AT THIS WEEK'S ASTA congress in Honolulu,
delegates were reminded that Greater Miami will play host to the
October 2003 event. Both the Greater Miami Convention &
Visitors Bureau and the Port of Miami were planning to welcome
attendees during the final evening event in Hawaii. CVB officials
also took pride in announcing that the American
Speech-Language-Hearing Assn. selected the Miami Beach Convention
Center for its November 2006 annual meeting, which is expected to
attract more than 12,000 attendees.
THE BREAKERS, Palm Beach, introduced a 15%
commission policy applicable to new leisure reservations involving
stays completed by Dec. 19. To qualify, agents must mention booking
code TAPB15. The property also is extending resort activity credits
ranging from $100 to $600 per room, depending on the length and
dates of stay. For information, call (888) BREAKERS or check the
Web site, www.thebreakers.com.
ALSO IN PALM BEACH, Jan. 2 to Feb. 8, the
Society of the Four Arts will be the site of "Becoming a Nation," a
traveling exhibit of historic objects belonging to the U.S. State
Dept. Included is a painting of the Pilgrims at Plymouth Rock;
artwork by Paul Revere and Benjamin West's 1772 painting of William
Penn offering a treaty to the Indians of Pennsylvania. For
information, call (561) 655-2776.
LODGEPODGE
• The Holiday Inn Town Center, Boca Raton, was acquired for $8.5
million by Norwalk, Conn.-based HEI Hospitality, which plans to
begin a $2.2 million renovation of the 182-unit property by the
third quarter of 2003. The renovation includes the addition of
1,500 square feet of meeting space. The hotel will be run by an HEI
subsidiary, Smilezzzz. (Yeah, it's got four Zs.)
• In Tampa, CNL Financial Group, Orlando, will break ground early
next year on a 300-room Renaissance hotel at International Plaza.
It will have 9,500 square feet of meeting space, a fitness center
and restaurant when it opens in 2004.
• Boca Resorts, Boca Raton, posted a net loss of $9.1 million for
the quarter ended Sept. 30 vs. the same quarter of 2001. The 2002
quarter reflected a $6.8 million increase in revenue thanks largely
to a strong performance by the Boca Raton Resort & Club.
However, there was a slower recovery by the rest of the portfolio:
Registry Resort at Pelican Bay, the Edgewater Beach Hotel and
Naples Grande Golf Club, all in Naples; the Hyatt Regency Pier 66
Hotel and Marina and the Bahia Mar Resort and Yachting Center and
Grande Oaks Golf Club, all in Fort Lauderdale. In addition,
operating expenses were $3 million higher during the past quarter
vs. the same period of 2001, reaching $55.5 million.
OPENINGS
• Debuting in St. Petersburg in mid-January is a 91-room Hampton
Inn & Suites, offering 1,200 square feet of meeting space and a
fitness center. The owner is JMC Communities Inc.
• A spring 2003 opening is set for the 183-room Hilton Garden Inn
on Pensacola Beach. It will have a business center, restaurant,
exercise area, indoor pool and 10,000 square feet of meeting
space.
• The National Hotel, Miami Beach, opened its 32-unit Cabana Wing
overlooking the hotel's signature 205-foot pool. Each unit has a
27-inch flat screen TV with built-in DVD, video and CD player as
well as Web TV. Rates through Dec. 26 are from $299 per night; $319
on Friday and Saturday. For information, call (800) 550-0505.
SPECIAL RATES
• A $99 nightly minimum room rate, including a hot breakfast and
weeknight snacks, is offered by the new Residence Inn at Aventura
Mall, near North Miami, for stays of 30 or more days in a studio
unit through Dec. 19. The 191-unit extended stay property has an
exercise room, four meeting rooms, and in-room high-speed Internet
link. Commissions of up to 10% are offered to agents who complete
the Marriott Hotel Sales Specialist course. For information, call
(800) 331-3131. The Web site is www.residenceinn.com/miara.
• A $73 per night Chill Out rate for a suite is extended by the
Edgewater Beach Resort, Panama City, on stays through Feb. 28. For
information, call (800) 874-8686 or check the Web site, www.edgewaterbeachresort.com.
• In another deal, South Beach Hotel Group's Whitelaw in Miami
Beach, provides the fourth night free when three are prepaid from
$297 double (which breaks down to $99 per night). In addition, the
49-room hotel is offering some $400 worth of services no extra
cost, such as airport transfers, a continental breakfast, nightly
cocktails, guaranteed nightclub admission and gym access. For
information, call (305) 398-7000 or check the Web site www.whitelawhotel.com.