Here's a look at new Miami/South Florida eateries, drinking spots, hotels, conference areas, private rooms, and other spaces for all types of summer entertaining and events. The new and renovated Miami/South Florida venues are available for corporate parties, fund-raisers, outdoor events, business dinners, teambuilding activities, conferences, meetings, weddings, and more.
Formerly the Marco Island Marriott Beach Resort, Golf Club & Spa, the rebranded JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort will complete its $320 million renovation project later this summer. The new Lanai Tower exceeds 100,000 square feet of meeting space, featuring two ballrooms, five outdoor terraces, and numerous breakout rooms. The 30,000-square-foot Calusa Grand Ballroom overlooks the Gulf of Mexico and holds 3,150 for receptions. The tower’s new restaurant, 10K Alley, doubling as both a gastro-pub and a gaming emporium, has a capacity of 500 for reception.
Situated steps away from the Brickell City Centre, SLS LUX Brickell is a luxury hotel and residential building. Two dining options are available on the ground floor for private events: Katsuya, a unique sushi restaurant that seats 180, and S Bar, an urban, bohemian chic lounge that seats 85. Penthouse residents have access to the rooftop level that includes an outdoor lounge area with a pool, a barbeque grill, and views of the Biscayne Bay and the Miami skyline. The 57-floor tower opened June as the third SLS-branded property in Miami.
Cafeina is a restaurant, lounge, and gallery in the Wynwood Art District that reopened March after being remodelled. The venue now features tropical modernist decor, a Colombian-Asian Fusion menu, and new craft cocktails. The multi-room space includes a 1,560-square-foot lounge and mezzanine area, a 1,000-square-foot gallery, and a 5,000-square-foot outdoor garden for lounging and dining. The venue holds 800 guests for reception or seats 100. Cafeina is available for full or partial buyouts.
Overlooking the Gulf of Mexico and surrounded by a mangrove estuary, Naples Grande Beach Resort unveiled 50 newly renovated signature Garden Villa Suites in March. The resort has more than 83,000 square feet of meeting space, including the 14,442-square-foot Royal Palm Ballroom that accommodates 1,660 guests for receptions or in a theater-style setting. The hotel also offers the Mangrove Pool with a capacity of 750 for a poolside reception or banquet.
Six months after Hurricane Irma devastated the resort’s lobby and landscaping, Cheeca Lodge & Spa on Islamorada in the Florida Keys completed a $25 million renovation and reopened in March. The 214-room oceanside resort—suited for corporate retreats, meetings, fishing tournaments, and more—has 4,600 square feet of updated indoor event space, including the Bougainvilla Ballroom that seats 150 at banquet rounds. It also offers several outdoor venues, including a 520-foot fishing pier that accommodates events of as many as 200 guests.
Etaru Las Olas is a contemporary Japanese Robatayaki cuisine restaurant that opened June 21 at the Related Group’s new luxury rental Icon Las Olas in downtown Fort Lauderdale. The space features industrial-chic design coupled with touches of wood and pops of color. It follows the Etaru in Hallandale Beach as the second location in South Florida. The restaurant covers 6,081 square feet indoors and 3,584 square feet outdoors and has a total capacity of 293 seats. It is available for buyouts.
Embassy Suites by Hilton Miami International Airport completed a $10 million renovation March that included its 12,000 square feet of meeting space. The project brightened the ambiance and updated amenities of the 318-suite hotel. The 3,432-square-foot Grand Ballroom accommodates 390 guests theater-style or 300 for banquets.
Originally designed by Art Deco architect Roy France, Cadillac Hotel & Beach Club in Miami Beach is part of Marriott International’s Autograph Collection Hotels of independent hotels. The 357-room property is set to open late July after a multimillion-dollar renovation. It will offer several indoor and outdoor event spaces, including the Golden Palms Ballroom that opens up to the Serenity Pool. The 2,585-square-foot ballroom holds 204 guests for a reception, while the 3,700-square-foot pool deck holds another 200.
The O.G. cocktail bar embodies the image of a time capsule with its retro-theme design aspects, including an original Ms. Pac Man arcade machine. The bar takes on the facade of a local general store, “Oceanside Grocers,” with its vintage storefront-style windows. It also displays fresh produce in market-style crates until they are used in the cocktails. The bar consists of seating areas and a small lounge, accommodating about 60 guests with complimentary popcorn and a menu of homespun craft cocktails. An outdoor space is also available, and is used as both a communal garden and a local market. The O.G. is located in Delray Beach and opened in April.
Located in Sunny Isles Beach, Biella Ristorante offers traditional Italian food with its own twists. Pasta specialties are made in-house and include Spaghetti Artigianali with homemade whole wheat pasta and sautéed shrimp, creamy vodka sauce, caviar, and fresh ricotta cheese. The menu also provides several shareable plate options. Opened in April, the 5,500-square-foot restaurant has a sophisticated atmosphere and seats 151 indoors and 28 outdoors.
