Already one of the world’s most popular vacation destinations, Orlando is increasingly a go-to spot for conventiongoers, bringing in more than 10 million business travelers a year. And venues are keeping up with the demand. Orlando's hotels—and their ballrooms—just keep getting bigger. Here are five venues to check out.
1. In October 2007, the Orlando World Center Marriott Resort & Convention Center added the 105,000-square-foot Cypress Ballroom, the largest pillar-free ballroom in the country. When combined with the existing Palms Ballroom, the space can seat 9,000. The 2,000-room hotel now features more than 450,000 square feet of event space and 10 restaurants, including the 7,800-square-foot High Velocity sports bar, which opened in September 2008.
2. Another space retooling for increased business travel is the 800-room Rosen Plaza Hotel, adjacent to the Orange County Convention Center. The hotel completed a renovation of its 60,000 square feet of meeting space in March 2008. All of the meeting rooms, including the 26,000-square-foot Grand Ballroom, which holds 2,800 theater-style, were outfitted with custom Axminster woven carpets, gold Dansk lighting, and new furnishings throughout.
3. Also next to the convention center, the 1,400-room Hilton Orlando is slated to open in September. The 19-story hotel will be connected to the convention center by a pedestrian sky bridge and will feature 130,000 square feet of meeting space, including a 50,000-square-foot ballroom. Also on site: a 15,000-square-foot spa, a Spencer’s for Steaks and Chops restaurant, and an upscale sports bar.
4. Another massive meetings spot, the 1,001-room Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek is scheduled to open in October next to Disney World’s Epcot Center Drive. The hotel will offer 122,000 square feet of meeting space, including the 36,000-square-foot Bonnet Creek Ballroom, as well as an 18-hole golf course and a 24,000-square-foot spa and fitness center.
5. Opening simultaneously on the same 480-acre property is the 498-room Waldorf-Astoria Orlando, which will feature 28,000 square feet of meeting space, including an 8,100-square-foot ballroom. The hotel will also offer an outdoor pool surrounded by private cabanas and tropical landscaping, and four signature restaurants based on the offerings at the original Waldorf-Astoria in New York: the Bull and the Bear, Oscar’s American Brasserie, Peacock Alley, and Sir Harry’s Lounge.
This information was previously published in the 2009 BizBash National Venue Guide.
