With an ambitious expansion underway, one of the country’s
last independent grand hotels sets a high standard.
By John Buchanan
Grand Ballroom, Peabody Orlando
The 891-room Peabody Orlando Hotel, which will increase its room count to 1,641 when a $25 million expansion project is completed in the fall of 2010, is a living symbol of a sadly bygone era – when the best local hotels were distinctly individual, with amenities perfectly matched to their destination and service that reached beyond a headline in their advertising.
The Peabody Orlando, one of only two Orlando hotels to hold Mobil Four Star and AAA Four Diamond Awards simultaneously (the other is the Ritz-Carlton Orlando Grande Lakes), meets each of those benchmarks, with a style and flair that set it apart from most of its competitors.
Continue reading ‘The Peabody Orlando: A rare gem of a meeting hotel’
How’s this for a teambuilding exercise (or a display of
Alpha-male attendee bravado)? Wrestle an alligator.
By Conover C. Brown
Protected habitat for man and beast
It’s no secret that Florida is a wildly popular meeting destination. Yet only a relatively small number of meeting groups ever experience the truly wild side of the Sunshine State. For planners inclined to right that balance, or those looking for a truly unique kind of teambuilding experience, Gatorland, located just a few minutes from Orlando’s major hotels, offers a memorable diversion.
Opened as yet another roadside attraction in the flourishing postwar Florida of 1949, Gatorland has grown to become one of the country’s most unusual attractions. Not to be confused with the carnival-inspired “gator wrestling” at lesser venues, Gatorland has been involved in and helped fun alligator research and restoration for years.
Continue reading ‘Up close and personal: Gatorland offers unique venue’