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Universal Volcano Bay, Orlando
ABOVE: The revamped British Airways lounge at Miami International Airport features quiet pods and shower suites
the Delano Miami Beach. The art deco hotel dates from 1947 but has been closed since March 2020. Following a huge renovation, the 171-room Delano will reopen on March 9, featuring two new restaurants, a reimagined Rose Bar (where Hollywood stars and starlets once congregated) and sleek poolside bungalow suites. In St Pete, beachfront The Luce is set to open next month as part of Marriott’s mid-range Tribute Portfolio. The three-star hotel sits on a peaceful section of private coastline, so clients can take advantage of the Gulf of Mexico’s warm waters at the beach club or dip into the area’s largest pool. Also catering to mid-range travellers, a five-storey
Fairfield by Marriott Inn & Suites will open at the end of the year in Crystal River, making a gorgeous gateway to the area’s clear springs and massive manatee population. The new hotel will also have a diving shop on site, so clients can explore below the surface.
SHIPSHAPE Port Canaveral is growing in prominence for cruise clients, with more ships homeporting there this season. Sky Princess joins Caribbean Princess in sailing six to eight-night itineraries, while MSC Grandiosa will join MSC Seashore in operating short itineraries from Port Canaveral year-round. Ground has also been broken at Terminal G,
Royal Caribbean International’s new cruise terminal in Miami. The terminal is due to be completed at the end of 2027 and will be able to service the line’s
travelweekly.co.uk Port Canaveral is growing in
prominence with more ships homeporting there this season from Princess and MSC Cruises
Icon Class vessels, which carry up to 7,600 passengers. On the Panhandle, river and small-ship cruise company American Cruise Lines will make its first stops in Pensacola from March – part of a new Gulf Coast itinerary that begins in the beachside city, continuing on to historic coastal port city Mobile in Alabama, the Mississippi coastline and New Orleans.
AIR APPARENT Just in time for the Fifa World Cup, Miami International Airport has gained some new additions. Since October, British Airways’ premium flyers have enjoyed a BA lounge featuring an art deco-inspired bar, quiet pods and two shower suites.
A new private terminal will also provide luxury
travellers with a more peaceful passage through security, customs and border control – and it’s not just for private jet passengers. Set in the brutalist former Pan Am headquarters, passengers on any airline can pay from $695 per person to access the exclusive terminal, which includes a private car transfer to the aircraft.
TW
Visit Orlando has launched a new itinerary-planning tool for agents who have completed its Orlando Travel Academy. The AI-powered tool is designed to help agents create personalised itineraries for clients, complete with maps and accommodation recommendations.
For some sweet fun, the Museum of Ice Cream – already open in New York, Singapore and Miami – is opening a branch in the Pointe Orlando complex on International Drive.
Cocoa Beach near Cape Canaveral is upping its hotel game, with a new Westin set to open on its sugary-white sands in May 2027. A standout feature will be the wave pool, so clients can practise their surfing technique before hitting the beach.
Wave pool for surfing
19 FEBRUARY 2026
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PICTURES: Shutterstock/Toyakisphoto; Matt Kalinowski
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