Innisbrook, a Salamander Golf & Spa Resort

Innisbrook, a Salamander Golf & Spa Resort resides on 900 wooded acres in Innisbrook, Florida, near the St. Petersburg–Clearwater area and just 30 minutes from Tampa International Airport. Long known for its outstanding golf experience, the natural beauty of its lakes and rolling hills frames 72 holes of championship play with moss-draped cypress trees, towering pines, colorful hibiscus, and Southern azaleas.

Sheila Johnson bought the icon in 2007 with the goal of establishing Innisbrook as the west coast of Florida’s premier resort. In 2009, Johnson’s Salamander Hospitality company completed a dramatic transformation of the property. Along with a top-to-bottom renovation of the meeting spaces, the project added two new restaurants, a spa, and a fitness center. The $26 million project also upgraded the 600 spacious villa accommodations (with full kitchens), six swimming pool complexes, tennis center, and four golf courses, including Copperhead, host to the annual PGA Transitions Championship.

Meeting planners hold events for up to 2,000 people in three conference halls—flexible ballrooms with built-in stages, projection booths, and the latest in fiber-optic technology. In addition, for breakouts and more intimate gatherings, the resort offers two new boardrooms for up to 20 delegates and landscaped patios for outdoor events. The resort’s flexible venue options and ability to help planners achieve their goals have lead to a host of industry awards, ranging from Successful Meetings magazine’s Pinnacle to Meetings & Conventions magazine’s Hall of Fame Gold awards.

Executive Meeting Package

There are no hot dates at this time. Posted 25 Aug, 2011 by Elizabeth Longo Forward Florida: Innisbrook is featured in this cover story about destinations that host major sporting events Ask General Manager Lloyd Williams about the impact of the PGA Tour's Transitions Championship on his Innisbrook resort, and he has two simple words: “It's huge.”

Held annually in March, the 2011 event had a purse of $5.5 million and a winning share of $990,000, which went to Gary Woodland. Other pertinent numbers: Some 30,000 local spectators from Lakeland to Sarasota, along with vacationers, descended on Innisbrook's 900 wooded acres located about 20 miles from Tampa International Airport. The seven days of golf and related activities had a direct $20 million economic impact on the area. Plus, not counting this year, more than $9 million was raised for area charities to push the total since 1977 to approximately $25 million.

For the resort, which recently has undergone $26 million in improvements, there's a similar boon. Big picture, the PGA Tour stop helped “drive the Innisbrook brand into places that a single entity couldn't do,” says Williams. In terms of daily business, consider the scene in 2010, when a Sunday rain delay resulted in the resort's clubhouse restaurant, Packard’s Steakhouse, doing 580 lunches, with the dining room turning over almost six times that afternoon.

The exposure does come with a price. Preparation for the annual tournament is virtually a 12-month process, led by The Copperheads, a group of Tampa Bay community and business leaders that helps local charities through golf and that actually directs the tournament. Within three weeks following the event, a post-critique exercise reviews everything from operations and traffic flow to TV ratings and resort branding. And, throughout the year, every decision that affects the resort's famed signature Copperhead Course is influenced by the Transitions Championship.

Still, Williams leaves little doubt about his enthusiasm for enduring the rough. “We love having the event,” he says. Posted 14 Apr, 2011 by Elizabeth Longo Florida resort offers special “cool” menus, activities and group meeting rates INNISBROOK, FL – This summer, Innisbrook – a Salamander Golf & Spa Resort – is offering a “Cool Connections” meeting package featuring a new “Cool Foods” menu and rates beginning at only $99 per night. Only a short drive from the cooling breezes of Clearwater’s famed beaches, the recently renovated Florida resort features six swimming pools on its 900-acre shaded campus – in addition to 65,000 square feet of indoor function space.

Since completing its enhancement project, Innisbrook has become the “cool” place to meet and stay in Western Florida – hosting celebrities and high-profile groups, including a variety of Super Bowl XLIII functions. In addition to proving a popular spring training base for the stars of baseball, the world’s finest golfers stay and play at Innisbrook during March’s PGA TOUR’s Transitions Championship.

“Cool Connections” rates begin at just $99 per night, and are valid for groups of 10 or more from July 1-September 30, 2011. The rate is not applicable to previously booked groups.

The package also includes:
Specially priced “Cool Foods” menu, including gazpacho, salads and Innisbrook’s own brand of ice cream flavors
Complimentary meeting room rental
Guaranteed suite accommodations for each attendee
Complimentary on-site and beach transportation
Complimentary wired in-room and public wireless internet access
25 percent discount on “Cool Kids” activities, including dive-in movies


In addition, Innisbrook offers a variety of “Cool” group activities, including:
Amazing Race challenges, both indoors and outside
Wii competitions
Water Olympics, featuring pool volleyball and tug of war

To make reservations, call (800) 445-1713. For more information, visit www.visitinnisbrook.com.