Mid-July saw the debut of the Palmetto Marriott Resort & Spa in Palmetto, Fla., connected by an indoor skybridge to the Bradenton Area Convention Center (BACC) on the northern shore of the Manatee River across from downtown Bradenton.

Featuring approximately 9,000 square feet of meeting and event space, the 252-room Marriott has a 7,400-square-foot ballroom that’s divisible by five, along with a divisible 1,700-square-foot breakout room. And between the hotel and the convention center next door is the Yard, a 40,000-square-foot outdoor space (below) with a stage at one end.

The BACC offers an additional 10,000 square feet of divisible meeting space, including a 4,000-square-foot room, two 1,700-square-foot rooms, and a 1,300-square-foot room.

As its centerpiece, BACC has a 4,000-seat arena (below) with 32,400 square feet of floor space for exhibits, a general session, or a reception. Further, a $17 million upgrade of the facility is underway, which will add a 14,000-square-foot ballroom. It is due for completion by the second half of 2025.

The eight-story Marriott has an outdoor pool and bar on its rooftop as well as an indoor/outdoor dinner-only restaurant named Oyster River, serving seafood with a Mediterranean twist. The restaurant can seat 120 people; meeting groups can use the space for private breakfast or lunch events. On the property’s ground floor is Social (below), serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

One way that guests of the Palmetto Marriott can get to downtown Bradenton and the nearby Gulf of Mexico beaches is via water taxi. Two 49-passenger pontoon boats serve Bradenton, the city of Anna Maria, Bradenton Beach, and Coquina Beach from a pier next to the convention center.

The Palmetto Marriott is eight miles from Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport, a 10-minute drive, and 43 miles from Tampa International Airport, a 50-minute drive.

This article was originally published on our sister publication, MeetingsNet.

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