With new residential towers, a growing number of luxury hotels and a vibrant business climate, Miami is one of the world’s top “live-work-play” destinations. Whether resting on the beach, boating on Biscayne Bay, dining at top restaurants–or sealing a multimillion-dollar business deal–Miami offers a warm subtropical lifestyle with a unique Latin flavor.

“Miami-Dade is made up of a diverse, multicultural population that attracts new residents from Latin America because of the comfort level they feel in the area,” says Frank Nero, president and CEO of The Beacon Council, Miami-Dade County’s economic development partnership.

Among the steady flow of newcomers are Fortune 500 corporate executives, sports and entertainment celebrities, successful entrepreneurs, and seasonal visitors coming to Miami-Dade for business or pleasure.

“The buzz now is that Miami is hotter than ever,” says William D. Talbert III, president and CEO of the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau (GMCVB). “Miami is recognized as a fashion-forward destination, from its chic boutique and luxury hotels, to its cuisine and nightlife, to its many cultural offerings.”

Construction is now under way on Miami’s strikingly designed Performing Arts Center, which will add to the community’s cultural offerings when it opens in 2006. Already, events like Art Basel Miami, Coconut Grove Arts Festival and the Miami International Film Festival demonstrate the area’s international appeal to connoisseurs of the arts.

Visitors of all types are clearly responding to Miami-Dade’s diverse appeal, as tourism has rebounded from the post-9/11 slowdown. Last year, Miami-Dade attracted more than 10.5 million visitors, including 4.8 million from Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe and Canada, according to the GMCVB.

A boom in high-end hotel construction has strengthened Miami’s appeal to sophisticated travelers. The city’s new luxury hotels include the J.W. Marriott, Four Seasons and Mandarin Oriental, as well as the Conrad Miami, Hilton’s top-of-the-line brand, which opened last year on Brickell Avenue.

Many frequent visitors are purchasing condominium hotel units that serve as a home away from home. “We are expecting 2005 to be another strong year for our development and for Miami’s marketplace in general,” says William Ross, president of Estoril, the developer of Espirito Santo Plaza, a new multi-use building with 116 condo-hotel residences managed by the Conrad chain.

Throughout Miami-Dade County, new residential condominiums, loft and townhome projects, and apartment buildings being converted to condos are bringing new lifestyle choices. In downtown Miami alone, an estimated 20,000-plus new multifamily units are under construction or in the planning stages.

“With construction booming in Miami-Dade County, hundreds of thousands of dollars are coming in from domestic and foreign investors,” says Nero. “Thousands of the buyers and investors are attracted to the area by metropolitan living with average prices well below those of other major metropolitan areas in the United Says.”

More than half the county’s 2.3 million residents are foreign-born, reflecting Miami’s long-standing cultural ties to Latin America and the Caribbean. Virtually every nation of the Americas–Venezuelans, Argentines, Brazilians, Colombians and a growing stream of Mexicans–is represented in Miami-Dade.

“Latin Americans comprise a massive portion of foreign investors because of the proximity to Central and South America, the strong Latin influence in Miami-Dade, and the assortment of entertainment opportunities the area offers,” states Nero. “With various foreign consulates, international banks, and multinational corporations calling Miami-Dade home, Latin Americans can enjoy all the amenities Miami-Dade has to offer, while conducting their lives as they would in their native countries.”

Since the 1970s, one of Miami-Dade’s primary appeals to international residents has been its globally oriented business community.

Multinational corporations, import-export companies, international banks and major law firms have long been attracted by the county’s strategic position at the crossroads of the Americas.

After hosting the Summit of the Americas in 1994, Miami has played a leading role as the site of hemispheric and regional free trade negotiations. With its convenient airline schedules, telecommunications facilities and multicultural workforce, Miami is considered by many as the natural choice for the permanent Secretariat of the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA)

As a not-for-profit, public-private organization that focuses on job creation and economic growth, The Beacon Council coordinates community-wide programs, promotes minority business and urban economic revitalization, provides assistance to local businesses in their expansion efforts, and markets Greater Miami throughout the world.

In the past year, The Beacon Council assisted 44 companies that will add 2,640 new jobs and more than $88 million in new capital investment to the local community. Newcomers include Kraft Foods International, PROEXCA Miami (the Office of Trade & Investment for the Canary Islands) and Mobis Parts America, a Korean auto parts subsidiary of Hyundai. Mobis recently established its Latin American headquarters in Miami-Dade County.

“Recently, Miami-Dade County has seen a steady increase of companies from Asia opening operations here,” states Nero. “We really are the business center of the Americas, and we are pleased that Mobis Parts America has chosen to locate in our community.”

As the economies of Latin America grow, Miami-Dade County will remain a global gateway for investment and trade throughout the region. And with its new hotels, residential condominiums, and visitor attractions, Miami will strengthen its position as one of the world’s top live-work-play destinations.

With its award-winning design, luxurious condominium residences, rapidly filling office space and upscale Conrad Miami hotel, Espirito Santo Plaza is enjoying unprecedented success on Miami’s Brickell Avenue. “Our vision of excellence for Espirito Santo Plaza is now a reality,” states William Ross, president of Estoril, the developer.

Honoring the 36-story mixed-use building’s dramatic contemporary design, the Miami chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) recently named Espirito Santo Plaza as one of the ten best buildings constructed in Miami in the past 75 years.

“Sales are strong on our 116 fully furnished condominium-hotel residences, as our first owners move in,” states Ross. Residents enjoy the benefits of ownership with all the amenities of the popular 203-room Conrad Miami, Hilton’s global luxury brand, including suite management when they are not in residence. In addition, almost all the Class A office spaces at Espirito Santo Plaza have been reserved by an international roster of premier tenants. For more information, please contact Euroatlantic Realty at 305-371-3500 or info@espiritosantoplaza.com.

COPYRIGHT 2005 Freedom Magazines, Inc.
COPYRIGHT 2005 Gale Group

Florida Vacation Villas

?by: Art McCarty

Ah! Dreaming of staying in Florida vacation villas, while the snow is flying and the wind is kicking up outside your window?

Who wouldnt like to make a quick escape to balmy, sunny Florida? No waking up to dark days with freezing temperatures. No bundling up to scrape the automobile and keep it running to thaw it out. Sound enticing? Winter vacations spent in sunny Florida vacation villas will be sure to warm your spirits as well as your body. Along with the comfort offered in sunny Florida vacation villas, loads of attractions, grandiose and smaller scale also await you. The Central Florida area remains one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world due to the unparalleled allure of the Walt Disney World kingdom. Other major attractions near Orlando, Florida include Sea World and Universal Orlando Resort. Staying in Florida vacation villas in this area places you close to these major theme parks with loads of other attraction destinations near by. The City Beautiful is home to 95 plus attractions and 150 plus golf courses. Hungry? It may be a difficult decision choosing from some of the 4,500 restaurants. Staying in Florida vacation villas close to Orlando, Florida also places you near some unexpected and delightful destinations offering up a collection of cultural and ecotourism offerings.

Florida Vacation Villas Near Kissimmee Florida

Looking for Florida vacation villas accommodations closest to Disneyworld?

Kissimmee, Florida will place you closest to the Disney World of family fun. Lodging in Kissimmee ranges from cheap, discount and low cost to luxury accommodations. Beachtree Villas in Kissimmee, Florida offers spacious and well-appointed 2 and 3 bedroom villas with fully equipped kitchens starting from $46 per night. Condolodge in Kissimmee offers a similar accommodation starting at $46 per night also. Midrange family Florida vacation villas in the Kissimmee area include Emerald Island Resort featuring a range of single family vacation homes and town homes. This resort offers you the privacy and security of a gated community. Prices start at $91 per night. In this category you may be surprised to learn that Disney World offers the All-Star Sports, Music and Movies resorts all starting at $80 per night. These economy level Disney World resorts are themed after five sports, five music and five movie themes. Rooms contain two double beds, an armoire and a desk. The greatest attraction of these resorts is number one, the price, and secondly the proximity to Disneyworld resorts.

Florida Vacation Villas Higher End Disney Resorts

For a once-in-a-lifetime family holiday trip that’ll be sure to thrill the children and grown-ups alike, it would definitely be worth it to splurge on Florida vacation villas Disney World resorts. There are lots of from which to select all offering luxury and impeccable service and accommodations. What else would you anticipate from Disneyworld? One of the ideal known Florida vacation villas is the Contemporary Resort, Magic Kingdom. This 15 story pyramid offers a grand view of the Magic Kingdom, providing a panorama of the sparkling skies during the evening fireworks show. Booking reservations here for your vacation villa will give you convenient access to the Magic Kingdom with the monorail running directly through the pyramid. Other amenities include pools, health club, hair salon, hot tubs, boating, water-skiing, childrens programs and on and on it goes. Prices here start at over $220 per night. For the exotic animal lover in the bunch and a sure kids-pleaser, Animal Kingdom Lodge will wow you as giraffes, zebras and other African wildlife nonchalantly roam the three 11 acre savannahs separated by the lodges wings. For more information on Disney resorts see www.disneyworld.com.

Cheap Villas Kissimmee, Florida Area

Not able or ready to spend a fortune on lodging? Deals are available on cheap villas in the Kissimmee area around Disney. Finding the best price or lowest price may mean having the flexibility to book your reservations for cheap villas at the last minute. Cheap villas specials are often found on a villa that would remain vacant if it wasnt snatched up at the last minute. If you have this kind of flexibility in booking your reservations, keep searching the internet for those last minute specials and be sure you look in that great rate as soon as you see if offered. Cheap villas will more likely be available during the off-season. Peak times are spring break, summer and major holidays. One of the best times to find cheap villas is right after the children return to school through October. Ideal Value Inn and Suites in Kissimmee is a 180 room hotel which is close to Disney and offers a resort setting and outdoor pool with major restaurants within walking distance. Prices start at around $45 per night, a discount price for sure. The Days Inn 192 Orlando-Kissimmee is just 10 minutes to Disneyworld with free shuttle service, heated pool and free continental breakfast all starting at just $45 per night. This is just a sampling. Other great deals for cheap villas can be found by visiting www.orlandoinfo.com.

Cheap Villas Orlando Area

Renting cheap villas in the Orlando area will place you within easy driving distance to the Disney resorts plus give you swift access to Universal resort and Sea World. Universal Studios is the number one film and television-based theme park in the world. Universals Islands of Adventure will thrill you as you journey through its five distinct islands offering adventure and thrills for children and adults alike. Renting cheap villas in the Orlando area will also place you close to Sea World. A close encounter of the sea life kind awaits you here. This is a place of laughter and joy as the family-oriented animal shows will delight all. Comfort Suites Maingate maintains a 3 diamond AAA rating. Free scheduled transportation is provided to the major theme parks. There is excellent on-site dining with other culinary delights awaiting you close by. Rates here start at just $47.99. Speak about cheap villas! Holiday Inn Maingate West is a 3 star starting at $41.95 per night. Be sure to check out time share rentals also. An option for cheap villas not often thought of, discount rental rates on these unused units can start at $57 per night. A good source is www.redweek.com.

Cheap Villas Davenport, Florida Area

A little known location that offers quiet respite from the bustling tourist areas of Kissimmee and Orlando is Davenport, Florida. This quaint town located in Polk County and only a short drive from Disney will be just the place to put your feet up and relax after a busy day at the attractions. Davenport is only 2 square miles in size but less than 30 minutes from Walt Disney World, Sea World, Universal Studios, Florida and other attractions. Kennedy Space Center is just one and hours away and Cocoa Beach and Tampa are accessible within an hour. Cheap Villas accommodations here include Ramada Inn Southgate with its plush tropical landscaping, starting at only $49 per night and Best Western Central Florida, with rates starting at $64 per night. Be sure to ask for specials, discounts and the lowest price when calling for room availability. You may be offered great discount deals when calling that would not be officially publicized. Island Hideawayis a great choice in cheap villas lodging. Rates there start at just $34 for the economy Tiki room in off-season and range up to $150 per night for the five bedroom three bath villa, also during the off-season. Check out the monthly specials as many different discounts are offered. Amenities here include a big pool and kiddie pool, tennis, basketball and volleyball courts, on-site massage and fitness room and other great amenities. For more information see www.islandhideaway.net. Theres just no excuse for not enjoying the beauty and bounty of Central Florida. Start packing!

About The Author Art McCarty Copyright 2005 http://www.islandhideaway.net amccarty@islandhideaway.net

Cruising: Fun & Affordable

?by: Thomas Schoonover

Many people pass up going on a cruise for their vacation because of the myth that it is pricey. However, cruising has become a fun and economical way to vacation for young and old alike. It could be considered a downright bargain compared to staying at a resort, hotel, or private villa.

Cruising isn’t bound to any particular age group either. There are fun activities for all ages aboard a ship, catering to small kids, their parents, singles, middle-aged groups to elderly grandparents. However, a cruise that is longer than a week or that has destination ports further north will typically have an older crowd.

The first thing people think of when cruising is mentioned is of course food. A person on a cruise is typically assigned a dining room, dinner time and specific table companions to sit with for the duration of the cruise. There they’re treated to astonishing culinary delights and fine wines. If it is a week long cruise there will be probably be one or two formal nights where people dress in suits and cocktail dresses.

There are more choices on where to dine than the dining room. Many ships have smaller bistro-like restaurants, buffets many times during the day, snack bars, in-cabin service and many now have 24- hour pizzerias on board. Included in the price of the cruise are usually fruit juices, coffee, hot chocolate, water and teas. A slight downfall for cruising is soft-drinks and alcoholic beverages are at extra cost.

After eating all of the food that a cruise has to offer there are numerous activities, physical and social to do. Most cruises have fully equipped gyms and exercise classes. Many even have rock walls, rollerblade tracks, and jogging runs. There are always people playing games of volleyball, basketball and on a warmer cruise they can work off the calories by taking a swim.

There’s more fun to be had aboard a cruise than just eating and exercising. As previously mentioned there are usually many pools. Some pools even have water slides. Days and nights can be spent gambling in casinos, drinking at the numerous bars and lounges, attending one of the Las Vegas-like shows, shopping, or sitting in the video and book libraries or reading rooms.

Pampering oneself can also be a part of the cruising experience. Most shipboard spas rival spas on land. There are many options for obtaining facials, manicure, pedicures, hair salon treatments and massages. Appointments go fast so they must be booked early. Usually free are the steam rooms, saunas and hot tubs.

Unless it is a cruise to nowhere, the ship will be stopping at exciting ports of call. If the ship is docked cruisers can just walk off the gangway. ff the ship is too massive, motorized launches, called tenders, are used as ferries to get cruisers ashore. Each ship has organized excursions at each port of call that are available for sign up for before landing at the destination. They range in price from cheap to pricey depending on the type of activity desired. They can be a day at the beach to horseback riding, jeep excursions, shopping trips to nighttime clubbing. If a cruiser isn’t interested in hanging out with a group from the ship they have the ability to always opt to explore the port of call on their own.

As shown in this article, cruising is a great way to like a vacation. Along with its affordability, it is extremely exciting with many fun activities available to care about.

About The Author Thomas Schoonover is a leading travel industry analyst and trip planner. He’s well known in the industry for his worldwide hotel reviews. You may go to http://www.tripfox.com to see his hotel reviews as well as additional travel articles. Also, call 1-888-TripFox for guaranteed lowest hotel rates! (NOTE TO WEBMASTERS: You might reprint this article in your newsletter or website as long as the URL to TripFox.com is active and the 888# is included).

Simple Party Planning Tips

?by: Jan Kovarik

Planning a celebration can be easy! Even complicated theme celebrations or surprise celebrations can be very manageable as long as you create a Celebration Plan List that has a pre-party time line of things to be done, things to buy, things to rent or borrow, people to contact, grocery shopping, and food thats to be prepared, catered, or brought in by party guests.

Begin Your Celebration Plan List Early!

No matter what type of celebration you’re planning, from the simplest Saturday night get-together, to an all-day or all-night theme party, you’re going to need a basic list of things that will need to be done prior to the day of the party—and right up until just minutes before the celebration!

As soon as youve set the date for your celebration, start making your list. It can be a real piece of paper that you write on, or it can be a computer Word document. You can use the free printable Celebration Plan List that accompanies this article (change the column headings to suit your celebration needs), or you can make one of your own.

Jot down the first few things that come to mind as they apply to your party: invite guests, plan the menu, decide on party games, and make a shopping list. If your celebration is going to be more involved, like a theme celebration or a surprise party, then your initial Celebration Plan List might include a few more things like decorations to purchase or make, music, outdoor seating or lighting, and invitations that need to be emailed, snail-mailed, or hand-delivered.

Your Party Plan List can be as short or as long as it needs to be, and can include lots of details or just cover the basics. The whole idea is to have one central place where you can make notes for yourself and create reminders about what will need to be done, and when. For very detailed parties or elaborate parties, you might want to seriously consider buying a small notepad that you can keep with you wherever you’re so that you can make notes for yourself as soon as you think of them.

Arrange for a Celebration Helper!

If your celebration is going to be a little more involved than just having a few friends over for drinks and conversation or a simple family-only birthday celebration, you should consider asking a close friend or relative to be your Celebration Helper. No matter how prepared you think you’re going to be, as the party day gets closer, you’re apt to feel as though that things are out of control and that youre running around in circles and not accomplishing anything. A Party Helper can keep you sane during those last few wild days before the celebration, even if only to remind you that everything really is going according to plan!

Ask your Party Helper to be available the day before the party or the day of the party to help you with all the last minute things that are going to come up. Dont be bashful about asking for help—but do remember that you might be asked to repay the favor someday!

Share the Party Plan List with your Party Helper, and make a special point to go over everything with him or her.

Work the List!

Now that you’ve a Celebration Plan List, you might want to review it on a regular basis. As things begin to get done, check off things that no longer need your attention, or mark done what youve done so far for any one thing on the list.

Once you have the basic list done, review each item on the list. Make your time line of what things need to be done and when. You can either color-code things (that is, everything that needs to be done on Monday before the celebration you can mark in blue), or you can number the list (that is, the thing that can be done now gets marked 1 and the thing that can only be done right before the celebration gets marked 999, or whatever numbering sequence you want to use). No matter what scheme you use, make sure that your list will help you do what can be done sooner and remind you of what will need to be done later.

Coordinate With Your Celebration Helper!

As the celebration day gets closer, stay in touch with your Celebration Helper and other friends and family who have offered to help with the celebration (by providing party items or taking care of errands) to make sure that everything is on track. Review your Party Plan List one last time with your Celebration Helper and discuss any final arrangements that need to be made. By this time both you and your Celebration Helper need to have a very clear idea of who is taking care of what.

Help Yourself To Be Prepared!

Remember the Golden Rule about parties: Everything you need to do will take longer than you think!

So, using your Celebration Plan List, do everything you possibly can ahead of time:

Any food item that can be prepared and stored or frozen can be made prior to the party. If youve frozen an item, note on your Celebration Plan List what time it needs to be taken out of the freezer.

For any food item that needs to be made the day of the celebration, think ahead. Can you pre-measure the ingredients and store in containers in the frig or seal in resealable plastic bags? This will save you plenty of time on Celebration Day!

Remember that celebrations create TRASH and GARBAGE. Most people dont plan ahead for this. Using the free printable signs that are available with this article, plan for trash, garbage, and recyclables (if that applies). If you dont have regular large trashcans (or garbage cans that you can hose out and have clean for the party), then big cardboard boxes will do. Purchase massive trash bags. Put several in the bottom of the trashcan before you put in the trash bag that will be open. This way, as the trashcan fills up, you can bag up the trash and there will be another trash bag ready to go!

Accept the fact that it is likely that drinks are going to be spilled. Depending on what your arrangement is for drinks, whether cans of soda, bottles of various sport drinks, juices, and water, cans and bottles of alcoholic beverages, or celebration punchbowls, please think ahead about spillage and melting ice. Borrow plenty of coolers from friends and have certain types of beverages in their own coolers (all the soda in one cooler, all the bottled drinks in one, beer in another, etc.). Be sure that one cooler is kept for clean ice that people can use for drinks that are poured into cups. If the coolers are going to be inside on the floor, spread out beach towels underneath them to absorb the ice melt. Purchase several rolls of paper towels, and have them handy to dry hands and mop up spills.

Dont Panic on Party Day!

Youve been using your Celebration Plan List and youve been coordinating with your Party Helper. On Celebration Day, all you need to do now is go by the list, and work at getting things done in the order that they need to be finished.

Hopefully your Celebration Helper will be available to assist you during the day. It might also be helpful to appoint other helpers to help during the party: replenish food trays, put uneaten food away before it spoils, take care of trash, help set up celebration games. Ask someone to restart the music if you’re playing CDs on the stereo.

Dont be afraid to ask several people to each do one small task during the party. They wont mind, and you wont have to spend all your time hurrying around, trying to do everything!

Enjoy the Celebration!

Now that youve done all the planning, completed the shopping, prepared all the food, and greeted your guests as they arrive, you can rest and enjoy the celebration!

Post-Party Reminders

After the mess is gone and the place is back to normal, please do remember to personally thank your Party Helper and all those who lent a hand in making it a successful event! And then offer your services as Celebration Helper for their next celebration

About The Author Jan K., The Proofer is freelance proofreader and copyeditor. Visit http://www.janktheproofer.com for more information about Jans services; http://work-at-home.janktheproofer.com for work at home articles and free printables; and for work at home moms, visit Jans sister site http://work-at-home.momsbreak.com for articles, free printables, and work at home T-shirts and other fun products. ? Copyright 2004 All rights reserved. jkproof@bellsouth.net