The much-anticipated Orlando Eye opened May 4 as the most prominent attraction at the I-Drive 360 entertainment, dining, and retail complex. The 400-foot-tall observation wheel is similar to the London Eye, and both are owned by Merlin Entertainments. The attraction has 30 air-conditioned capsules that each hold 15 people for a 20-minute ride that provides views of Central Florida in all directions. Private groups can rent one or more capsules for events. In addition, a hospitality room located on ground level holds 100 people for receptions. Larger groups can also buy out the terminal building and outdoor courtyard, creating a venue for as many as 2,500 people for receptions or 1,400 for a sit-down meal.
Adjacent to the Orlando Eye is Madame Tussauds Orlando, which also opened May 4. The 25,000-square-foot museum has dozens of lifelike wax statues of historical figures and celebrities such as Dan Marino, Taylor Swift, Jimmy Fallon, and Walt Disney. The attraction is available for buyout and holds 400 people for receptions.
Merlin Entertainments’ third attraction at I-Drive 360 is Sea Life Orlando Aquarium, the first Florida location of the chain that has locations across the United States, Europe, and Australia. The 25,000-square-foot aquarium is home to more than 5,000 sea creatures including colorful fish, sharks, seahorses, jellyfish, turtles, and rays. Floor-to-ceiling aquariums, cold-water rock pools and a glass-enclosed 360-degree tunnel give guests a close-up view of the wildlife. Groups can incorporate the facility’s interactive, educational experiences into their events. It is available for buyouts of 400 people for receptions.
As construction continues to transform Downtown Disney into Disney Springs, a new dining, shopping, and entertainment concept, the first new restaurant opened April 13. Managed by Gibsons Restaurant Group, the Boathouse is a 24,000-square-foot waterfront restaurant serving steaks, chops, and seafood. The restaurant seats 400 people inside and 200 on a patio. Two adjoining private dining rooms seat 50 people each or can be combined for a larger group. The venue has 19 rare boats on display and also offers guided boat rides on Lake Buena Vista.
One of the more unusual attractions at I-Drive 360 is Skeletons: Animals Unveiled, which opened May 1. The 7,700-square-foot museum houses the bones of more than 400 animals, which have been meticulously cleaned and reassembled into skeletons. Examples include skeletons from an African elephant, a killer whale, and a camel. The facility is available for buyouts and holds 300 people for receptions. Several restaurants in the I-Drive 360 complex can be used for catering in the museum. Private groups can also bring in additional entertainment such as stilt walkers, strolling magicians, or live music.
New York-based McFadden’s Restaurant & Saloon opened its first Florida location April 1 on International Drive next to the Orlando Eye. The 11,000-square-foot restaurant seats 550 people or holds 750 people for receptions. The restaurant has two patios, a smaller one in the front and a larger one spanning the width of the restaurant in the back. The menu offers sandwiches, burgers, and salads, along with some traditional Irish specialties such as shepherd’s pie and corned beef and cabbage.
Whisper Creek Farm: the Kitchen and the Brewery are two new venues at the JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes. Both opened April 18 and are an extension of the property’s Whisper Creek Farm, which opened in 2012. The Kitchen is a 7,000-square-foot casual restaurant located just off the lobby that has a mix of communal and high-top tables and sofas, to evoke the feeling of eating in a family kitchen. There’s seating for 100 people inside and 50 on the terrace. The restaurant is open for dinner only, but the space can be used for group functions during the day. Fresh ingredients from the farm’s garden and eggs from its chicken coop are incorporated into menu items. The restaurant also serves beer from the Brewery, Marriott’s first craft nano-brewery. It will produce 28 gallons of beer weekly and private groups can also use the Brewery for a chef’s-table dining experience for eight people.
Two Chefs Seafood & Oyster Bar brings the flavors of New Orleans to downtown Orlando. The restaurant is led by chef Bernard Carmouche, who spent 22 years as a corporate chef for Emeril Lagasse’s restaurants, and chef Larry Sinibaldi, who was executive chef of the Palm Steakhouse for 12 years. The restaurant, which opened April 7, has an open kitchen where everything is made fresh daily—there’s not even a freezer on property. The 2,500-square-foot venue has four distinct areas: a patio with seating for 32, a bar with seating for 30, the main dining area with seating for 40, and a private dining room upstairs for about 50 people. The menu includes items such as oysters, bone marrow, po’ boys, crab cakes, and burgers.
TR Fire Grill is a new concept from the parent company of Tony Roma’s restaurants. The first location opened March 3 in south Orlando. The menu of American bistro fare is focused on fresh, locally sourced ingredients. The restaurant creates its own smoked meats and vegetables daily using hickory wood, and the bar offers in-house oak-aged tequila and made-from-scratch mixers. The 6,800-square-foot restaurant seats 230 people.
Kokino opened March 19 just off Restaurant Row. The 2,500-square-foot venue serves dinner and late-night fare six days a week and brunch on Sundays. The restaurant seats 150 people inside and 40 on a patio. It is also available for buyouts of as many as 250 people for receptions. The restaurant has wood floors and contemporary accents. A DJ spins tunes nightly.
Guests can take in city and lake views at Streeterville Social, the rooftop bar at the new Loews Chicago Hotel scheduled to open on June 26. The expansive space—billed as the city’s largest outdoor rooftop terrace—has two bar areas, a lawn lined with seasonal florals and greenery, space for outdoor games such as pétanque and oversize Jenga, and cabanas. Its lounge seating includes whimsical birdcage chairs. Buyouts of the entire terrace and bistro space accommodate 550 guests; by itself the terrace holds 375 guests.
Last week Sky Suites at Aria Resort & Casino in Las Vegas unveiled Sky Pool, a secluded pool area with luxury amenities. The space offers a private guest entrance and complimentary refreshments such as smoothie shots. It has eight cabanas as well as lounge chairs, double chaise lounge chairs, and daybeds. The space is available for private events.
Virgin Hotel Chicago offers views of downtown at Cerise, its rooftop bar. The stylish space features modern, eclectic design such as honeycomb-pattern wood floors in shades of blue inside. Befitting its name, red lighting washes over the space at night. On the menu are craft cocktails and Japanese izakaya-style bites. The space, which holds 100 inside and 100 outside, is available for private events. The hotel is the first property from the new hotel brand and opened in January.
Opening in late May, the 150-room AC Hotel Miami Beach will have a rooftop pool with ocean views. Designed by Miami-based Kobi Karp Architecture, the seven-story hotel from Marriott International is located in the booming mid-beach neighborhood and has a European sensibility. The property will also have an outdoor “lifestyle lounge” with games such as ping-pong, horseshoes, tether ball, and croquet as well as the ability to screen movies. For more traditional meeting space, the hotel has a 270-square-foot room that seats 20 guests for small meetings. The property also offers the tapas restaurant AC Lounge and a breakfast spot AC Kitchen.
From Penthouse808 at Ravel Hotel in Long Island City in New York, guests have panoramic views of the Manhattan skyline and the 59th Street Queensboro Bridge. The 8,000-square-foot rooftop restaurant and lounge has indoor and outdoor seating and holds 450 for receptions or seats 175 banquet-style. Groups can also reserve a cabana. The hotel is finishing a $10 million expansion that will add a new tower with rooms and event space. It will have a ballroom, outdoor meeting space, and two pools, one of which will convert to an ice-skating rink during the winter.
Planning an event abroad? High Note SkyBar at the music-theme Aria Hotel Budapest in Hungary opened March 15 with close-up views of the neighboring St. Stephen’s Basilica. The rooftop terrace is open year-round at the boutique hotel and seats 70. It can also be arranged in a traditional meeting setup. The space includes two V.I.P. terraces reached via glass spiral staircase that offer 360-degree views of the city.
Formerly known as the Panorama Lounge, the 51st floor of the Manulife Centre in Toronto was renovated and rebranded as the One Eighty in March. The venue features a 3,000-square-foot interior with a showcase bar, a built-in DJ booth, and high ceilings, as well as 1,500 square feet of outdoor space with downtown views. The entire venue holds 250 for cocktails or seats 80 for dinner.
Mad46 Rooftop Lounge, the indoor-outdoor space atop the Roosevelt Hotel in New York, debuted a renovation this spring. The 19th-floor venue refreshed the carpeting, paint, chandeliers, and other decor to the interior space as well as expanded the bathrooms. There is new furniture, new countertops at the bar, and new landscaping. The Midtown spot has a private elevator and holds 200 people. It’s open to the general public April through October but year-round for private events.
Offering views of the Empire State Building, Chrysler Building, and Freedom Tower, Up on 20 Rooftop Bar at Hyatt Herald Square in New York is open for its first season. The space features a bar with seating underneath a pergola as well as tables and lounge seating. Clear panels along the perimeter maximize the urban ambiance.
Rooftop events can take place year-round at Capa, the rooftop restaurant at the Four Seasons Resort Orlando. The venue, which opened in October, notably offers views of all four Walt Disney World Resort parks from its terrace. The space seats 31 people at plush furnishings that create a residential feel. Inside, the Spanish steak house seats 122 and has two private dining rooms that each seat 35.
The Beach at Dream Downtown in New York underwent a light refresh of the space. The hotel's pool deck—which has an actual sand beach—spans 4,800 square feet. New this season is a raised wooden cabana deck with two private cabanas. The space has a DJ booth, a full-service bar and kitchen, and 50 lounge chairs. It holds 300 guests for receptions.
