Best of 2012: 10 Most Notable Event Venue Openings in Miami

The 4,000-square-foot cocktail and gastro-lounge opened in April. The sleek space has a colorful, European club-inspired design anchored by images throughout that pay homage to notable women in art, music, and fashion. The main lounge includes a bar and dining tables for 40, which leads into a second lounge area, accented by glowing LED tables and U-shaped leather seats. The glass-enclosed V.I.P. mezzanine holds 50, while the entire venue is available for buyouts for a maximum of 250 guests. As for the grub: a list of 30 handcrafted cocktails is supplemented by a menu of small plates.

The $515 million Marlins Park opened in March with an array of options for events, including 45 suites for private events, an outpost of South Beach mainstay the Clevelander, and a 4,600-square-foot pool-lounge that holds as many as 250 guests on game days and 300 for private events. The 928,000-square-foot space, which is certified LEED Gold by the U.S. Green Buildings Council, can hold as many as 37,422 and features a retractable roof that can open or close in less than 15 minutes. Additionally, the stadium offers the Skyline terrace and Diamond Club lounge: The 12,000-square-foot terrace, which can hold 350 seated or 1,000 for receptions, overlooks the downtown Miami skyline and has retractable glass window panels; the lounge has room for 200 and offers a 400-bottle tempered wine room for private buyouts.

The 500,000-square-foot Miami Airport Convention Center, formerly the Miami Mart Exhibition Center, completed a renovation in March that remodeled 172,000 square feet of meeting space. Among the updated spaces is the education conference center, which has 40 new breakout rooms, a 29,000-square-foot ballroom, and the ability to host more than 400 trade show booths.

The 243-room St. Regis Bal Barbour Resort debuted in January and offers several options for events. As a pre-function space, the 2,529-square-foot Astor area seats 70 banquet-style. There are also five ballrooms, which, when rooms one through four are combined, offers a total of 4,077 square feet and a capacity of 400. There are also areas suited for smaller gatherings—like the 402-square-foot John Jacob Astor boardroom and the 400-square-foot Rockefeller room. Outdoor spaces include a 240-person terrace and 9,617 square feet of pool space.

The Philippe Starck-designed SLS Hotel South Beach from SBE opened in July with 130 rooms in the main tower and 10 villas. The tower penthouse and villa penthouse were designed by musician Lenny Kravitz and Kravitz Design. The luxury hotel features two restaurants: the Bazaar by José Andrés and Katsuya by Starck. The property also includes Hyde Beach, an 8,000-square-foot lounge with indoor and outdoor seating.

Owned by developer Michael Dezer, the 250,000-square-foot site houses Dezer's $140 million car collection, which includes notable items like the 1948 Ford "Greased Lightning" from Grease. Eight separate spaces allow groups to host events around the luxury cars with rooms that hold between 50 and 2,500. The 25,000-square-foot Dezer Showplace, the largest room, can be customized with a range of automobiles from the collection to fit a specific theme. Depending on the configuration, the space seats 1,500 or holds 2,500 for receptions. Smaller spaces include the 1,500-square-foot James Bond lounge, which holds 200 for a reception. The Batman lounge, containing Batmobiles and other items from the Batman movies, also holds 200. Less car-focused spaces include the jukebox-filled American Classics '50s-style diner for 300 guests, the Arcade room for 500, and an indoor drive-in theater.

The multimillion-dollar overhaul of the 10,000-square-foot Design Center of the Americas event space in Dania Beach includes Cay, a 1,100-square-foot, 84-seat restaurant that debuted in October. The design concept’s inspiration was old Key West, with direction from Miami designer Sam Robin. Kitchen and catering operations are helmed by Thierry Isambert of Thierry’s Catering and Event Design, and the menu features fresh seafood that can be served at private events using the 2,000-square-foot catering kitchen. The entire DCOTA event space seats 350 guests or holds 500 for receptions.

Modeled after a luxury hotel concept, the 3,500-square-foot Room Service comes with a bellman, a butler, and a private suite. The restaurant-lounge opened in September with seating for 94. French maid service and a DJ take over the late-night shift, where 270 guests can enjoy specialty cocktails. There's a private area for as many as 30, and the entire venue is available for buyouts.

Villa Azur, which opened in March, brings a French Riviera feel to its South Beach home. In addition to catering outside events, the restaurant seats 250 or holds 300 for receptions for complete buyout. La Cave d’Azur, tucked inside the restaurant's wine cellar, is a private dining room with more than 190 wines and seating for 12. Private events can also be held in the restaurant’s 4,000-square-foot courtyard for 110 seated guests.

South Beach's Studio 743 opened its doors in May and features a dramatic entrance with a water feature and a towering, colorfully lit obelisk. The space has 6,000 square feet of event space with a capacity of 245 seated or 550 for receptions. It has two entry lounges for crowd control plus V.I.P. access. Audiovisual capabilities include interior programmable, multicolored LED lighting and exterior lighting of the façade and tower.