A new Marriott on Florida’s Gulf Coast is accepting reservations beginning June 2, offering a new option for individual travelers as well as meetings and conventions.

Overlooking the Manatee River, the Palmetto Marriott Resort & Spa is the largest hotel in the Bradenton Area, offering 252 guest rooms, each 375 square feet, as well as two resort-style pools and one lap pool, a waterfront with cabanas, beach volleyball and pickleball courts, a spa and two state-of-the-art fitness centers, and an event “epicenter” with a 40,000 square-foot outdoor lawn and a state-of-the-art amphitheater. Its design is meant to “celebrate its coastal surroundings,” with architectural and design elements reminiscent of a ship on land.

The property connects to the Bradenton Area Convention Center, which is currently undergoing a $48 million renovation and expansion that is scheduled to be completed in 2025. Together, the resort and the convention center will offer 140,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting and event space.

The hotel is less than an hour from Sarasota-Bradenton International (SRQ), St. Pete-Clearwater International (PIE) and Tampa International (TPA) airports. On-site dining options include The Social and the Oyster River rooftop restaurants as well as a food truck and an M Club executive club lounge.

In its quarterly report on May 1, Marriott International said it has added 46,000 new rooms, for a total of 1.6 million.

For more information, visit Palmetto Marriott Resort & Spa.

It’s going to be a big year for partnerships in the luxury space, as well-known consumer brands see their customers’ interest in travel growing rapidly. Royal Scotsman, A Belmond Train, jumped into the trend this week, kicking off its 2023 season with a new partnership with Dior Beauty to add a spa to its rail journeys and adding two new culinary-themed themed itineraries.

The Dior Spa Royal Scotsman will “blend two iconic Houses for an incomparable well-being escape inspired by Scotland’s ephemeral beauty,” crossing the country where Christian Dior hosted his first fashion show, in 1955, the company enthused.

The spa will feature two lacquered treatment rooms in Dior’s iconic burgundy toile de Jouy motif, and a menu of treatments devised by the French Maison’s wellness experts to cater to the specific needs of train travel.

Guests can take advantage of the spa treatments, including massages and facials, on three new journeys:

Highland Survival Adventure

June 30-July 3, 2023, a three-night roundtrip from Edinburgh “designed with adrenaline-seekers in mind.” It includes “several outdoor challenges in some of the most secluded locations in the Western Highlands,” led by WILDNIS guides, and includes a Royal Marines Commando Assault Training program, and an al fresco lunch prepared by WILDNIS chef Tom Byrom. On the third day, guests will put their skills to the test by rappelling down a cascading waterfall followed by a reinvigorating wild swim session. Rates start at $8,750 per person.

A Taste of Scotland with Tom Kitchin

September 4-6, 2023, Michelin-starred chef Tom Kitchin will host a two-night journey through the Scottish Highlands, showcasing his “From Nature-to-Plate” culinary philosophy. Guests will enjoy several meals with Chef Kitchin including a welcome four-course dinner, a barbecue lunch in Cairngorms National Park, and a gala closing dinner. Highlights also include an exclusive wine masterclass with local wine merchants, L’Art du Vin, in the train’s Observation Car and a tour and expert-led whisky tasting at Benromach distillery. Rates start at $6,690 per person.

In 2024, two new Grand Suites by interior designer Tristan Auer will be added, with ensuite bathrooms, double beds, and a private living area. Grand Suite guests will also enjoy added amenities including private transfers to and from the train and one spa treatment in the train’s dedicated spa carriage. Rates will start at $7,500 per person.