ORLANDO, Fla. – New Brightline high-speed rail service connecting Orlando to South Florida punctuates the new meeting-focused initiatives now available in Orlando. Also, this year, the Orlando Health Virtual Care Center opened inside the Orange County Convention Center, Michelin recognized 46 restaurants, and new and renovated hotels opened offering enhanced accommodation options for meeting planners.
“As Cvent’s top meetings destination, it’s essential that Orlando continues to evolve offerings for,” said Casandra Matej, president and CEO of Visit Orlando. “With new openings and amenities, and team’s commitment to service, Orlando provides groups of all sizes everything needed to create memorable and productive meetings and conventions.”
Get Your Meeting on Track With Brightline Service to Orlando
Florida’s Brightline high-speed rail service began service on September 22 connecting Orlando to South Florida with stations in Miami, Aventura, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton and West Palm Beach. Just two weeks after opening the highly anticipated route, Brightline doubled train service between Orlando and Miami and is running 30 trains daily with 15 daily departures from Miami and Orlando.
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.
is revolutionizing business travel to Orlando, Brightline Planners can turn the journey into the main event by hosting meetings and events in one of Brightline’s in-station board meetings and incredible event spaces or add onboard entertainment on their trip to or from Orlando.
Groups and single travelers can save with fixed rates for business travel needs. Brightline also offers a simple and accessible custom portal to book trips, allowing groups to have full control over their travel budgets. The portal also helps streamline travel by providing planners or organizers the flexibility to digitally transfer single or bulk rides for employee business travel or for clients and guests.
New Additions Expand Orlando’s Diverse Lineup of MICHELIN Guide Restaurants
The 2023 MICHELIN Guide Miami, Orlando and Tampa was released with inspectors announcing 13 new MICHELIN restaurants in Orlando. Michelin’s recognition of 46 Orlando restaurants, including four starred venues, 11 Bib Gourmands and 31 Recommended, confirms what locals and a growing number of meeting professionals have long known have known all along — that Orlando has an exceptional culinary community.
On October 2, Orlando was named the best foodie city in the U.S. in 2023 according to WalletHub. To determine the best and budget-friendly foodie scenes, WalletHub compared more than 180 U.S. cities across 28 key indicators of foodie-friendliness.
Virtual Clinic Opens at the Orange County Convention Center
Orlando Health and Visit Orlando partnered to launch the Orlando Health Virtual Care Center inside the Orange County Convention Center West building. Here, medical providers can evaluate medical conditions for attendees during large conventions. If minor care is needed, an Orlando Health team member can help connect visitors to a medical provider via a virtual visit in the center’s private room.
New Hotels Add to Orlando’s Luxury Options
Set to open December 2023, Conrad Orlando will debut with 433 rooms, including 51 regular suites and 10 spacious family suites. Other features include 40,000 square feet of indoor meeting space, a tranquil spa, numerous dining options and a signature rooftop experience. The hotel will be part of the massive, 10,000-bedroom resort complex, Evermore Orlando Resort, offering an array of stay experiences from single homes to villas, flats and hotel guestrooms. World-class amenities include twenty acres of lush tropical beach paradise surrounding the breathtaking eight-acre Evermore Bay by Crystal Lagoons ®.
New and renovated hotels that are now open also include the Drury Plaza Hotel Orlando, The Grand Bohemian Hotel Orlando and JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes.
For more information and to stay updated on meeting news from Orlando, visit www.orlandomeeting.com and follow Visit Orlando on our new meetings focused Instagram channel and X.
About Visit Orlando
Visit Orlando is The Official Tourism Association® for Orlando, the most visited destination in the United States, Theme Park Capital of the World® and No. 1 meeting destination in the country. A not-for-profit trade association that brands, markets and sells the Orlando destination globally, we represent more than 1,400 member companies comprising every segment of Central Florida’s tourism community.
Visit Orlando connects consumers and business groups with all facets of Orlando’s travel community, whether for a vacation or meeting. Home to seven of the world’s top theme parks — as well as refreshing water parks, activities to connect with nature, vibrant neighborhoods, a dynamic dining scene with Michelin recognized restaurants, and a robust calendar of entertainment and sports events — Orlando is a diverse, welcoming and inclusive community for all travelers. Find more information at VisitOrlando.com or OrlandoMeeting.com.
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