Miami Shows Some North Of The Border Love

“Miami is like an adolescent,” says Suzie Sponder. “It’s always going through changes.”

Sponder is the new senior director of communications for the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau for the U.S. and Canada. She was in Toronto on a cool and snowy late February night, along with a dozen or so representatives showing off sleek hotels, great family attractions, top cruise lines and surprising destinations in the Miami area.

“Lots of cities say this, but Miami truly is a city that continues to evolve,” Sponder told Canadian travel trade journalists. “There’s always something new and fresh.”

Sponder said the “Found in Miami” campaign encourages Canadians and other visitors to venture beyond the beach and explore great areas such as Little Havana, Little Haiti, the Wynwood Arts District (said to be home to more street murals than anyplace on earth) and the Design District, where you’ll find top-name designers, tons of public art, free concerts, kids’ programs, farmers’ markets and much more.

Miami is a city with immigrants from around the world and flights from more countries than any city in the U.S.

“Miami,” Sponder said with a smile, “is almost in the United States.”

Glancing at the layers of white on the downtown Toronto landscape from the 36th floor of the Toronto Dominion Centre South Building, Sponder said the Canadian market is a vital one for Miami.

“It’s a testament to the strength of this market that so many of our partners are here,” she said.

Among the partners on hand were representatives from Acqualina Resort and Spa on the Beach, Victor Hotels and the new Lennox Hotel Miami Beach, which is set to open this summer. The hotel was formerly the Peter Miller Hotel, a 1936 property at Collins Ave. and 19th St. that’s been given a $70 million makeover by its owner, a young businessman from Argentina.

Naureen Kazi from Turner Public Relations said The Hilton Miami Downtown is located in the heart of the city’s Performing Arts District and just 8 km’s from the Miami Airport. It’s also walking distance to the Brightline high-speed train, which now runs from Miami to Fort Lauderdale and on to West Palm Beach and is being extended to Orlando. It also was recently purchased by Sir Richard Branson, which tells you it’s serious. And just a little bit sexy.

Kazi said the Hilton is surrounded by panoramic views of Biscayne Bay and has the freshest rooms and freshest meeting space in the city. The Miami Beach Convention Center is currently undergoing a $600 million USD renovation, she said.

Another cool-sounding property is The Palms Hotel and Spa, located on Collins Ave. just south of 31st St. The hotel features a jungle-like surrounding and focusses on being eco-friendly with a relaxed family vibe - no pool parties with throbbing music here. The pool looks gorgeous, and they also do weddings. They’ll be debuting all new rooms this spring.

The folks who own The Palms also own Circa 39, located just up the road. It’s not on the beach but the sand is only a block away and there’s a section of beach set aside for hotel guests. It’s a family-oriented spot with a pool, bright Miami colours and rooms at a lower rate than many Miami Beach properties. They also do nightly rum tastings and have more than 75 types of rum at their on-site WunderBar.

I don’t remember hearing a lot about Zoo Miami, but they’ve got more than 3,000 animals and focus on creatures who like the warmth and heat of south Florida. Among the animals are giant river otters, elephants, okapis, giraffes, Indian rhinos and Australian parrots.

Finally, TravelPulse Canada had a chance to talk with a representative of Norwegian Cruise Line, who talked about the wonders of the Norwegian Bliss, which features a two-level race track with electric cars that go up to 50 km’s per hour. The ship also has open-air laser tag and a 180-degree promenade that lets folks enjoy tremendous ocean views. Norwegian Bliss is in the Caribbean now but will head to Alaska for the summer, where it will be joined by Norwegian Joy and Norwegian Jewel.

Norwegian Jewel was renovated in November, while Norwegian Joy is a 2017 entry with many of the features of Norwegian Bliss, including a race track. It will be sailing in the U.S. for the first time.

“We probably have the youngest fleet in Alaska,” said Stephanie Cardelle Martorell, senior public relations manager for Norwegian.

Martorell also noted the new Norwegian Encore is being finished off now and will be christened in November.

Norwegian has brought in top-notch entertainment the past few years, ranging from The Blue Man Group to productions of Jersey Boys, Kinky Boots and Footloose, she said.