The nation’s No. 1 meetings destination is set to bring new meeting venues and experiences for groups coming in 2024 and beyond (pictured: The Boathouse at Evermore Orlando Resort).
As Cvent’s No. 1 meeting destination in the country, Orlando understands the importance of continually adding new offerings for groups. This trend continues in 2024 as Orlando unveils new or expanded meeting experiences including the opening of new luxury hotels, restaurants, and innovative attractions and venues.
Here’s what to expect in the year to come for planners filling out their agendas or attendees turning their trip into a “bleisure” adventure.
New Hotels and Resorts
Evermore Orlando Resort, opening Jan. 1, is Orlando’s first beach-like property with an 8-acre Crystal Lagoon and a 20-acre sandy beach with hammocks, cabanas and recreational activities. Guests can enjoy family paddleboarding, mixology classes, sandcastle-building lessons and more. Evermore, which will have the world’s first touchless sunscreen application system, is thoughtfully built for large groups and families offering a range of 2- to 11-bedroom vacation homes.
Conrad Orlando, the destination’s first Hilton luxury brand, opens on Jan. 9 with 433 rooms, a spa, numerous dining options — including its signature rooftop experience — and 40,000 sq. ft. of indoor meeting space. Perfectly located at Evermore Orlando Resort, the property overlooks a golf course, a 2-story boathouse for private events, and Evermore Bay’s crystal lagoon and sandy beaches.
Discover: Meeting & Convention Hotels in Orlando
Aloft Orlando Lake Nona opens in January with 205 loft-style guestrooms, 15 suites, wellness facilities, a sports-themed restaurant and a 10,000-sq.-ft. event center. The vibrant hotel will welcome guests with eclectic decor and design nods to its music and technology roots that give each guestroom its own character.
Upgraded Hotels and Resorts
Waldorf Astoria® Orlando unveiled the new Central Park Ballroom, which offers an 8,000-plus-square-foot ballroom, nearly 2,600 square feet of pre-function space, and a planned 8,700-square-foot covered outdoor patio. The property also underwent a comprehensive, multi-phase reimagination that encompassed the resort’s rooms and suites, lobby space, select culinary outlets including the award-winning restaurant Bull & Bear®, Waldorf Astoria Spa, and prestigious 18-hole golf course.
Signia by Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek is elevating the meetings experience with the new Waterside expansion. This 2-story addition of over 90,000 square feet of meeting space will be located directly adjacent to the existing meeting space, overlooking the Bonnet Creek waterways. The Waterside expansion includes one ballroom, a screened lanai with incredible views of the Walt Disney World® Resort fireworks, an outdoor patio, event lawn, and seven additional meeting rooms.
The Grand Bohemian Hotel Orlando, in downtown Orlando, completed a comprehensive renovation with new additions — like the upscale Altira Rooftop Pool Lounge where your attendees can savor seasonally influenced dishes and specialty cocktails — and reimagined spaces like the property’s signature restaurant, The Boheme, as well as the Bösendorfer Lounge and guestrooms. The hotel includes over 10,000 square feet of meeting space.
JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes completed several multimillion-dollar renovations in 2023. The property’s new amenities and offerings include: an expansive waterpark, refreshed guestrooms and suites, the introduction of inspired executive family suites, and a redesigned and upgraded lobby lounge. There is over 144,000 square feet of functional space for planners to incorporate into their events.
The Alfond Inn at Rollins College, the award-winning boutique hotel in the heart of historic Winter Park, renovated 112 existing rooms and suites and added an additional 71 luxury guestrooms and suites, and a lobby cafe. The expansion also included a new meeting room and boardroom, providing an additional 2,400 square feet to the existing meeting and functions rooms. In addition, a new spa features seven treatment rooms, a new fitness area and added meeting space.
Caribe Royale Orlando is debuting Stadium Club in January. This 500-seat, sports-themed facility, located just 3 miles from popular theme parks, will feature eight pro-level sports simulators, two bars and several areas for private events.
Premium Business Travel
Planners can now turn the journey into the event after the fall 2023 launch of Brightline Orlando. Carrying passengers from Miami, with stops in Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, to Orlando, the high-speed railway offers 16 daily trips.
Delivering a seamless journey from departure to arrival with exceptional comfort and convenience, Brightline features upscale amenities such as meticulously hand-stitched leather seats, complimentary onboard Wi-Fi, and delicious food and beverages.
Discover: Brightline FAQs
Planners can curate meetings and events by hosting in-station board meetings in one of Brightline’s incredible event spaces or add onboard entertainment on your trip to or from Orlando.
Brightline Orlando Station presented by Orlando Health is conveniently located next to the new South Terminal Complex at Orlando International Airport (MCO). The new terminal adds 15 gates and includes a seamless, low-touch environment with a state-of-the-art radio frequency baggage system, plus numerous shops, restaurants and lounge facilities.
New Dining and Entertainment in the Convention District
Pointe Orlando, dubbed a playground for adults with or without kids, will debut a trio of new indoor/outdoor entertainment spaces, including Sports & Social, a place to watch and play games such as Skee-Ball and Foosball; a PBR Cowboy Bar, featuring a mechanical bull and multiple bars; and Live! Plaza, an incredible space for special events, live music, sports watching, festivals and more.
AREA15, Las Vegas’ award-winning immersive and experiential art, entertainment, dining and retail district, is coming to Orlando with distinctive attractions, interactive art installations and ground-breaking technology.
Arcade Monsters is opening its fifth location of the video-game bar and restaurant later this month in Orlando’s International Drive. Menu items include classic bar food such as hot dogs, loaded fries, and pizza. The purchase of a wristband enables visitors of all ages to play unlimited classic arcade games.
EET, the only Indian-inspired restaurant in Disney Springs®, is now open. Created by Food Network’s Maneet Chauhan, who is most known for her role as a permanent judge on Chopped, the new eatery features traditional Indian flavors with modern flair.
Summer House on the Lake, a lakeside eatery with California-inspired cuisine, also opened at Disney Springs, featuring local and sustainable ingredients, water views, a signature Rosé cart with rotating bottles, and a dedicated Cookie Bar with 15 varieties of oversized cookies available daily.
Chuck Lager America’s Tavern is set to open its eighth location, and fourth in Florida, from Top Chef alumnus, Fabio Viviani. While known for its craft bourbons, the Tavern will also offer classics, like nachos, burgers, flatbreads and tacos.
New Restaurants and Venues in Orlando’s Neighborhoods and Districts
Natsu Omakase, an exclusive 10-seat sushi omakase concept, will open this month in downtown Orlando. The new concept will offer omakases that are innovative and seasonal, created with the finest ingredients available.
Discover: Orlando Dining
Moso Nori, a new concept by James Beard Award finalist Chef Henry Moso of the MICHELIN Recommended Kabooki Sushi, is expected to open in Winter Park next summer. The new restaurant will feature a hand-roll bar, serving a variety of temaki, sake, beer, wine and sake-based cocktails.
Flûtes Champagne Bar, a 40-seat French-inspired champagne bar, will celebrate the timeless art of champagne-making in a sophisticated and luxurious environment. Nestled in the heart of Winter Park, the bar will bring the elegance, culture and flavors of France with a curated selection of exquisite champagnes.
Mid Drive Dive, an all-new midcentury-inspired bar and restaurant serving elevated American classics, is set to open on Edgewater Drive in the heart of the College Park neighborhood. The locally owned restaurant strives to be a welcoming and friendly space for people of all ages, serving classic snacks, salads, sandwiches and mains.
Judson’s Live, an intimate, 150-seat, cabaret-style music space with unparalleled sound and a scratch-kitchen menu, will debut on Feb. 6. Tucked inside downtown Orlando’s Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, the venue invites guests to discover new music in the span of a 50-minute performance. The venue is available for private events.
New Attractions at the Theme Parks
SeaWorld® Orlando will debut Penguin Trek, an immersive indoor/outdoor family launch coaster that will end in the park’s penguin habitat featuring snowmobile-style cars in spring.
Discover: Meeting and Convention Venues
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is coming to Magic Kingdom® Park at Walt Disney World Resort.
It will take guests on a musical adventure inspired by the fan-favorite film showcasing the beloved characters.
Universal Studios Florida will debut an all-new themed land featuring DreamWorks Animations’ animated characters in an immersive and interactive experience in the coming year.
Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana, officially opened to the public in October and encourages guests of all ages to explore and engage with water as it travels through the water cycle at EPCOT® at Walt Disney World Resort.
2025 and Beyond
Universal Orlando Resort’s Epic Universe will feature a new theme park, an entertainment center, hotels, shops, restaurants and more when it opens in 2025 a few miles from Universal Orlando’s current theme parks. Guests will venture beyond their wildest imagination, traveling into beloved stories and through vibrant lands on adventures where the journey is as astounding as the ultimate destination.
Universal Stella Nova Resort and Universal Terra Luna Resort, each featuring 750 guest rooms, are slated to open in early 2025. Universal Stella Nova Resort is inspired by distant galaxies, new stars and mysterious black holes, while Universal Terra Luna Resort is inspired by the massive and diverse planetary elements of the universe.
Sports Illustrated Resorts, a premium lifestyle resort concept from the Sports Illustrated Brand, is expected to open in late 2025. Offerings will range from live action sports and entertainment to quality dining, wellness and relaxation, including a lazy river and water slides, and activities such as ziplining, rock climbing, go-karting, a slingshot attraction, shopping and on-site restaurants.
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