What’s New for Florida Destinations, Attractions and Activities in 2021?

Greater than 131 million vacationers visited Florida in 2019 to dive into seaside enjoyable, theme park motion, heritage and cultural actions and eco-adventure. Whereas 2020 has confirmed a difficult yr for tourism all through the U.S., it is hoped that journey will rebound within the new yr.

So, what’s new in Florida for 2021? This is a small sampling of latest sights, resorts and tourism actions that can debut or open within the new yr.

Northern Florida

The historic Lee Home Boutique Lodge in downtown Pensacola is present process a facelift following its current buy. The renovation is anticipated to be accomplished early in 2021. Reverse Pensacola Bay, this resort is in a quaint 1860s-style constructing with a wraparound porch. It is near museums and the archaeological trails of Historic Pensacola Village.

Guests enthusiastic about out of doors journey typically head for the Fanning Springs space to take pleasure in canoeing, cave diving, fishing, biking on the 40-mile Nature Coast State Path and tubing down the Suwannee or Sante Fe Rivers. Set to open in early 2021 is the brand new Finest Western Premier Fanning Springs Lodge & Resort. The brand new resort’s prime ground could have a sundeck lounge for having fun with meals, drinks and sunsets.

Opening February 1 alongside Florida’s Emerald Coast is the 250-room Lodge Effie Sandestin. The brand new property could have an upscale spa, state-of-the-art health middle and the one rooftop pool within the space. It can additionally supply a 13,000-square-foot ballroom.

On the northern Atlantic shoreline of Florida, the new Margaritaville Seaside Lodge on Jacksonville Seaside will open in spring with 202 visitor rooms, a two-story restaurant, beachside pool and health middle. In downtown Jacksonville, the brand new, 128-room Downtown Hyatt Place is anticipated to open in April 2021. One spotlight is a rooftop patio.

Permitting guests to discover downtown St. Augustine and its seashores in a extra fluid and eco-friendly approach is the brand new DRIFTERS Out Put up bike-sharing system, which connects native companies to residents and guests. Guests can bounce on a motorcycle and go to spots all through the vacation spot with the smartphone app, Movatic.

Central Florida

In Tampa, the brand new Iron Gwazi curler coaster will open this coming spring at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. It can grow to be North America‘s tallest and the world’s steepest and quickest hybrid rollercoaster. Thrill seekers will love the 12 “airtime” options, because the coaster reaches speeds of as much as 76 mph.

Two resorts on St. Pete Seaside are being up to date with almost $30 million in enhancements with one present process a rebrand. Grand Plaza Lodge and The Beachcomber, each owned by associates of Miami-based Gencom and operated by Benchmark, will each get a contemporary look and upgraded experiences. Building started in November and can wrap up by mid-year.

Followers of Discovery Community‘s hit collection, “American Chopper” can be wanting to study that in Could, Paul Teutul, Sr., of “Orange County Choppers” fame and space hospitality government Keith Overton will open the brand new OCC Highway Home & Museum, adjoining to Bert’s Barracuda Harley Davidson in St. Petersburg. Primarily based on Teutul’s wildly in style OCC model, the vacation spot restaurant can be decked out with a fleet of Teutul’s customized choppers featured on “American Chopper,” plus a whole bunch of uncommon gadgets from his biker memorabilia assortment.

In North Port, simply north of Sarasota, the brand new Hampton Inn & Suites will debut in 2021, the primary new resort to open in North Port since 1973. The resort is a brand new prototype for Hilton and is close to CoolToday Park, the brand new Atlanta Braves‘ spring coaching stadium.

In Sarasota County, two sights will grow to be one in 2021. Marie Selby Botanical Gardens is taking on Historic Spanish Level on Little Sarasota Bay. The latter is each an archaeological web site and one of many state’s largest waterfront preserves showcasing native Florida flora. From February 13 by way of June 27, the gardens’ downtown Sarasota campus will show “Roy Lichtenstein: Monet’s Backyard Goes Pop!” That is the pop artist’s “take” on Claude Monet’s work of his backyard and environment at Giverny. Guests strolling by way of the 15-acre gardens will see large-scale artworks and a change of the gardens into Monet’s backyard, as envisioned by Lichtenstein.

Throughout the previous yr, Walt Disney World Resort, Common Orlando Resort, SeaWorld Orlando and LEGOLAND Florida Resort have all unveiled new rides and options, with extra coming.

For instance, Walt Disney World Resort’s EPCOT is undergoing the largest transformation of any Disney park in history, a multi-year undertaking that with unify EPCOT with 4 neighborhoods: World Showcase, World Celebration, World Nature and World Discovery.

In summer time 2021, Common Orlando Resort will launch Jurassic World VelociCoaster, Florida’s quickest and tallest launch coaster, together with a pack of “fierce Velociraptors.” The curler coaster will characteristic intense maneuvers that catapult riders as much as 70 mph and greater than 150 ft within the air.

The video under exhibits thrills for riders on the Jurassic World VelociCoaster:

If shoppers love historic ruins and tales about previous civilizations, one good possibility is a “Pompeii: The Immortal Metropolis” exhibition, which continues its run on the Orlando Science Heart by way of January 24, 2021. It is solely one among three websites within the United States that can host this particular exhibit. In 24 hours, Pompeii and neighboring Herculaneum have been buried by the catastrophic eruption of Italy‘s Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. Exploring this exhibit’s art work, replicas of artifacts, interactive mechanical gadgets and multimedia experiences, guests will “dive into” day by day life on this first-century Roman city and listen to and really feel the volcano’s roar.

Alongside the House Coast, two SpaceX Crew Dragon launches are deliberate in from Cape Canaveral in 2021. Climate allowing, Crew-2 is presently scheduled for March 30, whereas Crew-3 can be in fall, and there’s the potential for splashdowns to happen off the coast. As well as, on March 29, a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket will launch Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner on a second unpiloted check flight to the Worldwide House Station. ULA and Boeing are also capturing for June for his or her crew check flight.

The littlest future astronauts could have a brand new attraction to gas their imaginations as Planet Play opens January 1 on the Kennedy House Heart Customer Advanced. This new play space will create a enjoyable surroundings for teenagers ages 2 to 12 to study concerning the planets and applied sciences utilized in area exploration.

In Martin County, the brand new, redesigned Sailfish Sands will open as with a championship 18-hole golf course on the positioning of the previous Martin County Golf Course. It is one of many few “reversible programs” within the U.S. Golfers can play it clockwise or counterclockwise on particular days. Sailfish Sands additionally fuel tee bins that may accommodate youngsters and senior residents, in addition to seasoned and new golfers. One other perk is a 13-acre driving vary with low stage lights for night play and interactive LED targets.

On Hutchinson Island, the Florida Oceanographic Society will open a brand new Ocean EcoCenter with interactive reveals, eco-educational packages, and new actions. A new Ocean Deck can be used for lectures and occasion area, plus new Lagoon Bridges will carry guests to the island and supply up-close views of the 750,000-gallon Gamefish Lagoon.

Southern Florida

Opening this yr in Fort Myers are a brand new riverfront Oxbow Bar & Grill, Oxbow Retail & Leases and Caloosa Sound Amphitheater, all alongside the Caloosahatchee River. They’re situated close to the newly opened 12-story Luminary Lodge & Co, the world’s first resort within the Autograph Assortment of Marriott Worldwide.

A $15 million-room renovation at Westin Cape Coral Resort at Marina Village, can be accomplished by February. The Cape Coral undertaking contains elevated room stock and a brand new design based mostly on the idea of biophilia, a perception that individuals have an innate want to attach with nature. Every guestroom will embody pure, Florida-sourced supplies with patterns associated to water and accents that complement the waterfront views.

In Naples, The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort will debut a brand new swimming pool and an immersive water exercise expertise, beginning in Could 2021. These options are a part of the resort’s “remastering,” which additionally included the opening of a brand new out of doors eating expertise in late 2020.

The Museum of the Everglades in Everglades Metropolis is internet hosting a brand new “Indomitable – the Life & Artwork of Camille Brock Baumgartner” exhibit, which opened this month and runs by way of February 27. This retrospective exhibit recounts the colourful story of the late artist who lived in Everglades Metropolis between 1977 and 1994.This retrospective exhibit options a wide range of her works in addition to images.

In Broward County, the Gale Boutique Lodge & Residences Fort Lauderdale will open in January. An entire transformation of the historic Escape Lodge area, it should supply 96 rooms, 120 condominiums, a rooftop sky deck, health middle, spa and pool.

Additionally opening in January are a new 137-room Courtyard Fort Lauderdale Downtown, and two properties in Pompano Seaside—Tru by Hilton and Hilton Home2Suites. In Delray Seaside, the brand new Opal Grand Oceanfront Resort & Spa will open in early 2021 with new exteriors, visitor rooms, assembly area and extra.

For procuring fans, the 174-room AC Lodges by Marriott Fort Lauderdale Sawgrass Mills will open in Dawn, adjoining to the mall. It can have an arts centered library, rooftop restaurant, well being and health middle and lounge with tapas-style menu and craft beers and cocktails.

Fort Lauderdale‘s Las Olas Boulevard will welcome the Cuba Libra Restaurant & Rum Bar, an idea by chef-partner Guillermo Perot, in early 2021.

Farther south in Miami, a serious new attraction that simply opened is the brand new SkyViews Miami, towering above Bayside Market close to PortMiami. Guests board 42 enclosed, climate-controlled gondolas for 15-minute rides with nice views of Biscayne Bay, Bayfront Park and Miami’s skyline. One VIP gondola is be outfitted with a glass-bottom ground, leather-based bucket seats and an LED lightshow.

The most important exhibition about flying reptiles ever mounted in america, “Pterosaurs: Flight within the Age of Dinosaurs,” will open Could 15 on the Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science in Miami. Organized by the American Museum of Pure Historical past in New York, it should spotlight scientific analysis and have uncommon pterosaur fossil casts and replicas of fossils from Italy, Germany, China, america, the United Kingdom and Brazil.

Guests will peruse life-sized fashions, movies and interactive reveals. In a single movement sensor-based interactive expertise, museum goers can “pilot” two species of pterosaurs by way of digital prehistoric landscapes.

In South Seaside‘s Artwork Deco District, the oceanfront Kimpton Surfcomber is within the closing phases of a renovation of lodging and public areas. Impressed by the romance of southern France, the brand new design is playful, easy, clear and earthy.

The Florida Keys

A new Fairfield Inn & Suites in Marathon within the Florida Keys simply debuted; it was a compete renovation (with a contemporary new look and model) of the former Vacation Inn Specific Marathon by OTO Improvement. Jet skis, kayaks and paddle boards can be found for hire from the on-site Deep Blue Dive and Marina, plus the resort has a ship ramp.

These are only some of the various new sights, resorts, reveals and tourism providers which are new within the “Sunshine State.” Keep tuned right here for added updates within the coming weeks.

For extra data, go to www.visitflorida.org.