:30pm. Tickets are $8 per person; children under 6 are admitted free.
Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, 8605 Zoo Pkwy. (tel. 904/757-4462; www.jaxzoo.org), celebrated the first-ever birth of a koala at the zoo. Baby koalas are rarely born in captivity in the United States.
Over in St. Augustine, the PGA Tour Spa Laterra is now open at World Golf Village, 21 World Golf Place (tel. 904/940-4000; www.wgv.com).
The Panhandle
The legendary Panhandle bar Flora-Bama Lounge, 17401 Perdido Key Dr., Pensacola (tel. 850/492-0611; www.florabama.com), experienced some damage in the brutal 2004 hurricane season and had to close down to renovate -- or whatever you do to "restore" a dive bar. It should be up and running with no problems in 2005.
The beaches of Destin and Fort Walton got makeovers thanks to Hurricane Ivan. The dune system was replaced with additional sea oats, the landscaping was pruned, and signs were given touch-ups.
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