Prevue January-February 2017 - 67


Opal Sands Resort
Coastal-inspired meeting spaces without the high price tag
[ON LOCATION] MELISSA BRYANT

A

rising number of groups are flocking to the St.
Petersburg/Clearwater area to experience its trademark
Technicolor sunsets and vibrant beach culture, and
more recently, its hotel boom, which is yielding plenty of
new rooms and unique meeting opportunities.
Opal Sands Resort, a member of Preferred Hotels &
Resorts and the new kid on the coast, which opened this past
spring, is already making quite an impression with its 230 one- and
two-bedroom suites boasting floor-to-ceiling windows, a spacious
balcony and unobstructed views of the Gulf of Mexico-not to
mention its 17,000 sf of event space.
"Clearwater Beach is not as well-known as Miami, Hawaii and
other popular upscale beach destinations and is often overlooked
in the incentive market," says Nancy Cimney, director of sales and
marketing at the resort. "The hotel and destination have all of the
same amenities and qualities, however, without the high price tag."

FINDING INSPIRATION
The resort makes every effort to reflect and complement the
surrounding community. Guest rooms and common areas are
splashed with a distinctly Clearwater palette of blues and turquoise
and local artists were commissioned to create individual and
collaborative pieces for a "mini gallery" in and around the lobby.
Groups can stick with Opal Sands' coastal-inspired theme
for their events, or carry out their own vision through themed
tasting menus and team building activities. "We've done everything
from a mock casino night with gaming tables set up on the lawn
to medical symposiums," Cimney adds. After spending the day
dolphin spotting on the Little Toot tugboat and munching on crab
fries at Frenchy's South Beach Cafe, we hopped on bikes and
headed downtown via the Clearwater Memorial Causeway, whose
picture-perfect views of the harbor made it well worth the trek.

A ROOM WITH A VIEW
GULF FRONT VALUE
Cimney welcomed our group to the resort at the on-site farm- and
sea-to-table Sea-Guini restaurant, headed by native Floridian chef
Todd Holender. Over handcrafted cocktails-a light raspberry
thyme concoction, hand-shaken coconut daiquiri topped with
toasted coconut and the showstopping smokey old-fashioned
complete with smoldering effect-she chatted with us about the
resort's friendly atmosphere.
"From valet to check-in to waitstaff at the restaurants and
pool, every staff member is trained to make each guest experience
personalized and memorable."

All of Opal Sands Resort's meeting space is located on one floor,
making traveling between multiple rooms convenient for larger groups.
"Every space has a fantastic view, which really offers a sense
of place for meetings," Cimney explains. "The event lawn can
accommodate 250 attendees-it's as close to the water as you can
get, and our customizable Opal Ballroom overlooks the Bay with
room for 550." And when attendees are off the clock, the resort's
pool and cabanas, full-service Opal Spa, fitness center and four
dining venues complete the picture.
opalsands.com

prevuemeetings.com | 67

67_Opal Sands.indd 67

2/1/17 2:33 PM


http://www.opalsands.com http://www.prevuemeetings.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Prevue January-February 2017

Prevue January-February 2017 - 1
Prevue January-February 2017 - 2
Prevue January-February 2017 - 3
Prevue January-February 2017 - 4
Prevue January-February 2017 - 5
Prevue January-February 2017 - 6
Prevue January-February 2017 - 7
Prevue January-February 2017 - 8
Prevue January-February 2017 - 9
Prevue January-February 2017 - 10
Prevue January-February 2017 - 11
Prevue January-February 2017 - 12
Prevue January-February 2017 - 13
Prevue January-February 2017 - 14
Prevue January-February 2017 - 15
Prevue January-February 2017 - 16
Prevue January-February 2017 - 17
Prevue January-February 2017 - 18
Prevue January-February 2017 - 19
Prevue January-February 2017 - 20
Prevue January-February 2017 - 21
Prevue January-February 2017 - 22
Prevue January-February 2017 - 23
Prevue January-February 2017 - 24
Prevue January-February 2017 - 25
Prevue January-February 2017 - 26
Prevue January-February 2017 - 27
Prevue January-February 2017 - 28
Prevue January-February 2017 - 29
Prevue January-February 2017 - 30
Prevue January-February 2017 - 31
Prevue January-February 2017 - 32
Prevue January-February 2017 - 33
Prevue January-February 2017 - 34
Prevue January-February 2017 - 35
Prevue January-February 2017 - 36
Prevue January-February 2017 - 37
Prevue January-February 2017 - 38
Prevue January-February 2017 - 39
Prevue January-February 2017 - 40
Prevue January-February 2017 - 41
Prevue January-February 2017 - 42
Prevue January-February 2017 - 43
Prevue January-February 2017 - 44
Prevue January-February 2017 - 45
Prevue January-February 2017 - 46
Prevue January-February 2017 - 47
Prevue January-February 2017 - 48
Prevue January-February 2017 - 49
Prevue January-February 2017 - 50
Prevue January-February 2017 - 51
Prevue January-February 2017 - 52
Prevue January-February 2017 - 53
Prevue January-February 2017 - 54
Prevue January-February 2017 - 55
Prevue January-February 2017 - 56
Prevue January-February 2017 - 57
Prevue January-February 2017 - 58
Prevue January-February 2017 - 59
Prevue January-February 2017 - 60
Prevue January-February 2017 - 61
Prevue January-February 2017 - 62
Prevue January-February 2017 - 63
Prevue January-February 2017 - 64
Prevue January-February 2017 - 65
Prevue January-February 2017 - 66
Prevue January-February 2017 - 67
Prevue January-February 2017 - 68
Prevue January-February 2017 - 69
Prevue January-February 2017 - 70
Prevue January-February 2017 - 71
Prevue January-February 2017 - 72
Prevue January-February 2017 - 73
Prevue January-February 2017 - 74
Prevue January-February 2017 - 75
Prevue January-February 2017 - 76
Prevue January-February 2017 - 77
Prevue January-February 2017 - 78
Prevue January-February 2017 - 79
Prevue January-February 2017 - 80
Prevue January-February 2017 - 81
Prevue January-February 2017 - 82
Prevue January-February 2017 - 83
Prevue January-February 2017 - 84
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/MarchApril2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/JanuaryFebruary2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/NovemberDecember2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/SeptemberOctober2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/julyaugust2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/mayjune2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/marchapril2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/januaryfebruary2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/novemberdecember2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/septemberoctober2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/julyaugust2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/mayjune2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/marchapril2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/januaryfebruary2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/novemberdecember2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/septemberoctober2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/julyaugust2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/marchapril2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/januaryfebruary2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/novemberdecember2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/septemberoctober2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/julyaugust2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/mayjune2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/marchapril2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/SUPPLEMENTS/fl2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/januaryfebruary2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/novemberdecember2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/septemberoctober2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/julyaugust2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/mayjune2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/marchapril2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/visitflorrida
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/januaryfebruary2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/novemberdecember2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/SeptemberOctober2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/julyaugust2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/mayjune2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/SUPPLEMENTS/clubmed
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/marchapril2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/JanFeb2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/novemberdecember2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/septemberoctober2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/july_august_2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/may_june_12
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/march-april-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/jan_feb_2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/nov_dec_2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/sept_oct_2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/prevue/july_august_2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/may_june_2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/march_april_2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/prevuejan_feb_2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/Nov_Dec_2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/sept_oct_2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/july_aug_2010
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com