Whats New in Jacksonville Florida

by Jennifer Bryant
(Jacksonville, Fl)

Jacksonville Florida's Amazing Views

Accommodations:

The TownePlace Suites Jacksonville Butler Boulevard opened this past September. It’s the first TownePlace Suites to open in Jacksonville and is operated by Marriott International. The extended-stay hotel has 85 suites and is convenient to the University of North Florida, Mayo Clinic, the beaches and Downtown. The hotel provides an upscale residential atmosphere for guests staying a week or more.

The property offers studio, one- and two-bedroom suites with fully equipped kitchens and separate living/working and sleeping areas. Other amenities include a 24-hour business center, outdoor swimming pool, guest laundry, In a Pinch Market, exercise room, free high-speed and wireless Internet in all guest rooms and public spaces and complimentary continental breakfast as well as 24-hour coffee service. www.jaxtps.com

Radisson Hotel Jacksonville Butler Boulevard boosted its technology amenities and in November added LG 32-inch, flat panel, high definition LCD televisions, equipped with wired and wireless Internet, and Web TV to all 167 guestrooms, as well as adding several large, flat panel LCD televisions to public spaces throughout the hotel. The hotel’s upgrade is an effort to continue exceptional customer satisfaction.

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Also, in December the hotel announced continued efforts to be an environmentally conscious property by becoming certified under the Florida Green Lodging Program. To become a designated member of the Florida Green Lodging Program, hotels must implement a variety of green practices.

At the Radisson Hotel Jacksonville Butler Boulevard, these practices include water conservation, a linen reuse program, high-energy efficient lighting and programmable thermostats. The hotel also reduces waste by providing the opportunity to recycle, purchasing items in bulk, purchasing post-consumer-recycled materials and recycling ink and toner cartridges. In addition, the hotel uses green cleaners and high-efficiency air filters.

The Renaissance Resort at World Golf Village won “Best Renovation of the Year Award” for a franchised property at the recent 2008 Marriott International National Association (MINA) conference.

The resort recently completed a $10 million renovation including remodeled guest rooms and suites, redesigned public spaces, a brand new restaurant, technology upgrades and more.

Marriott judges awarded the honor based on the quality of the finished product in terms of workmanship, products used and overall appearance. Adhering to Marriott brand standards was also a part the judges’ critique.

Hotel Indigo – Jacksonville/Deerwood Park will open in January at Tapestry Park on the Southside of Jacksonville. Tapestry Park is a lifestyle center with unique shops, restaurants and residential properties.

The boutique hotel features a waterfront café, as well as 2,100 square feet of meeting space that overlooks a lake. Hotel Indigo offers a relaxing and inviting environment in its public spaces for busy business travelers. This is the first Hotel Indigo to open in Northeast Florida.

Hampton Inn and Suites Jacksonville South-Bartram Park will open mid-January 2009. The hotel is conveniently located off I-95 at Old St. Augustine Rd. and across from Baptist Medical Center.

The hotel is a smoke-free property and features many amenities including gift and convenience shop, guest laundry, business center, complimentary hot breakfast, an inviting lobby, wired and wireless high-speed internet access, fitness center, outdoor pool and meeting facilities.

Restaurants:

Chef Tom Gray of Bistro Aix collaborated with the National Peanut Board at the 11th Annual Worlds of Flavor International Conference at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in St. Helena, CA.

The event is widely acknowledged as the country's most influential professional forum on world cuisines and culinary flavor trends. Gray created innovative dishes incorporating peanuts into appetizers and entrees. Some of the menu items will be added to the menu at Bistro Aix in Jacksonville’s historic San Marco district.

Culhane’s Irish Pub kicks off St. Patrick’s Day early with the Dublin City Ramblers in concert on March 16 at 8pm. The band is a popular folk band in Ireland with top rated songs. Tickets are $20.00. The celebration continues on March 17 with live music, food and drink.

San Sebastian and Lakeridge Wineries announced their wines won a total of 58 medals (10 Gold, 29 Silver and 19 Bronze medals) in international wine competitions during 2008. San Sebastian Winery in St. Augustine is Florida’s second largest.

San Sebastian's flagship wine, Vintners Red, won the coveted Double Gold at the Florida State Fair, while their Blanc De Fleur sparkling wine won the Gold medal at the Pacific Rim International Wine Competition.

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Shopping, Sports & Adventure:

Daily tickets to THE PLAYERS Championship for 2009 went on sale in December with customer value in mind. THE PLAYERS is offering free parking passes with early ticket purchases, including Daily Grounds Admission Tickets and Weekly Packages. New this year, children under the age of 16 are admitted free with a paying adult. THE PLAYERS is also offering a Family Plan package.

The Jacksonville Equestrian Center has an array of shows coming this winter, including the National Team Roping League Finals Jan. 29-Feb. 3.

Annually, this event is the largest roping competition held east of the Mississippi. There is lots of excitement for the public and admission is free.

Jacksonville Ice & Sportsplex opened this winter, revitalizing an existing rink and sports program with 15 years of experience. The combined ice and sports facility offer 100,000 square feet of sports and meeting space.

The facility currently offers hockey and figure skating programs, and will expand to offer sports programming, as well as a variety of camps. In addition, this flexible space offers over 20,000 continuous square feet of meeting space for corporate and private event needs.

The Jacksonville Suns announced a two-year player development agreement with the Florida Marlins. The Southern League Double-A baseball team was previously an affiliate of The Los Angeles Dodgers. The Suns play a 140-game season from April through Labor Day.

The “Best New Rally Driver in America” contest begins Feb. 4 at Rallydrive USA & European Rally School in Starke, FL. Contestants are given the opportunity to have some of the best rally instruction and win a full rally drive package. Rallydrive supplies try out and training cars, driving suits, helmets, venue and professional instruction. An entry fee is required.

The World Golf Hall of Fame IMAX Theater at World Golf Village now provides closed and descriptive captioning services for hearing and visually impaired guests for a selection of its films.

At no additional ticket cost, hearing and visually disabled adults and children can immerse themselves in IMAX films with the use of either an acrylic Rear Window display unit for closed captioning at their seat or a Starsound headset for descriptive narration during pauses in a film’s dialogue.

The two golf courses at World Golf Village in St. Augustine Florida were named the 15th best Resort Courses in the nation in the 2009 list of “The Top 50 Resort Courses,” as selected by the reader’s of Golf Digest magazine.

The ranking was based on such categories as the quality of the courses, condition of the courses, hotel accommodations, food/dining, off-course activities/amenities, service, golf practice facilities, accessibility, clubhouse/locker room, speed of play, reputation/prestige, golf pro shop and overall value.

Services:

Kayak Amelia at Long Island Outfitters introduced a team building program called, “Natural Teams” for groups. Kayak Amelia offers guided eco-tours, as well as kayak rentals.

Special Events:

There are always special events going on in Jacksonville throughout the year, so be sure to check local calendars so you don't miss anything fun while you're here!

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This article is courtesy of www.VisitJacksonville.com