In addition to the Reunion Grande, Ginn Reunion also opened Annika Academy, a new golf school from Swedish pro Annika Sorenstam, in April. Private chipping and putting greens ring the 5,400-square-foot teaching facility, and Sorenstam’s longtime coach, Henri Reis, is available to teach groups of eight. The resort also features three golf courses designed by Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, and Tom Watson.
Moving from golf to football, two new area resorts bear the imprimatur of a renowned Chicago Bears coach. November 2006 saw the debut of Mike Ditka’s Runaway Beach Club Resort in Kissimmee. The resort includes a fitness center and 192 one-, two-, and three-bedroom villas. In May 2007, Mike Ditka’s Lighthouse Key Resort and Spa unveiled its two-, three-, and four-bedroom villas, adjacent to a 69-acre recreational lake. Located 2.5 miles from Walt Disney World, the resort includes a billiard room, a large game room, a full-service spa, and a 50-seat movie theater available for events.
On the former site of the Hyatt Orlando, the Orlando Sun Resort by Lexington opened in October 2007 with 921 guest rooms and heated outdoor pools surrounded by courtyards with tropical landscaping. A 13,550-square-foot ballroom, 20,000-square-foot exhibit hall, and 22 meeting rooms are available for meetings and events.
In September 2007, the Grosvenor Resort, across the street from the Downtown Disney Marketplace, became Regal Sun Resort after completing a $25 million renovation that included remodeling all 626 guest rooms and suites, as well as 19,000 square feet of meeting space and lounges. The resort also doubled the size of its pool area and added the Lakeview restaurant overlooking Lake Buena Vista, as well as an adjacent bar.
This information was previously published in the 2008 BizBash National Venue Guide.
