The Destin and Fort Walton Beach area is a dream destination, with sugar-white sand beaches and emerald-green waters, according to Melissa Read, general manager, Destin-Fort Walton Beach Convention Center. “For those eager to experience the perks of a coastal getaway, we offer water and land adventures and family activities, with abundant water sports; gulf-to-table seafood with more than 20 edible fish in our waters; championship golf; lively nightlife; and numerous attractions, festivals, and events,” she says.
New openings and upgrades include Dolphin Oasis, a multimillion-dollar habitat for seven Atlantic bottlenose dolphins that opened in 2023 at Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park. The Gulfarium has several event spaces, including the Living Sea Aquarium Room, with a full wall of aquarium windows and covered outdoor space on the beach. Last year, the 152-room Holiday Inn Resort, with meeting space to host 250 guests, completed a full-room renovation. The 178-room Hilton Garden Inn Fort Walton Beach, with 5,040 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space, completed a soft renovation.
The area’s largest event space is the Destin-Fort Walton Beach Convention Center, with eight meeting rooms, a 21,200-square-foot ballroom, and a 30,000-square-foot outdoor venue overlooking the bay.
Hotels with event space include Emerald Grande at HarborWalk Village, with 200 condos and indoor and outdoor venues; Four Points by Sheraton, with meeting space for 200 guests; and Henderson Beach Resort and Spa, with nearly 30,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space, including a ballroom seating 300. A new 126-room Home2Suites, with 3,925 square feet of event space, is set to open early this year.
