Courtesy Pink Shell Resort and Marina
Pink Shell Beach Resort and Marina
Fort Myers Beach, Fla.
At the northern end of Fort Myers Beach in southwest Florida, the Pink Shell Beach Resort welcomes meeting-goers and their families to 12 acres along a recently restored beach that’s five times wider than it was last summer.
While meetings are going on in two ballrooms — one that overlooks the beach and the other the bay — a children’s camp, with separate activities for teenagers, keeps young people busy with crafts, movies and sports.
Meeting space for 120 people includes 9,500 square feet of indoor space and lots of outdoor space. A private beach and terraces around three pools are used for receptions, barbecues and pig roasts. A new marina will be built in November.
The beach also becomes the site for conch-blowing contests and a Wacky Beach Olympics that involves an obstacle course, throwing balls through rings and walking backward blindfolded. A scavenger hunt might require contestants to catch fish at the marina, paddle a kayak and use a map to find treasure.
The resort’s 214 condos range in size from studios to one- and two-bedroom. All overlook the gulf and have kitchen units and screened balconies.
Dolphin and sunset cruises, fishing, kayaking, bike and boat rental, and parasailing are all offered on site. For those who want to learn a new skill, there’s a sailing school. Times Square, the dining and shopping hub of Fort Myers Beach, is a mile down the road.
The resort has three restaurants and four pools, one of which is lagoon-style with a waterfall, sponges, underwater speakers and giant shells.
Across the water is Sanibel, a barrier island prized by shell collectors. Regulars who competitively collect shells that pile up on the beach are said to display the Sanibel Stoop; some become “shell-ebrities.”
888-222-7465
www.pinkshell.com
San Luis Resort and Conference Center
Galveston, Texas
A thousand miles west, the San Luis Resort and Conference Center sits on another island in the Gulf of Mexico.
The sprawling resort on Galveston Island has 200,000 square feet of meeting space, 700 guest rooms, nine restaurants and Galveston’s hottest ultralounge.
It encompasses the city’s convention center and three hotels — a Hilton, a Holiday Inn and the luxury San Luis Hotel — and offers three tiers of room rates and rooms with a view.
“The view is so spectacular that ‘American Idol’ chose us to host their show last August,” said David Townsend, director of conference and convention planning.
Ryan Seacrest, the show’s host, stayed in the penthouse of the San Luis Hotel.
“He posted a picture from his balcony on Facebook and asked people to guess where he was. Some said Hawaii, some said Florida. No one guessed Texas,” Townsend said.
The 16-story San Luis Hotel and Conference Center sits atop a hill that was, long ago, Fort Crockett. It has had a AAA Four-Diamond rating since 2000.
The 40,000-square-foot conference center, International Association of Conference Centers (IACC)-certified, is located on the first two floors of the hotel and can handle groups of up to 200. Its 22 soundproof rooms and high-speed Internet access meet the needs of oil, gas and space industry clients based in Houston, an hour away.
A separate facility, the city’s convention center, has 43,000 square feet of exhibit space and two ballrooms and can handle up to 4,000 people. One side, facing the gulf, has floor-to-ceiling windows.
Most people are attracted to the beach, Townsend said, which is used for scavenger hunts, races and beach Olympics.
Galveston also offers many after-hours activities, from fishing, golf and dinner cruises to good restaurants and historical tours.
In September 2008, a tidal surge from Hurricane Ike covered most of the island, killing many of the majestic oaks that lined its streets. Artists have turned tree stumps into angels, birds and alligators; guests can tour the sculptures by bike, foot or golf cart.
Then there’s Phydias, the hotel’s resident bird. The 16-year-old macaw gives a shout-out to guests from its perches in the lobby and by the pool. Sometimes, Townsend hinted, the bird even attends meetings.
800-445-0090
www.sanluisresort.com
