Daytona Beach
Rolling Tides, Fast Cars & A New Image
By Christy Clark “We’re finding that more and more meeting and convention planners are rediscovering Daytona Beach,” said Tim Stockman, vice president of Ocean Waters Hotels and Resorts, a privately held Daytona Beach hospitality firm that manages 20 properties in the Daytona Beach area. “This area offers one of the most spectacular venues to host events and, yet, remains affordable.”
Long known as a spring break destination and as the home of NASCAR’s Daytona 500, the Daytona Beach area is combining its past, present and future to become a world-class meetings destination, said Sally Gardiner, director of convention sales for the Daytona Beach Area Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB). “This department and the city have worked diligently to overcome that spring break mentality. After 1990, the city, the CVB and the hoteliers formed a task force to reorient the way the Daytona Beach area is perceived.”
Group business tops the list of target audiences for the CVB, Gardiner said. “I think we have created a lot of awareness that we are here for meetings, and we hear from planners all the time that we surprise them,” she said. “Things are changing here and word is getting out that we are more than what we were years ago. We have a large amount of repeat business, and I think that says a lot about what Daytona Beach has to offer.”
Leading Daytona Beach’s efforts to transform into a prime meetings destination is the Ocean Center, a stand-alone convention and civic complex located 400 feet from the Atlantic Ocean. According to Lori Hunter, director of sales, the center is undergoing a $63 million renovation and expansion project. “We are adding 100,000 square feet of exhibition space and 30,000 square feet to the meeting rooms. When the expansion is complete, the Ocean Center will have 164,000 square feet of contiguous interior space.” Hunter said the expansion and renovation will be completed in October. The center also has a 14,000-square-foot banquet hall, 37 meeting rooms totaling 54,000 square feet, and a 10,000-seat arena, Hunter said.
23 miles of beaches, the Daytona International Speedway and enhanced meeting sites are just some of what destination marketing officials in Daytona Beach are touting. |
Located across the street from the Ocean Center is the Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort. “The Hilton is really a whole new property,” said Angela Cameron, director of marketing, adding that among the recent additions to the hotel is the Hyde Park Prime Steakhouse that opened in December 2007. Also newly opened is The Spa at the Hilton, which offers a variety of spa services. Other improvements include a new children’s recreation area that offers supervised activities. “This makes the Hilton a great place for meeting attendees who want to bring their families,” Cameron said. “We have 744 guest rooms, 60,000 square feet of meeting space and a total of 32 meeting rooms, which includes an 18,000-square-foot ballroom and an 8,600-square-foot ballroom. Both of these rooms can break down into eight smaller rooms. In addition, we have 9,000 square feet of pre-function space.” Cameron also said that the hotel offers seven restaurants and lounges and an expansive pool deck that overlooks the Atlantic Ocean.
Four of the properties that Ocean Waters Hotels and Resorts manages are The Plaza Resort and Spa, a 320-room resort with 32,000 square feet of meeting space; The Plaza Ocean Club Hotel with 206 guest rooms and 7,500 square feet of meeting space; the 238-room LaPlaya Resort and Suites with 3,800 square feet of meeting space; and the 193-room Surfside Hotel and Conference Center with 4,000 square feet of meeting space.
Stockman said that the Plaza Resort and Spa, one of the area’s most historic resorts, recently completed a multimillion-dollar renovation. “For more than 100 years, the Plaza Resort has been a sought-after destination for tourists around the world,” he said. “The new renovations have brought the historic hotel to a level of luxury that Daytona Beach has never seen before.”
Adjacent to the Plaza Resort and Spa and the Ocean Center, The Plaza Ocean Club Hotel is a full-service, beachfront resort.
The Wyndham Ocean Walk Resort, located near the Ocean Center, is a condo/hotel with 175 one-, two- and three-bedroom condominium units with full kitchens, said Bonnie Bastian, manager of corporate communications for Wyndham Vacation Ownership. “The Wyndham Ocean Walk features the space and amenities that appeal to meeting planners,” Bastian said, adding that the property offers 6,000 square feet of meeting space that includes a 4,000-square-foot ballroom. “Some of the resort’s best features are its oceanfront location, four heated pools, a nine-hole indoor miniature golf course, and an activities programs. Plus, the resort has recently added The Turtle’s Nest, a Tiki bar and grill with nine flat-screen TVs, and we have renovated our food and beverage area.”
Located at the northern end of Daytona Beach, the Daytona Beach Resort and Conference Center opens the Terra Aqua Spa this month. The resort offers 322 studio suites and 20,000 square feet of meeting space, said Carol Cullen, director of sales and marketing. “In addition to our meeting space, we have a large oceanfront pre-function space. Our entire property has wireless capability, and we recently hosted a meeting where 300 laptops were in use at one time. We are the only oceanfront property with a full service on-site business center.”
The El Caribe Resort and Conference Center comfortably hosts up to 300 people, said Sharon Norris, director of marketing. “We specialize in the religious conference market,” she said. The resort offers 112 oceanfront rooms with private balconies.
Another option is the recently renovated Fountain Beach Resort, which offers 1,350 square feet of meeting space and 129 guest rooms, each with a kitchen, according to Patti Barker, general manager.
Airport Area
Key Info · Sales Tax: 6.5 percent
· Hotel Tax: 11.5 percent |
Near the airport are numerous other options for groups, including the famous Daytona International Speedway. “Many people are surprised to find out that we can host meetings here, but we have approximately 250,000 square feet of space spread out around the speedway,” said Erika Zimmerman, the speedway’s event sales manager. “Here at the Daytona 500 Experience—formerly Daytona USA—we have the Bill France room that overlooks the attraction, and we have the attraction itself that can be used.” Other on-site venues include the Daytona 500 Club and Lounge located in the infield and overlooking Gatorade Victory Lane and the Boardwalk Club, an indoor/outdoor venue.
Located next to the speedway, the Ramada Inn Speedway offers 128 guest rooms and a 900-square-foot meeting room. “We have complimentary wireless Internet access throughout the property,” said Alexandra Cortez, sales manager.
The Hampton Inn Daytona Airport has 122 guest rooms and a 2,200-square-foot ballroom that can be divided into three rooms, said Anthony Sergio, director of sales. “We also have a business center on site as well as complimentary Internet access throughout the property. We offer a complimentary Continental breakfast every morning and provide shuttles to the airport.”
The Hilton Garden Inn - Airport has 115 guest rooms, some of which are junior and whirlpool suites, said Glenda Billings, director of sales. “We have 1,300 square feet of meeting space that breaks down into three rooms,” Billings said. “We also have a business center and a lounge, and have recently undergone a soft goods renovation.”
