(PRESS RELEASE)_GREATER FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (June 24, 2020) – Hotels, tourist attractions, restaurants and businesses throughout Greater Fort Lauderdale (Broward County) are taking Visit Lauderdale’s Safe + Clean Pledge. The pledge provides a unified message that health and safety standards, and protections against the spread of COVID-19, are a top priority as visitors arrive for summer getaways.

Look for the Safe + Clean Pledge signs posted at area businesses and on listings for hotels, attractions and restaurants at tourism website sunny.org.

“These are the new safety measures we’re all looking for,” says Stacy Ritter, President and CEO of Visit Lauderdale. “We view the pledge as the local industry standard, but we also encourage and celebrate the extra effort that many businesses have already taken to assure everyone that health and safety is priority one.”

Developed by Visit Lauderdale, the Safe + Clean Pledge works together with the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance’s Supporters of Broward (SOB) campaign and is in line with standards established by the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association (FRLA), the CDC and Broward County, Florida. Additionally, this initiative has the support of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Hollywood Chamber of Commerce and other community organizations.

“We recently asked members of the community to become Supporters of Broward (SOB) by focusing on safely supporting local businesses and keeping our neighbors employed while slowing the spread of COVID-19,” says Bob Swindell, President & CEO of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance. “We wholeheartedly support Visit Lauderdale’s Safe + Clean pledge as a model for businesses to follow, to help keep our community and visitors healthy.”

Businesses that sign the pledge agree to:

• Follow CDC Cleaning Protocols
• Wear Masks
• Provide Hand Sanitizer
• Practice Social Distancing
• Train Staff How to Be Safe + Clean
• Work Toward Contactless Payment

 
“Those taking the Safe + Clean Pledge are meeting or exceeding CDC and our FRLA hospitality reopening standards,” says Rozeta Mahboubi, Greater Fort Lauderdale Regional Director for FRLA. “Seeing the pledge signage is a way for the public to find reassurance as they seek safe ways to take a much-needed vacation getaway or important business trip.”

See Also: Greater Fort Lauderdale COVID-19 Travel Information

(PRESS RELEASE)_ISLAMORADA, FL (June 25, 2020) -- Cheeca Lodge & Spa, the iconic independent, luxury resort located in the Florida Keys, has announced the acquisition of 10 private villas, called The Casitas at Cheeca Lodge. Adding to the resort’s existing 214 guestrooms and suites, The Casitas offer the most privacy and exclusivity of all room categories.

The Casitas at Cheeca Lodge offer one- or two-bedroom accommodations, featuring 750 to 2,100 square feet of space and the option of resort or ocean view. Special amenities and features include large, furnished porches, full equipped kitchens, bathrooms boasting rain showers and large soaking tubs, and washer and dryer. An ideal escape for families and group getaways, along with extended stays, The Casitas also include personalized butler service to fulfill guests' every need during their stay. Exclusive to Casita guests only, this remote area features a private beach, pool and tennis courts.

“It is an incredibly exciting opportunity to bring Cheeca’s signature barefoot elegance to these beloved Florida Keys institutions,” says Paul Scott, General Manager of Cheeca Lodge & Spa. “With Cheeca’s deep history in this beautiful destination, we’re confident that we can provide new and returning guests with unparalleled accommodations and culinary experiences.”

Casita guests also have access to all the resort’s signature amenities and services including three pools, a Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course, full-service with seven treatment rooms, two Tiki Bars, Camp Cheeca for children and three distinctive restaurants. The addition of these villas adds to many upgrades made by the historic resort earlier this year, including a new oceanfront pool and adjacent Tiki Bar, named 25 South. This $3 million dollar renovation transformed what was once the saltwater lagoon on the south side of the resort to a zero-entry, 1,100 square foot pool boasting uninterrupted views of the Atlantic Ocean alongside Cheeca’s foot palm-lined private beach. Surrounding the oceanfront pool is seven newly outfitted cabanas, complete poolside food and beverage service, along with over 40 lounge chairs.

Located just steps away is the newly debuted 25 South, Cheeca’s second Tiki Bar. Named after the 25 degrees latitude on which it sits, this Tiki Bar offers guests a variety of tropical favorites in a relaxed atmosphere with ocean views. Open daily from 11 a.m. to Sunset., 25 South features all-day casual dining options including mouthwatering Lobster Grilled Cheese and fresh catch-of-the-day Fish Tacos, in addition to refreshing island-inspired cocktails including the Blackberry Margarita and Coconut Cosmopolitan.

Included in the acquisition are neighboring restaurants Pierre’s and Morada Bay Beach Café, favorites among locals and visitors. Situated amidst a palm-lined beach overlooking the Florida Bay with breathtaking backdrops, these spaces offer a variety of new venues for Cheeca’s social, production and corporate events, hosting up to 400 people.

The Casitas at Cheeca Lodge start at $1,099 per night. For more information, visit www.cheeca.com or call 844-993-9713.

(PRESS RELEASE)_The Palm Beach Gardens steakhouse will offer the Backyard Burger Kit ($50), featuring six 1/2 pound Certified Angus Beef Brand burger patties, hamburger buns, lettuce, onion, tomato, pickles, aged cheddar, III Forks Seasoning, and six fresh-baked cookies.

Feeling toasty? Pair your gastronomic picnic with popular wine-to-go specials, or enjoy ready-to-pour libations (serves two) like the Old Fashioned, Margarita on the Rocks, Cosmopolitan, and The Aviation.

The Backyard Burger Kit is available for pre-order online. Guests can pickup their meal kits on June 29 through July 3. 

III Forks Prime Steakhouse will be closed on July 4.

For more information, call (561) 630-3660 or visit 3forks.com. III Forks Prime Steakhouse is located at 4645 PGA Boulevard in Palm Beach Gardens.

(PRESS RELEASE)_WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (June 18, 2020) – YMCA of the Palm Beaches and YMCA of South Palm Beach County have announced a partnership with Palm Beach County Parks and Recreation to expand summer day camp offerings and locations in an initiative to meet the increased need from parents who are returning to work.  YMCA-led programs will be held now through August 7, Monday – Friday 8 am to 6 pm at three Palm Beach County Parks and Recreation facilities.

YMCA of the Palm Beaches will lead summer day camp programs at the West Jupiter Park and Recreation Center located at 6401 Indiantown Rd. in Jupiter and Westgate Park and Recreation Center located at 3691 Oswego Ave. in West Palm Beach.  YMCA of South Palm Beach County will lead a summer day camp program at West Boynton Park and Recreation Center located at 6000 Northtree Blvd. in Lake Worth. 

Children ages 5-12 will participate in regularly scheduled physical and educational activities that will promote a healthy lifestyle and academic enrichment.

Both Palm Beach County YMCAs continue to work closely with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Camp Association to ensure all camp programs and services are operated safely under their guidance, as well as Florida’s reopening framework and protocols.    

“Our summer day camp offers a range of experiences that enrich cognitive, social, physical and emotional growth while helping students develop interests, skills, and knowledge in a variety of areas, all within a safe and nurturing environment,” said Tim Coffield, President and CEO of the YMCA of the Palm Beaches.   “This is an opportune time to work more collaboratively, utilize existing park facilities effectively to meet additional needs within the County.”

“Our leaders are committed to providing support for parents returning to work and a safe experience for youth throughout Palm Beach County in an environment in which they can learn, grow, and thrive,” said Jason Hagensick, President and CEO of YMCA of South Palm Beach County. 

“This partnership is a great gift to the hundreds of families that were left with extremely limited child-care options due to state and local emergency orders,” said Kathy Bolander, Director of Recreation Services Division of Palm Beach County Parks and Recreation Department.

Financial Assistance is available through the YMCA.  Additionally, Summer Day Camp Scholarships are available through the Palm Beach County Youth Services Department . 

To enroll in YMCA of the Palm Beaches led camps, call Tatiana Rego at 561-727-3774 or email trego@ymcapalmbeaches.org. To enroll in YMCA of South Palm Beach County led camp, call (561) 395-9622 or visit ymcaspbc.org. 

(PRESS RELEASE)_(West Palm Beach, FL – June 17, 2020)  The Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts is announcing the cancellation of the first two scheduled performances of the Regional Arts Classical Concert Series. Leonard and Sophie Davis sponsor the popular series.

The two canceled concert tours are the China Philharmonic Orchestra at 8 pm on November 15, and Internationale Bach Stuttgart at 2 pm on November 22.

Ticketholders to either or both of these concerts will receive a refund of the cost of the tickets through their method pf payment.

The Kravis Center looks forward to when it can safely welcome back all concert goers and guests, and continues to be grateful for ongoing support of the arts and classical music in Palm Beach County.

(PRESS RELEASE)_Palm Beach Gardens, FL – On Sunday, June 21, take dad on a steak-out he'll never forget at III Forks Prime Steakhouse.   
 
Located at Midtown in Palm Beach Gardens, the celebrated steakhouse and executive chef Tommy Nevill will offer dads a timeless treat: receive a complimentary steak (up to $50) with any entrée purchase of equal or greater value. 
  
Pair your Father’s Day feast with a signature cocktail or enjoy an infused aromatic experience with “The Pour Over,” two new seasonal libations made with The Botanist Gin and Rémy Martin VSOP Cognac (Bee My Honey; Le Rendezvous). 
 
Father's Day hours are 5-10 p.m. Reservations are recommended. Curbside pickup service is available. For more information or reservations, visit 3forks.com or call (561) 630-3660.  III Forks is located at 4645 PGA Boulevard in Palm Beach Gardens.

(PRESS RELEASE)_(West Palm Beach, FL – June 9, 2020) The Kravis Center for the Performing Arts is announcing new dates for the Broadway hit AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN. Originally scheduled to be the opening show of the 13th season of Kravis On Broadway, the musical is now set for next spring.

April 21-25, 2021
AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN
+ Wednesday and Saturday at 2 pm & 8 pm
+ Thursday and Friday at 8 pm
+ Sunday at 2 pm & 7:30 pm

AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN, based on the Oscar-winning film starring Richard Gere, is a breathtaking production that celebrates triumph over adversity and includes one of the most iconic and romantic endings ever portrayed on screen. Featuring the Grammy Award winning, #1 hit song Up Where We Belong, and a score based on the 1980’s catalogue of music that gave voice to a generation, the live stage production is a new adaptation by multiple Tony Award® nominee Dick Scanlan (Thoroughly Modern Millie, Everyday Rapture), based on the original screenplay by Douglas Day Stewart. The musical is directed by Scanlan with choreography by Broadway sensation Patricia Wilcox (Motown, A Night with Janis Joplin). Zack Mayo’s got smarts and a body built for US Navy pilot boot camp, but he also has too much swagger… until he meets a drill sergeant who's determined to drill his arrogance out of him. Zack finds comfort in the arms of a local factory girl. But it isn’t until tragedy befalls a fellow candidate that Zack learns the importance of love and friendship and finds the courage to be his best self and win the heart of the woman he loves. A sweeping romance that lifts you up where you belong.

How to Get Tickets to AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN: 

Tickets to AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN are part of the Kravis On Broadway 20-21 Series. Subscriptions will be going on sale to Kravis Center donors late June and to the public late July. To find out more visit kravis.org/broadway.

(PRESS RELEASE)_HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood, Seminole Casino Coconut Creek and Seminole Classic Casino in Hollywood will reopen with a combined workforce of 3,200 team members at noon on Friday, June 12 under new and stringent “Safe and Sound” program guidelines.  The guidelines include multiple new initiatives designed to create a quality entertainment experience in an environment that helps to keep guests and team members safe.

Safe and Sound Program guidelines include:

• Temperature checks for all guests and team members prior to entry.  Any guest or team member with a temperature above CDC guidelines of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit will not be allowed entry.
• A requirement that all guests wear masks or cloth face coverings that meet CDC guidelines, without exception.  Masks will be provided to guests, as needed.
• Thousands of alternating slot machines will be turned off, to help ensure social distancing on the casino floors.
• New Plexiglas barriers will divide players at table games, poker games and customer service areas.
• Hundreds of signs will be posted throughout the casino complexes to encourage social distancing and help ensure adherence to Safe and Sound Program guidelines.
• Hundreds of team members will be part of a new “Safe and Sound Clean Team” to focus on cleaning and disinfecting surfaces throughout the casino complexes, with special emphasis on high-touch surfaces and common areas.
• Hand-sanitizing stations will be available on the casino floors, at the entrances and throughout the casino complexes.
• Constant purification and disinfecting of the air flowing into the complexes through the AtmosAir™ bipolar ionization system designed to destroy virus particles in the air and on surfaces.
• An overall 50 percent reduction in guest capacity throughout the casino complexes.

 
For reopening weekend, more than 600 Guitar Hotel guestrooms at the Seminole Hard Rock will be available to book through the Guitar Hotel reservations website.  Several restaurant venues at all three casino complexes will open with social distancing requirements in place.  Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock and The Pavilion at Seminole Casino Coconut Creek will remain closed until further notice.

“Hard Rock and Seminole Gaming have made a tremendous commitment to sanitary protocols and a safety-first mentality for both guests and team members,” said Jim Allen, CEO of Seminole Gaming and Chairman of Hard Rock International.  “We are making sure our resorts and casinos are safe and sound so our guests and team members have peace of mind when they return.”

Seminole Hard Rock Tampa opened in mid-May.  Seminole Casino Brighton will reopen on Tuesday, June 16.  No date has been confirmed for the reopening of Seminole Casino Immokalee.

(PRESS RELEASE)_GREATER FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (June 9, 2020) – Visit Lauderdale is adding a splash of savings to your fun this summer with LauderDeals, an extensive list of irresistible offers available now through September throughout Greater Fort Lauderdale.
 
Hotel Deals range from discounted room rates, offers for third or fourth nights free, resort and dining credits to free or discounted parking, free cancellations, complimentary upgrades and more. Things To Do Deals include 2-for-1 admission or discounted rates at attractions. You’ll also find special LauderDeals for Florida Residents and First Responders and Military at sunny.org/lauderdeals.
 
LauderDeals Hotel Deal Examples:

• Fort Lauderdale Marriott Harbor Beach Resort & Spa
• Lago Mar Beach Resort & Club
• Margaritaville Hollywood Beach Resort
• Riverside Hotel
• Pelican Grand Beach Resort

 
“Greater Fort Lauderdale’s 23 miles of beaches along with our extensive network of parks and natural areas, hotels, restaurants, attractions and shops are open – all with social distancing and safe and clean protocols in place,” said Stacy Ritter, President and CEO of Visit Lauderdale. “We invite our friends and neighbors to relax and recharge with us and save on rates for accommodations and experiences with LauderDeals.”
 
Beginning in July, LauderDeals offers will expand with the addition of Dine Out Lauderdale, a collection of taste-tempting three course prix fixe menus priced at $35 and $45; and Spa Days, signature treatments at resort and day spas with prices starting at $99.
 

• CDC guidelines. Hotels, restaurants, attractions, stores and other establishments are following safe and clean protocols issues by Broward County government, as well leading industry organizations including American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA) and Florida Hotel and Restaurant Association (FRLA). Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) has put in place practices to keep flyers safe with its FLLy Safer, FLLySmarter, FLLy Better campaign.

 
See Also: Greater Fort Lauderdale COVID-19 Travel Information
 
Plan your visit by exploring LauderDeals offers and by viewing Greater Fort Lauderdale’s 23-mile stretch of sand and surf via live beach webcams.

(PRESS RELEASE)_Delray Beach, FL – Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens is pleased to welcome back visitors starting on Tuesday, June 16. Public hours will be 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

In consideration of the safety of visitors and staff, the Museum will follow CDC guidelines regarding capacity limits and six-foot social distancing, as well as have created a robust cleaning and sanitizing schedule. Masks will be required to be worn at all times while inside the Museum Building. Frequent sanitation of high contact areas will be routinely performed, and guests are encouraged to use the hand sanitizing stations placed throughout the Museum. 

Visitors will be required to use credit and debit cards for museum entry and at the Museum Store, as cash transactions will not be available. Members will have their digital membership cards scanned to ensure a contact-free check-in.  

Areas open for public visitation will include the Roji-en Japanese Garden, Bonsai Exhibit, Cornell Café (with limited services), and the Museum Store (with limited capacity). Garden paths will be one-way only, and guests are encouraged to follow proper social distancing. Professional photography must be scheduled in advance through the museum’s facility rentals department.

The museum’s galleries, exhibitions, theater, Seishin-an Tea House, and Yamato-kan will remain closed at this time. All public programming will remain suspended through September 30, 2020.

All visitors will be required to wait outside before entering the lobby. In the event of inclement weather, visitors will be required to wait in their vehicles until conditions subside and they are permitted back into the museum and gardens.

For a contact-free experience, take a self-guided garden audio tour at morikami.org/tours.

Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens is located at 4000 Morikami Park Road, Delray Beach. For more information, call (561) 495-0233 or visit morikami.org.