Upping the ante: a surge in upscale hotels gives Miami-Dade a leg up on the convention and corporate meetings market

South Florida CEO, Jan-Feb, 2005 by Rowland Stiteler

But perhaps the most significant opening in the coming year involves what Talbert calls the "once-and-future largest convention hotel in South Florida," the newly renovated Fontainebleau Hilton in Miami Beach. With 190,000 square feet of meeting and convention space, the beachfront hotel has been a star player in the South Florida convention business since it first opened in 1954.

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In late 2005, the Fontainebleau is scheduled to open a new 36-story condo tower on the south end of its property, adding another 462 units to its current 920. Because the condo units will be available for rental as hotel rooms when not in use by their owners, Talbert says the additional rooms push the Fontainebleau past its Broward County competitor, the 998-room Westin Diplomat, a short drive north.

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"The name of the game in the convention business is room blocks, and with this expansion, the Fontainebleau will offer the biggest room block in South Florida," Talbert says. "When you consider that the Fontainebleau is next door to the Renaissance Eden Roc Resort & Spa (with 349 rooms) you've got a room-block potential there that will be attractive to lots of larger conference groups."

Overnight Visitors to Greater Miami

             Visitors

      Domestic   International

2001  5,044,800    5,322,900
2002  5,462,300    4,649,200
2003  5,746,800    4,486,900
2004  6,008,800    5,051,000

Source: Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau Fiscal year October 1
through September 30

Note: Table made from bar graph.