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FLORIDA’S EMERALD COAST ENHANCES REPUTATION WITH NEW RESORTS AND MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR REFURBISHMENTS

June 23, 2008

DESTIN • FORT WALTON BEACH • OKALOOSA ISLAND — Florida’s Emerald Coast -- famous for 24 miles of sugar white sands and brilliant emerald green waters -- is recognized as one of the South’s most attractive places for all types of gatherings. This destination offers more than 15,900 Gulf-edged rooms, many with recent renovations – ranging from Gulfside hotels, condominiums and private cottages, to bed and breakfast inns and beach houses. From local and regional events to conferences of Fortune 500 companies, the southern sea towns of Destin • Fort Walton Beach • Okaloosa Island are perfect for relaxing on sun-bleached beaches, with activities ranging from championship golf to sampling sumptuous seafood. Florida’s Emerald Coast, named the “Best Beach in the South” for 13 consecutive years by Southern Living makes any group proud (http://www.destin-fwb.com).

NEW PROPERTIES AND RENOVATIONS

The Palms of Destin – Opened March 2007
www.palmsofdestin.com (850) 351-0500
Only a short walk from the beach, The Palms of Destin Resort and Conference Center is an elegant spot with views of the beautiful Gulf of Mexico. The new resort features 400 two- and three-bedroom, two bath condo suites and villas. With interior units ranging from 970 square feet to 1,445 square feet, the rooms are spacious and comfortable enough to meet specific needs. Each unit includes 32-inch flat screen televisions, washer and dryers and wireless Internet access.

The resort also has its own fully equipped fitness center and boasts a magnificent Polynesian-themed spa, The Royal Palm. This new resort caters to meetings, weddings & events accommodating groups up to 450 people. Guests are able to take advantage of fabulous dining at Trader Vic’s Polynesian restaurant and the Mai Tai Bar, which opens up to a 100,000 square-foot courtyard. Listen to live music under a covered heated and cooled patio and relax by one of four pools – the largest a 11,000 square-foot lagoon pool with cascading waterfalls.

Emerald Grand at HarborWalk Village – Opened June 2007
www.emeraldgrande.com (866) 755-7824
The Emerald Grande at HarborWalk Village is a world-class luxury resort destination unfolding along 15 acres on the Historic Destin Harbor, the gateway to the Gulf of Mexico and the very heart of the famed beachside fishing community. HarborWalk Village is the retail and resort complex along the northern Gulf Coast with luxury resort residence opportunities available at Emerald Grande, the two residential towers within HarborWalk Village.

Visitors enjoy the Beach Club with private beach shuttles complete with water taxi that takes guests to Destin’s famous white beaches and a Kids Club featuring an arcade. The full-service, 9,700 square-foot European Spa and Fitness center also provides a relaxing escape offering massages, as well as beauty/wellness treatments. The property’s on-site lobby features solid cherry floors, 22-foot ceilings, chandeliers and a hand-crafted, 15-foot chrome compass inlaid in the entryway floor.

The Rebirth of a Harbor

The Destin Harbor is what truly sets Destin apart from other beach communities. Not only does the unique oceanic topography have four times more species that most destinations, it also has provided fisherman with boast-worthy catches for years.

In 2007, a vision more than 30 years in the making is realized with the completion of Emerald Grande at HarborWalk Village with a team of world-class development partners such as HHCP Architects and the interior designer for legends City Jazz in City Walk Orlando, this 281-unit luxury resort is just the beginning of new development in the Harbor area.

Waterscape – Opened March 2008
www.waterscapecondos.com (800) 336-4853
Located on Okaloosa Island in Fort Walton Beach, Waterscape offers luxury and grandeur with breathtaking views of the Gulf of Mexico through floor-to-ceiling glass doors and windows. Boasting extensive water features totaling 10,000 square feet of pools. Three large swimming pools, a waterfall and a LAY-Z River are all surrounded by one-, two- and three-bedroom condo units. The dramatic, split-level courtyard provides guests with plenty of space to relax with two hot tubs, barbeque grills and lush greenery-covered trellis.

An expansive lobby greets vacationers before checking into the resort’s chic accommodations. Professionally decorated and designed to be a home away from home, units range from 800 to 1,500 square feet.

EXPANSIONS

Okaloosa Regional Airport (VPS)
http://www.flyvps.com/ (850) 651-7160
Okaloosa Regional Airport (VPS) recently completed a new $32 million, 110,000 square-foot Terminal Building, located 15 minutes from downtown Fort Walton Beach. The airport currently serves more than 800,000 passengers each year with direct service to Atlanta (Delta/ASA), Dallas (American Eagle), Houston (Continental), Memphis (Northwest), Orlando (ASA) and Tampa (Continental).

ATTRACTIONS/DINING

Sinfonia Gulf Coast
www.sinfoniagulfcoast.com (850) 267-1478
Dedicated to redefining the traditional symphony, Sinfonia Gulf Coast is the Emerald Coast’s only fully professional orchestra with a twist of classical music and contemporary sophistication. Many talented artists and musicians are lined up to perform for the 2007 season including cellist Guo Sheng Huang and
Tony award-winner, Bernadette Peters.

Demetrius Fuller, marking his fifth year as Music Director and Conductor for Sinfonia, has collaborated with some of the most well-known orchestras and conductors in the world. He has worked with Neeme Jarvi and was also invited by Kurt Masur to conduct the I’Orchestre Nationale de France.

Traders Vic’s Restaurant
www.tradervics.com (850) 351-0900
Trader Vic’s restaurant opened in April 2007, in Destin, Fla. The restaurant features Island/Eurasian cuisine of world quality and a 72-year-old, 32-foot long outrigger canoe hanging from the main dining area ceiling. The main dining area also features 16-foot tall tikis and many other Pacific artifacts including Samoan tapa cloths.

Beachwalk
www.beachwalkcafe.com (850) 650-7100
Winning the notable “DiRoNa Award,” “Wine Spectator Award,” “AAA 3-Star Restaurant” and “Best Chef & Brunch,” Beachwalk Café is the only fine-dining restaurant directly on the beach in Northwest Florida. This 135-seat dining experience includes a marvelous two-story glass wall with a serene marine life mural displayed inside. The American Culinary Foundation has named Beachwalk’s Certified Chef, Tim Creehan, as “one of the youngest and most accomplished Certified Executive Chefs in the United States.”

He has cooked for many famous celebrities such as Cybil Shepherd, Katherine Crosby and even prepared the food at Amy Grant and Vince Gill’s wedding reception. Beachwalk’s intimate fine dining, beachfront atmosphere and personable customer service makes it one of Destin’s most popular and demanded restaurants in the Emerald Coast area.

Additional information is available by calling the Emerald Coast Convention & Visitors Bureau, Inc. at (800) 322-3319 or (850) 651-7131 or by visiting www.destin-fwb.com.

###

« Back to Releases

Year 2010
For More Media Information
Michelle Kelly / Kerry Anne Watson
The Zimmerman Agency
(850) 668-2222
media@destin-fwb.com


Press Kit General Overview Accommodations Meetings Activities Attractions Acclaims Dining Environmental Fast Facts Golf Weddings Special Events Trivia Spring Break Resources Image Library Archives News @lerts Search Contact Consumer site	Archives FLORIDA’S EMERALD COAST ENHANCES REPUTATION WITH NEW RESORTS AND MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR REFURBISHMENTS June 23, 2008 DESTIN • FORT WALTON BEACH • OKALOOSA ISLAND — Florida’s Emerald Coast -- famous for 24 miles of sugar white sands and brilliant emerald green waters -- is recognized as one of the South’s most attractive places for all types of gatherings. This destination offers more than 15,900 Gulf-edged rooms, many with recent renovations – ranging from Gulfside hotels, condominiums and private cottages, to bed and breakfast inns and beach houses. From local and regional events to conferences of Fortune 500 companies, the southern sea towns of Destin • Fort Walton Beach • Okaloosa Island are perfect for relaxing on sun-bleached beaches, with activities ranging from championship golf to sampling sumptuous seafood. Florida’s Emerald Coast, named the “Best Beach in the South” for 13 consecutive years by Southern Living makes any group proud (http://www.destin-fwb.com). NEW PROPERTIES AND RENOVATIONS The Palms of Destin – Opened March 2007 www.palmsofdestin.com (850) 351-0500 Only a short walk from the beach, The Palms of Destin Resort and Conference Center is an elegant spot with views of the beautiful Gulf of Mexico. The new resort features 400 two- and three-bedroom, two bath condo suites and villas. With interior units ranging from 970 square feet to 1,445 square feet, the rooms are spacious and comfortable enough to meet specific needs. Each unit includes 32-inch flat screen televisions, washer and dryers and wireless Internet access. The resort also has its own fully equipped fitness center and boasts a magnificent Polynesian-themed spa, The Royal Palm. This new resort caters to meetings, weddings & events accommodating groups up to 450 people. Guests are able to take advantage of fabulous dining at Trader Vic’s Polynesian restaurant and the Mai Tai Bar, which opens up to a 100,000 square-foot courtyard. Listen to live music under a covered heated and cooled patio and relax by one of four pools – the largest a 11,000 square-foot lagoon pool with cascading waterfalls. Emerald Grand at HarborWalk Village – Opened June 2007 www.emeraldgrande.com (866) 755-7824 The Emerald Grande at HarborWalk Village is a world-class luxury resort destination unfolding along 15 acres on the Historic Destin Harbor, the gateway to the Gulf of Mexico and the very heart of the famed beachside fishing community. HarborWalk Village is the retail and resort complex along the northern Gulf Coast with luxury resort residence opportunities available at Emerald Grande, the two residential towers within HarborWalk Village. Visitors enjoy the Beach Club with private beach shuttles complete with water taxi that takes guests to Destin’s famous white beaches and a Kids Club featuring an arcade. The full-service, 9,700 square-foot European Spa and Fitness center also provides a relaxing escape offering massages, as well as beauty/wellness treatments. The property’s on-site lobby features solid cherry floors, 22-foot ceilings, chandeliers and a hand-crafted, 15-foot chrome compass inlaid in the entryway floor. The Rebirth of a Harbor The Destin Harbor is what truly sets Destin apart from other beach communities. Not only does the unique oceanic topography have four times more species that most destinations, it also has provided fisherman with boast-worthy catches for years. In 2007, a vision more than 30 years in the making is realized with the completion of Emerald Grande at HarborWalk Village with a team of world-class development partners such as HHCP Architects and the interior designer for legends City Jazz in City Walk Orlando, this 281-unit luxury resort is just the beginning of new development in the Harbor area. Waterscape – Opened March 2008 www.waterscapecondos.com (800) 336-4853 Located on Okaloosa Island in Fort Walton Beach, Waterscape offers luxury and grandeur with breathtaking views of the Gulf of Mexico through floor-to-ceiling glass doors and windows. Boasting extensive water features totaling 10,000 square feet of pools. Three large swimming pools, a waterfall and a LAY-Z River are all surrounded by one-, two- and three-bedroom condo units. The dramatic, split-level courtyard provides guests with plenty of space to relax with two hot tubs, barbeque grills and lush greenery-covered trellis. An expansive lobby greets vacationers before checking into the resort’s chic accommodations. Professionally decorated and designed to be a home away from home, units range from 800 to 1,500 square feet. EXPANSIONS Okaloosa Regional Airport (VPS) http://www.flyvps.com/ (850) 651-7160 Okaloosa Regional Airport (VPS) recently completed a new $32 million, 110,000 square-foot Terminal Building, located 15 minutes from downtown Fort Walton Beach. The airport currently serves more than 800,000 passengers each year with direct service to Atlanta (Delta/ASA), Dallas (American Eagle), Houston (Continental), Memphis (Northwest), Orlando (ASA) and Tampa (Continental). ATTRACTIONS/DINING Sinfonia Gulf Coast www.sinfoniagulfcoast.com (850) 267-1478 Dedicated to redefining the traditional symphony, Sinfonia Gulf Coast is the Emerald Coast’s only fully professional orchestra with a twist of classical music and contemporary sophistication. Many talented artists and musicians are lined up to perform for the 2007 season including cellist Guo Sheng Huang and Tony award-winner, Bernadette Peters. Demetrius Fuller, marking his fifth year as Music Director and Conductor for Sinfonia, has collaborated with some of the most well-known orchestras and conductors in the world. He has worked with Neeme Jarvi and was also invited by Kurt Masur to conduct the I’Orchestre Nationale de France. Traders Vic’s Restaurant www.tradervics.com (850) 351-0900 Trader Vic’s restaurant opened in April 2007, in Destin, Fla. The restaurant features Island/Eurasian cuisine of world quality and a 72-year-old, 32-foot long outrigger canoe hanging from the main dining area ceiling. The main dining area also features 16-foot tall tikis and many other Pacific artifacts including Samoan tapa cloths. Beachwalk www.beachwalkcafe.com (850) 650-7100 Winning the notable “DiRoNa Award,” “Wine Spectator Award,” “AAA 3-Star Restaurant” and “Best Chef & Brunch,” Beachwalk Café is the only fine-dining restaurant directly on the beach in Northwest Florida. This 135-seat dining experience includes a marvelous two-story glass wall with a serene marine life mural displayed inside. The American Culinary Foundation has named Beachwalk’s Certified Chef, Tim Creehan, as “one of the youngest and most accomplished Certified Executive Chefs in the United States.” He has cooked for many famous celebrities such as Cybil Shepherd, Katherine Crosby and even prepared the food at Amy Grant and Vince Gill’s wedding reception. Beachwalk’s intimate fine dining, beachfront atmosphere and personable customer service makes it one of Destin’s most popular and demanded restaurants in the Emerald Coast area. Additional information is available by calling the Emerald Coast Convention & Visitors Bureau, Inc. at (800) 322-3319 or (850) 651-7131 or by visiting www.destin-fwb.com. ### « Back to Releases
	Year 2010 For More Media Information Michelle Kelly / Kerry Anne Watson The Zimmerman Agency (850) 668-2222 media@destin-fwb.com