New Accommodations, Adventures and Culinary Offerings Highlight What's New in the Florida Keys & Key West for Spring 2015

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New Accommodations, Adventures and Culinary Offerings Highlight What's New in the Florida Keys & Key West for Spring 2015 The Florida Keys & Key West offer new and exciting adventures on land and at

1 New Accommodations, Adventures and Culinary Offerings Highlight What's New in the Florida Keys & Key West for Spring 2015 The Florida Keys & Key West offer new and exciting adventures on land and at sea, as well as a variety of renovated accommodations for visitors looking for a springtime getaway. Explore the highlights here: Keys Adventures Visitors to Key West can get a birds'-eye view of the diverse marine life, turquoise waters and colorful sunsets that surround the southernmost island with Air Adventures Helicopter Tours. Groups of up to three people can choose from four helicopter rides that highlight different aspects of Key West, including a 30-minute sunset excursion where guests can enjoy a glass of champagne. Tours start at $69 per person. Custom tours and flight training also are available. For information, visit Indian Key Historic State Park now offers walking tours led by local historian Brad Bertelli of the Historic Upper Keys Walking Tour Company. The 11-acre island includes the remains of a shipwreck salvage community from the 1830s, with several hundred yards of well-maintained trails that line the interior of the island. In its opening months, the tour will be offered Saturdays at 1 p.m. only. Cost is $13 per person. Reservations are required. For more information, visit Keys Accommodations Pelican Cove Resort and Marina was the first of four properties of Islamorada Resort Co. to complete property-wide renovations and reopen to guests. All 63 waterfront guestrooms and suites were redecorated and upgraded with modern amenities. Décor features light wood furnishings, original artwork and a sand-hued color palette with splashes of tropical brightness. In addition to enhancements to the meeting areas, pool and restaurant, Pelican Cove now offers a variety of programs including yoga, paddleboarding, sunrise oil painting and a macramé beading class. For more information, visit Visitors to the Upper Keys now can enjoy the Amara Cay Resort. Located in Islamorada, the upscale boutique hotel has reopened after an extensive multimilliondollar revitalization to the property that was formerly known as the Islamorada Resort. The 88 standard rooms and 22 suites evoke the atmosphere of a contemporary seaside cottage. Renovations also included updating outdoor amenities, redesigning all public spaces and creating a 60-seat Italian-style eatery called Oltremare Ristorante. For more informantion, visit Glunz Ocean Beach Hotel & Resort, located in Marathon s Key Colony Beach, has recently acquired an additional eight villas all with three bedrooms and three bathrooms to join the existing renovated oceanfront hotel. Each villa is about 2,300 square feet and includes an enclosed two-car garage, fully equipped kitchen and private balcony facing the ocean. For more information, visit

2 Bringing a little New Orleans flavor to America's southernmost island city is The Saint Hotel Key West, located in the island's picturesque historic district. Previously the Southern Cross Hotel, the property now features a new pool and cabana area, a sprawling lobby bar and a 75-person balcony overlooking famed Duval Street. In addition, 37 guest rooms and six suites have been renovated. Both vintage and deluxe room options are available, all designed in a restful cobalt blue and white color scheme. For more information, visit Keys Food and Drink Visitors can taste their way through the history and flavors of Key West with Made in Key West Food Tours. The current food circuit is the Southernmost Food Tour, which stops at six different restaurants, enabling participants to sample Bahamian and Cuban cuisines, local seafood and tropical fruits. During this one-mile three-hour tour, participants will also stop at Key West landmarks and lesser-known sites and discover architectural, historic and cultural tidbits that add to the experience. Tours begin at 11:30 a.m. and take place rain or shine. The cost is $65 for adults and $45 for children. For tour dates and more information, visit Keys Culture A 14,000-square-foot Art Deco building is now the new home of The Studios of Key West. Situated just off the island city's famed Duval Street, the new location features two dedicated exhibition spaces for contemporary art, nine studios for practicing artists in varying disciplines, two classrooms, a cutting-edge media lab and a soon-to-open 200- seat professional theater. The Studios of Key West is a not-for-profit cultural organization that promotes arts and culture in Key West through classes, performances, lectures, gallery exhibits, partnership projects and special events. For more information, visit For the full news release, visit

3 fla-keys.com/media ASK-KEYS Contact: NewmanPR Andy Newman/Carol Shaughnessy New and Enhanced Accommodations to Host Keys Travelers FLORIDA KEYS Accommodations options in the Florida Keys, like the island chain itself, reflect a colorful diversity of cultural and historic influences. Visitors eager to discover these influences can stay in resort hotels frequented by playwrights and presidents, inns evolved from stately homes that once sheltered cigar barons and shipwreck salvagers, Victorian gems built by merchants and millionaires, or even former fish camps exuding rustic waterfront charm. Whether newly constructed or carefully restored, the lodging properties from Key Largo to Key West are rich in atmosphere and amenities. From late 2014 through 2015 nine new properties, comprising just over 1,000 rooms, and a number of renovated lodgings are to welcome Keys visitors. Like the current accommodations options, each will showcase aspects of the island chain s attractions and appeal. They begin at the head of the Keys in Key Largo with the elegant Playa Largo Resort and Spa, the newest hotel to join Marriott s Autograph Collection, set to open in late The 14-acre waterfront resort features 144 luxury rooms and suites. Amenities include a private marina, multiple bars and restaurants, fullservice spa and fitness offerings, a beach house for private or corporate functions, wedding and conference facilities including a ballroom, a secluded white sand beach and much more. In Islamorada, four leading lodgings Postcard Inn Beach Resort at Holiday Isle, La Siesta Resort, Pelican Cove Resort & Marina and the Islamorada Resort now comprise the Islamorada Resort Company and are to see significant enhancements. The first of this group of properties to complete renovations was Pelican Cove Resort and Marina, which re-opened in January All of the 63 waterfront guestrooms and suites were redecorated and upgraded with modern amenities. In addition to enhancements to the meeting areas, pool and restaurant, Pelican Cove now offers a variety of programs including yoga, paddleboarding, sunrise oil painting and a macramé beading class. Particularly notable is the spring 2015 re-launch of the Islamorada Resort as Amara Cay Resort, an upscale boutique hotel. Property renovations included increasing the number of rooms and suites to 110, updating outdoor amenities and creating an Italian-style eatery. Guests can anticipate daily food and

4 beverage experiences and a Mercedes shuttle to Islamorada s most popular locales. Also in Islamorada, after a yearlong multi-million dollar renovation, the Islander Resort has joined the expanding collection of Guy Harvey Outpost Resorts. Renovations include upgrades throughout both the main 114-unit oceanside property and the 25-unit bayside marina townhouse compound. The small collection of Guy Harvey Outpost resorts and lodges showcases Harvey s the marine wildlife art, scientific research and conservation advocacy. Vacationers should be able to spot The Faro Blanco Resort & Yacht Club with ease: it incorporates the famed Faro Blanco Lighthouse, a Middle Keys landmark since the 1950s. With the lighthouse as its beacon, the recently opened Marathon property features an upscale 125-room Hyatt Place hotel with two pools, a fitness center, meeting space and a waterfront restaurant and outdoor bar called Lighthouse Grill. Boaters can enjoy a 74-slip state-of-the art marina capable of handling vessels up to 100 feet long. At the southernmost tip of the Keys island chain lies eclectic, artistic Key West and travelers now are welcomed at the island s entrance by The Gates Hotel Key West. With the first building opened in spring 2015 and the second set for July, the new 245-room hotel blends refined luxury, minimalist design, artwork, food and music into a chic and comfortable lodging experience. Guest rooms feature whitewashed beams, custom cypress platform beds and photography from an exclusive local gallery. Other highlights include the Rum Row bar, two large swimming pools with cabanas and daybeds, a restaurant featuring breakfast, lunch and dinner, fitness and business centers, and a distinctive atmosphere reminiscent of old Key West. The southernmost city s Historic Seaport, one of the most popular gathering places for visitors and residents alike, houses a lively diversity of restaurants, shops and attractions. The district s newest gem is The Marker Waterfront Resort, a two-acre luxury property that debuted in December The 96-room resort combines a modern and timeless aesthetic with the free spirit and tropical nature of the Key West community. Four room categories are available, offering marina, pool, garden and Old Town views. Surrounded by lush landscaping, guests can relax and swim at multiple swimming pools, complete with poolside cocktail service, savor Cali-Mex inspired cuisine at the on-site Cero Bodega or enjoy the ocean view. Located on the heart of Duval Street, the classic Crowne Plaza Key West La Concha has recently undergone significant renovations to the 160-unit property. The hotel lobby has been upgraded with stylish parquet flooring and shades of ivory, white and mahogany adorn all interiors from the seating area to the bar lounge. La Concha guests can enjoy enhanced restaurant offerings at the new 430 Duval and a vast selection of fine wines from around the world at the Wine-O

5 wine bar. La Concha has also completed, Top Spa, a new spa located on the top floor of the building. The indulgent spa menu includes three- and four-hour packages including everything from body treatments and facials to nail services and massages. Another Duval Street property is set to see a major change in spring The Southern Cross Hotel has been purchased by the owner of the Saint Hotel New Orleans and will transform and rebrand into the Saint Hotel Key West. The historic two-story building will feature 37 renovated guest rooms and six suites. Also featured will be a large landscaped pool, cabana area, sprawling lobby bar and 75-person balcony overlooking Duval Street. Appealing as they are, these are only a handful of the Keys properties debuting enhancements or scheduled to open in the coming months. Others include Islamorada s renovated Smuggler s Cove Resort and Marina, Marathon s new Courtyard by Marriott, the renovated Tranquility Bay Beach House Resort, Captain Pip s Marina & Hideaway and the recently purchased Banana Bay Resort & Marina. Key West is set to see several new properties including the Fairfield Inn & Suites and Hilton Garden Inn debuting in spring 2015 as well as renovations to the recently purchased Doubletree Grand Key Resort, Spindrift Hotel, Southwinds Motel, Ocean Breeze Inn, Olivia by Duval, and La Te Da Hotel. The 125-mile Florida Keys island chain is characterized by a rich natural environment, flourishing creative community, balmy subtropical climate, and a friendly laidback vibe that seems worlds away from everyday cares. These new and revitalized properties with their diverse designs, amenities, prices and location will add their own unique flavors to the intriguing mix as they welcome visitors eager to experience and explore the Keys. -30-

DESTINATION l. EATS Listings, Reviews & Sample Menus from the Keys Top Restaurants. Good MEDIA PLANNER

DESTINATION l. EATS Listings, Reviews & Sample Menus from the Keys Top Restaurants. Good MEDIA PLANNER MEDIA PLANNER SPRING 2016 DESTINATION l FLORIDA KEYS & KEY WEST LOBSTER MANIA Marathon s Original Seafood Festival +35 Other Fun Happenings XPLORE Great Things To See & Do From Key West To Key Largo Marine