Meeting News - October 20, 2008 - (Page 40)

Destination Insider: Florida Coast to Coast A Duo of Waldorf=Astorias Is Heading to Sarasota By 2010 Chic, sophisticated, and culturally rich, Sarasota will soon rise again on the opulence barometer. Slated to open in 2010 is the Waldorf=Astoria Sarasota, a 225-room property that will include 38,000 sf of meeting and exhibition space. Part of Hilton Hotels’ recently established Waldorf=Astoria Collection, the Sarasota property will offer many of the same services and amenities at the famed Park Avenue hotel in New York. The 18-story hotel will feature the Peacock Alley Lounge, a rooftop pool, and a 12,000-sf Guerlain Spa, which will include a 3,000-sf fitness center. The Waldorf=Astoria Sarasota will be a centerpiece of the Proscenium, a mixed-use development spanning two city blocks. The Proscenium will include 130,000 sf of retail, restaurants, and entertainment; a second Waldorf—the Waldorf=Astoria Sarasota at Lido Beach—an 800-seat performing arts hall with direct access from the hotel’s ballroom; a four-screen, 500-seat theater for independent and foreign films; 30,000 sf of office space; and luxury residences. The Waldorf=Astoria at Lido Beach will be a 59-room resort. Both properties will offer beach access. —ESJ Waldorf=Astoria Sarasota will be much like the NYC flagship. Even More Team-Building Possibilities in SW Florida A trio of new team-building options has come to southwest Florida. Adventure Training Concepts, a team-building firm, recently opened the Discovery Challenge Course just north of downtown Naples. The 5.5-acre course includes high ropes, low ropes, more than 20 team-building programs, and an events area for catered meals. The Discovery Challenge Course can handle up to 300 participants and takes as few as five people. In Fort Myers, a ropes course recently debuted at the Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium. Offer- Groups Can Relax at New Spas All Around Naples Spas are arriving in the Naples area faster than dandelions after a springtime shower. Scheduled to open in December at the 297room Hilton Marco Island Beach Resort, which has 12,000 sf of meeting space, is a 10,000-sf spa Naples Bay features a welcoming entrance. with 10 treatment rooms. The facility will have a fitness center, relaxation lounges, and a boutique. In downtown Naples, the 240-room Bellasera Hotel—with 4,000 sf of meeting space—earlier this year debuted Verde, an environmentally friendly spa featuring 100-percent organic products. The 800-sf spa is available for small group buyouts and executive retreats. Also, the 85-room Hotel at Naples Bay Resort has opened, and with it a 1,700-sf spa as the centerpiece of its amenities lineup. The facility features three treatment rooms, sauna and steam rooms, and treatments such as poolside massages and sea-salt soaks. The boutique hotel features 3,000 sf of meeting space. Last year, the 474-room Naples Grande Beach Resort, with 84,510 sf of meeting space, opened the first Golden Door Spa on the East Coast. —ESJ ing half-day, full-day, and multi-day programs, the course can accommodate groups of six to 100; a portable version is available at area hotels. Another way for groups to enjoy the outdoors through a team-building experience is through Everglades Area Tours, which recently introduced guided half-day kayak eco-tours, customized bird-watching expeditions, as well as bicycle and aerial tours of the Everglades. Six kayakers at a time can paddle through Everglades National Park to view birds, dolphins, manatees, and sea turtles. —ESJ Hyatt Regency Sarasota Gets Green Lodging Nod The Hyatt Regency Sarasota was recognized for its environmentally friendly operations last month, receiving a tough-to-come-by One Palm designation from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Green Lodging Program. “The $22 million renovation was to enhance all of the hotel, including environmental responsibility,” said general manager Mark Becker. The One Palm designation is reserved for hotels with best management practices in communication, water conservation, energy efficiency, waste reduction, and clean air. r —Phillip Hennessey 40 MeetingNews October 20, 2008 www.meetingnews.com http://www.meetingnews.com

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Meeting News - October 20, 2008

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