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Texas is a big state with a little bit of everything, including a tropical retreat that’s as enticing to meetings as it is to vacationers.
South Padre Island, a barrier island on the Gulf 30 miles northeast of Brownsville, has everything a meeting requires right on the beach, from a convention center to resorts and hotels.
Two of those hotels are within a half mile of the South Padre Island Convention Center and its 45,000 square feet of meeting space. The 200-suite Courtyard by Marriott and its 15,000 square feet of meeting space, opened in 2020 just as its next-door neighbor, the 156-room Hilton Garden Inn, wrapped up a major renovation. It has over 12,000 square feet of meeting space.
In the next few years, South Padre Island will be able to welcome larger conventions. Plans to expand its convention center call for a 54,000 square foot exhibit space, an added ballroom, additional breakout rooms, an expansive lobby, and a 300-seat theater. Work is expected to start next year.
“With the expansion, our convention center will be able to accommodate larger meetings, conferences and youth sporting events,” said Mayra Nunez, sales and services manager, Visit South Padre Island.
Easy to reach and navigate
At first, South Padre Island seems far removed, yet it is easy to access with three airports nearby: Brownsville-South Padre Island (45 minutes); Valley International (60 minutes) and McAllen International (90 minutes). On the island, it’s easy to get around on a free shuttle that connects hotels, restaurants, shops and beaches. When groups meet at the convention center and stay at the Marriott and Hilton, attendees walk, take the free shuttle or ride to and from the convention center in golf carts that meeting planners rent.
Smaller meetings often opt for resort properties like the beachfront Isla Grand, with 400 cabana rooms, 65 condos and 10,000 square feet of meeting space. Five miles from the convention center, the Holiday Inn Resort and recently opened Margaritaville Beach Resort also welcome meetings.
An island with a vibe
South Padre Island easily adds its personality to meetings. What corporate board wouldn’t savor sunset over Laguna Madre Bay from the deck of Longboard Bar and Grill after a day in its private meeting room? SpaceX’s Starbase is two miles away on the mainland, so seeing a launch is a possibility. A sail on the bay aboard the catamaran Southern Wave, with an acoustic guitarist and dinner for up to 45, can be a chill way to end a day. Or, for a livelier night, there’s music up and down the beach in a destination known as a Music Friendly Texas community.
Nunez can help with inventive team building like sandcastle building or surfing lessons led by local experts, or pickleball competitions at public parks or at the Isla Grand, which just added new pickleball courts.
No matter what a planner needs, Visit South Padre Island can assist. Reminds Nunez, “South Padre Island offers the amenities and exceptional service of a premier destination, all with a welcoming, intimate feel.”
For more information about meeting in South Padre Island, please contact:
Visit South Padre Island
Mayra Nunez
Sales & Services Manager
956-761-8389
