Here's a look at new Orlando/Central Florida hotels, conference centers, restaurants, private rooms, and other spaces to open for events this spring. The new and renovated Orlando/Central Florida venues are available for conferences, meetings, corporate parties, weddings, fund-raisers, outdoor functions, business dinners, teambuilding activities, and more.
LakeHouse is a new restaurant at Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress that opened January 15. The 6,350-square-foot space has seating for 206 people overlooking the resort’s private lake. The casual venue is intended to evoke the ambiance of a private lake house retreat, with communal tables, kitchen islands, wood finishes, and four distinct dining areas: the Sunroom, Kitchen, Dining Room, and Bar. The restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner as well as cocktails and small plates throughout the day.
Hilton Orlando opened nearly 9,000 square feet of new meeting space on January 1. The Key West and Key Largo meeting rooms have been constructed adjacent to the hotel’s existing Florida Ballroom and steps from the 50,000-square-foot outdoor event space known as the Promenade. The Key West room seats 250 people at round tables, and the Key Largo room seats 210 people. The spaces can also be divided to create a total of eight smaller rooms. The construction also added new prefunction space, a registration desk, and an office for planners.
Urbain 40 American Brasserie and Lounge opened November 9 in the Dellagio Town Center. The venue is available for buyout and seats 300 people or holds 500 for receptions. Private groups can also use smaller sections such as the main dining rooms, which seats 100 or holds 150 for receptions, and a patio with seating for 80. There are also two private rooms: the Sinatra Room seats 18 and the Dean Martin Room seats 16. The restaurant serves lunch, dinner, late night, and brunch with a menu focused on what it describes as “American and continental classics.” The interior has an elegant vibe, with wood-paneled walls, chandeliers, white linen-covered tables, and upholstered banquettes.
In October, Villas of Grand Cypress completed a significant renovation to its Executive Meeting Center. The standalone complex houses four meeting rooms totaling 7,200 square feet of space. The rooms can also be divided into eight separate, soundproof rooms. The space now has a contemporary design with neutral colors, cherry wood, and stone tile flooring. The redesign also added LED lighting and sound systems that can be managed individually and multiple power, phone, and data outlets. The meeting rooms surround an atrium that can be used for outdoor events. The resort also recently completed a $17 million renovation of its 146 guest rooms.
Canvas opened January 25 in Lake Nona. The venue includes a waterfront restaurant with seating for 278 people and a market that sells prepared foods, books, and more. The restaurant has floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the lake and an exhibition-style kitchen with a 10-seat counter in front of it. There is also a private dining room that seats 40 and adjoins a terrace. The menu is influenced by Florida’s Southern and Latin American roots, with a mix of fresh seafood, wood-oven grilled flatbreads, sandwiches, salads, and entrees.
Sugar Factory American Brasserie opened at I-Drive 360 in late December. The colorful restaurant and candy emporium is known for its smoking goblet drinks, candy-infused cocktails, and celebrity-endorsed lollipops, as well as an extensive menu that includes burgers, sandwiches, entrées, and salads. The 8,500-square-foot venue is available for buyouts and seats 215 people inside and 44 on a patio.
Opal Sands Resort is scheduled to open February 23 in Clearwater Beach. The property, located on the Gulf of Mexico, will have 25,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space. The largest venue will be the 7,650-square-foot Opal Ballroom that holds 768 people for receptions or seats 500 people classroom-style. It will also have air walls to divide it into three sections. The hotel will also be nine breakout rooms that have views of the Gulf and a 5,500-square-foot waterfront event lawn. Hotel amenities will include a zero-entry pool, a full-service spa, and a fitness center.
Cowgirls Rockbar Orlando opened November 19 at I-Drive 360. The 7,000-square-foot casual restaurant and bar has seating for 300 people and is available for buyouts. DJs play a mix of country, pop, and rock music, and dancing on the bar is encouraged. The menu includes Southern fare such as barbecue brisket, pulled pork, crawfish, and andouille sausage. For the adventurous, there’s a mechanical bull—with padding underneath.
In October, Aloma Bowl in Winter Park finished yearlong, $450,000 renovation project. The work included lane improvements, updated scoring systems, additional arcade games, and new menu options in the Brooklyn South Bar and Grill. The venue has 32 lanes and is available for buyouts of as many as 500 people. There’s also a meeting room that holds 50 people for receptions.
Baoery is an Asian gastropub and the newest concept from Thornton Park Restaurant Group's executive chef and partner, Greg Richie. The name refers to bao, the steamed filled buns that are common in Chinese cuisine. The menu offers a mix of bao sandwiches along with salads, noodles, and chicken, pork, and seafood dishes. The restaurant seats 150 people, including in a semiprivate area for 25. There’s also seating for 50 people on the front patio. Baoery opened in Thornton Park in October.
