The Alfond Inn's expansion added 71 rooms.
There’s always something shiny and new to discover in Orlando. A recent fam trip showcased new and renovated hotels, upgraded event venues, Michelin-recommended restaurants, and activities for groups.
Home base for the week was the first Signia in the world, the 1,009-room Signia by Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek, which is less than two months from completing a $300 million renovation. New is the 90,000-square-foot Waterside event space, built over the Bonnet Creek waterways, adding a ballroom, seven meeting rooms, an outdoor patio, an event lawn and a screened lanai where attendees can watch the Epcot fireworks. The expansion brings the hotel's total meeting space to 240,000 square feet.
A hands-on lunch experience at the property had the group donning Hilton-branded aprons and going behind the scenes at La Luce, the property’s signature restaurant. The chefs doubled as comedians during a lesson in flatbread-making, an experience that is available for groups to book.
The deck at the Waldorf Astoria features two pools, private cabanas and a hot tub.The Waldorf Astoria Orlando, which is connected to the Signia, is in the final stages of a renovation that has refreshed all 502 rooms and the 60,000 square feet of event space.
The best meal of the week without a doubt was at the property’s Bull & Bear. Some highlights of the many courses were the tuna tartare Niçoise, the pasta explosion and the fried chicken. The eye-popping highlight of the restaurant's menu is the $100 baked potato topped with caviar, Iberico ham, sour cream and gold leaf.
The view from the Conrad Orlando's lobby.A hard-hat visit to the massive Conrad Orlando and Evermore Orlando Resort, part of the 1,100-acre Evermore Orlando development, offered a sneak peek at the 433-room Conrad, which opens Jan. 9. The hotel will feature nearly 65,000 square feet of meeting space and a rooftop restaurant with views of the Magic Kingdom fireworks.
The man-made lagoon at the Evermore ResortFormerly the Grand Cypress Golf Resort, the Evermore began welcoming guests on New Year’s Day. Accommodations include 206 apartment-style flats, 41 villas, and 69 homes with private pools. The properties are separated by an 8-acre, man-made lagoon, and the compound features two golf courses and a 20-acre tropical-beach complex.
What’s new in Winter Park
Activity options about 20 miles northeast in Winter Park, part of the greater Orlando area, include the Winter Park Scenic Boat Tour. The hour-long excursions through three lakes provide the history of Central Florida’s oldest community and a look at the waterfront estates. Each pontoon boat holds up to 18 passengers.
The pool deck at the Alfond Inn's spa has been updated.At the nearby Alfond Inn on the campus of Rollins College, all of the property’s proceeds go toward scholarships for students. The boutique hotel features 112 rooms, 10,000 square feet of meeting space and a rotating collection of contemporary art. A recent expansion added 71 rooms, a new spa with seven treatment rooms, a second fitness center and a lobby café.
The booming restaurant scene
Orlando now has 46 restaurants in the Michelin Guide Miami, Orlando and Tampa, including the Michelin-recommended Pinery. The bison and gnocchi was hearty, while the simple bread service was elevated by biscuits, cornbread and cinnamon-honey butter.
Newcomer Chima Brazilian Steakhouse debuted over the summer, serving a variety of meats and an all-you-can-eat salad bar. If you’ve never been to one of these Brazilian restaurants, don't be surprised when traditional gauchos (cowboys) walk around with different types of steak on a stick for you to choose the cut you want. Don’t skip the apple strudel or the tropical coconut delight for dessert.
On International Drive at the Pointe Orlando outdoor shopping center is a new spot for lunch. Kavas Tacos, a Mexican eatery that opened in May, hosts groups of up to 500 people.
Convention center expansion news
The Orange County Convention Center, which celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2023, will be expanding soon. The plans include an 80,000-square-foot ballroom, 60,000 square feet of new breakout rooms and a new entrance plaza. Though there isn’t an official groundbreaking date yet, officials hope to start construction this year with a completion date set for 2028 or 2029.
One of the facility's unique amenities is the in-house Orlando Health Virtual Care Center. Attendees can make telehealth appointments with an on-call doctor to be treated for anything from the flu to pink eye. But the most common complaint the clinic receives? Blisters from walking around the massive venue.
Transportation hub
An extra trip took the group to the airport — not to go home, but to tour the new Brightline Orlando station in Terminal C. Open since September, the high-speed train offers 16 round-trips to Miami a week, with stops throughout South Florida, including West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale. Though interstate travel is Brightline’s main purpose, groups can charter individual cars or entire trains for team outings.
Discovering Downtown Orlando
For gathering off site in downtown Orlando, Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts consists of two performance halls, a 300-seat community theater, a banquet room and a rooftop terrace. Steinmetz Hall, which opened in early 2022, is one of the few theaters in the world that can transform its shape. Every row in the orchestra level is on a separate track, allowing the seats to be removed or reconfigured.
Just across the street is the Grand Bohemian, which is completing an 18-month renovation. The project started with an upgrade to the 10,000 square feet of meeting space, the lobby, the restaurant and the lounge, followed by a transformation of the pool deck and all 246 rooms.
Menu standouts at the property’s signature restaurant, the Boheme, include Hunter’s charcuterie board, the farmer’s greens salad, and the pork chop with red chimichurri, stewed white beans and fresh herbs. For groups, a full buyout hosts up to 110 people.