Here's a look at new Miami/South Florida eateries, drinking spots, hotels, conference areas, private rooms, and other spaces to open for events this spring. The new and renovated Miami/South Florida venues are available for corporate parties, weddings, fund-raisers, outdoor functions, business dinners, teambuilding activities, conferences, meetings, and more.
A new $7 million waterpark debuted at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa near Naples. Opened in November, the waterpark has three waterslides and a heated lazy river pool—welcome amenities for families accompanying meeting delegates to conferences at the resort. The waterpark was designed by EDSA architects—whose projects include the pools at Atlantis on Paradise Island in the Bahamas—and comes in addition to the resort’s three existing pools. Overall, the 454-room resort offers 85,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space as well as an 18-hole golf course, a 19,000-square-foot spa, and access to the resort’s private island.
Tatel Miami, a new restaurant at the Ritz-Carlton, South Beach, comes with a celebrity pedigree with partners including the singer Enrique Iglesias, tennis champion Rafael Nadal, and N.B.A. star Pau Gasol. It’s the second location of the restaurant following the concept’s debut in Madrid. Executive chef Nicolas Mazier, formerly of Nobu Miami, oversees a menu of Spanish fare combining dishes from the Madrid location as well as those new for Miami. The space seats 200 diners across its dining room, lounge, bar, and private dining room located behind the DJ booth. There are two semiprivate dining areas as well.
W Fort Lauderdale finished the first phase of a $55 million renovation in December. The redesign, from Meyer Davis Studio, touches all 430 guest rooms as well as the property’s indoor and outdoor spaces including the lobby and Wet Deck East. Future phases of the expansion include a new 4,000-square-foot ballroom. Adding to its dining options, the hotel has opened Sushi, a sushi bar on the fourth floor, and plans to debut a new dining option from Stephen Starr Restaurants in the fall to complement its existing steak house Steak 954 from the restaurateur.
Copa Room, a massive Miami Beach nightclub, opened in January. Positioned as an “all-inclusive entertainment complex,” the venue offers an open bar and entertainment including acrobats, cabaret dancers, and other performers. The main room has three bars, a main theater-style stage, a smaller stage in the middle of the room, a dance floor and table seating, while the club level offers private lounge seating. The lobby has its own bar as well as pool tables, arcade games, and flat-screen TVs. The space holds 1,800 people.
Hilton Marco Island Beach Resort & Spa debuted a $40 million renovation in January. The 310-room resort, located off Florida’s Gulf coast, now has upgraded suites including new luxury family suites, as well as a new outdoor pool and enhanced spa. A new indoor/outdoor space, the Deck at 560 Bar & Restaurant, is being billed as the property’s design focal point. A new beachfront event lawn is planned for the fall. Overall, the property has 15,000 square feet of meeting and event space.
New from chef Paula DaSilva is Artisan Beach House, which opened in January at the Ritz-Carlton Bal Harbour, Miami. A collaboration with restaurant and nightlife impresario Seth Greenberg’s Sterling Group Management, the waterfront restaurant features indoor and outdoor dining and lounge space as well as spaces dedicated for private events. The setting offers views of the Atlantic Ocean and Haulover Cut. DaSilva’s menu is billed as serving “soulful, rustic cuisine” such as cassoulet and paella made with local ingredients.
Turnberry Isle Miami has a new spa, Âme Spa & Wellness Collective, which opened in January following a $2.5 million renovation of the space. Part of the hotel’s three-level spa and fitness center—all connected by a grand spiral staircase—the space has 22 individual and couples treatment rooms. The spa offers an extensive menu of more than 70 services including several types of massages as well as sound therapy, aromatherapy, cupping, and more. It also has its own programming of events including wellness retreats. Overall, the resort offers 40,000 square feet of meeting space.
The luxury auto showroom and art gallery Lou La Vie moved into a new, larger location in the Wynwood Arts District in February. The 28,000-square-foot space is spread over several levels. For events, there is a 5,000-square-foot covered terrace and another 5,000-square-foot space on the first floor. The second-floor Members Club is designed for exotic car enthusiasts and can be booked in conjunction with a first-floor rental. The gallery can display its collection of vintage cars during events—or offer the space without them.
The bright and airy restaurant and café OTL opened in Miami’s design district in January, offering counter service downstairs and an open space upstairs for community programming and private events. Totaling 7,000 square feet, the space has clean lines, light woods, and pops of South Beach color such as flamingo pink and teal. The upstairs space—which owners envision being used for pop-ups, panel discussions, yoga classes, and more–can hold 120 people for reception-style events.
The AC Hotel Miami Beach has a new cocktail bar, Gin & Collins. The signature cocktail is the gin and tonic—a popular drink in AC Hotels’ native Spain—and the menu features six variations on the drink with various combinations of gin, tonic, and garnishes. Its food menu includes Mexican and Caribbean dishes. The lounge’s design skews contemporary with leather banquettes and armchairs and a neutral color palette in greys and creams. The space is available for buyouts and holds 80 for reception-style events in its main room and seats 11 at the bar.
