Jonah Hinebaugh | Naples Daily News
The red carpet took center stage for those who arrived Thursday for opening night at the 15th annual Naples International Film Festival at Artis-Naples.
The festival ends Sunday with a special presentation of Steven Spielberg’s “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,” featuring a live performance of John Williams’ classic score by the Naples Philharmonic. This year’s festival features 57 films and all screenings will be held in person at Hayes Hall, Norris Garden or Paragon Theaters ― Pavilion.
There are lots of photos of the event on naplesnews.com.
Find a home in southwest Florida. Contact David at David@DavidFlorida.com or 239-285-1086.
Dave Osborn | Naples Daily News
The one-liners and laughs ended for most of August at Off The Hook Comedy Club but not because the comedians weren’t funny.
Few acts were scheduled for the club because the inside of ROW Seafood by Capt. Brien & Crew restaurant underwent a $1 million renovation, said owner Brien Spina.
Whole new look
Work crews over 20 days in August made $1 million in renovations to Off The Hook Comedy Club, which is inside ROW Seafood by Capt. Brien & Crews along Vanderbilt Beach Road in North Naples, Florida.
Anyone who went to the Off The Hook website or called last month may have thought the comedy venue shut down to give club workers time away in the “off-season.”
Instead, construction crews over 20 days ripped out much of the restaurant and reconfigured it.
“We’re remodeling the front of the house top to bottom, all new furniture and fixtures,” Spina said in late August.
New rearranged seating will be “much more conducive to the show,” he said, pointing out there’s no increased seating but “we just have more spaced-out room with better sight to the stage now.”
Read more about Off the Hook changes on naplesnews.com.
Find a home near great dining and entertainment in southwest Florida. Contact David at David@DavidFlorida.com or 239-285-1086.
J. Kyle Foster | Naples Daily News
A three-story boutique hotel and Naples’ Aqua restaurant will replace the Liki Tiki BBQ and Pastrami Dan’s Restaurant building at 590 Ninth Street N. in Naples. Preliminary design plans garnered unanimous approval from the Naples Design Review Board Wednesday.
Under the proposed plan, the existing single-story building will be knocked down and replaced with a high-end boutique hotel called Aquarius with Aqua on the ground floor.
The Stojkoski family, who is the petitioner, owns the 1963 building on the corner of Sixth Avenue North and 41/Ninth Street North; Liki Tiki in both Naples and Fort Myers Beach; and Aqua, which opened on Fifth Avenue in 2011. Aqua will move from its current location to the Ninth Avenue location, MHK Architecture’s Mark McLean told the board.
Read the full story on naplesnews.com for some of Naples history and more.
How many rooms and how big will they be?
MHK’s design for a hotel with 18 transient lodging units with a pool/amenity deck, outdoor bar amenity and the restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating was approved with 11 conditions, including requirements for site plan, outdoor dining and transient lodging approvals by City Council prior to final design review.
The hotel will have one-room suites aimed at people visiting nearby NCH’s Downtown Baker Hospital. The suites range in size from 760 to 1,463 square feet. The hotel will have two VIP suites that can be combined into one 2,500 square foot three-bedroom, two-bath suite that would have a separate entrance, McLean said.
Photos and more on naplesnews.com
Find a home in Southwest Florida. Contact David at David@DavidFlorida.com or 239-285-1086.
Great Wolf Lodge has set date to open in Southwest Florida, bookings start now
Phil Fernandez | Naples Daily News
Many of you told me you would make reservations as soon as the first new Great Wolf Lodge in Florida began accepting them.
Now here’s your chance.
Great Wolf leaders announced the iconic retreat would make its debut in Southwest Florida on Oct. 1, 2024 but don’t be surprised if it opens even sooner.
The announcement came as Great Wolf Lodge South Florida in Naples reached a key milestone Wednesday in completing vertical construction of the family-focused indoor water park complex. Read the 14 things you need to know on naplesnews.com
Find a home in Southwest Florida. Contact David at David@DavidFlorida.com or 239-285-1086.
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema opening first Florida theater in Naples at Mercato: What to know
Dave Osborn | Naples Daily News
Naples soon will become home to Florida’s first Alamo Drafthouse Cinema.
The Austin, Texas-based cinema eatery chain confirmed July 24 what has been speculated for weeks: It will replace Silverspot at Mercato in North Naples.
“We’re really excited not only to provide a great cinema experience for the area, but to introduce everything that makes us different from other theaters in the Sunshine State,” said Alamo Drafthouse CEO Michael Kusterman in a news release.
Alamo Drafthouse officials are targeting an early 2024 opening, after it converts the space Silverspot has occupied since 2009. Silverspot ― which opened a year after Mercato did ― announced July 12 that it would close after July 23.
“Updates to the theater will include premium, reclining leather seats, a revamped bar experience, and a theme celebrating cinema’s greatest golf films,” the news release said.
The Naples location will be in 33,652 square feet of space, “with 11 auditoriums updated with approximately 650 newly-installed luxury recliner seats and 4K digital projection. Parking will be free and easily accessible at a parking deck located behind the theater.”
Alamo Drafthouse operates 39 locations in a dozen states.
Get the scoop on food and beverages, and no talk no text policy and more on napelsnews.com.
There’s so much to do in the Naples, Florida area! To find a home, contact David at David@DavidFlorida.com or 239-285-1086.
Ritz-Carlton, Naples, slammed by Ian, reopens bigger, better, on Vanderbilt Beach
Laura Layden | Naples Daily News
The Ritz-Carlton Resort, Naples quietly reopened to resort guests last week, giving them the first peek at its major transformation.
Now, locals can see and experience the same.
On Monday, the Ritz rolled out the welcome mat to the community – and all visitors. The transformation includes several new restaurants, and a new lobby bar, with a champagne tasting menu, and “elevated light bites,” such a caviar and wagyu truffle sliders.
The world-renowned resort took a beating from Hurricane Ian, forcing it to close for more than nine months, and to lay off nearly 600 employees.
The coastal property on Vanderbilt Beach remained open in the midst of a multimillion-dollar renovation, until Ian hit in September, swamping it with water and sand, and lashing it with high winds.
Upgrades to the resort include the new Vanderbilt Tower, with an expansive new club lounge and more than 70 more spacious club-level guest rooms.
Read more about the Ritz Carlton and the club-level experience.
Find a home in the Naples, Florida area! Contact David at David@DavidFlorida.com or 239-285-1086.
