FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – After nearly seven years of redevelopment following Hurricane Irma, the iconic Pier Sixty-Six resort has reopened in Fort Lauderdale — and longtime visitors may not recognize it.
“As you walk around the property you can see that it tells a story. We restored the original tower which we stand right now, but around it there’s a brand-new complex of pools and facilities and amenities for guests, residents and marina visitors alike,” said Colm O’Callaghan, vice president and managing director of Pier Sixty-Six.
The 32-acre resort, first opened in 1965, has long held landmark status in South Florida.
But after its multimillion-dollar transformation, the newly reopened Pier 66 is now among the region’s most talked-about destinations — offering visitors everything from high-end dining to a luxury spa and even a kids club.
The signature feature — quite literally — is Pier Top, a rotating bar that completes a full 360-degree spin every 66 minutes.
“You start your cocktail on one side of Fort Lauderdale, and you finish your cocktail on the other side of Fort Lauderdale, which is kind of a unique experience,” O’Callaghan said.
With a dozen restaurants now on the property, Executive Chef Jonathan Kaiser said the resort’s signature dining spot, Calusso, blends international coastal flavors with a South Florida twist.
“Calusso takes inspiration from the coasts of France and Italy. We kind of mix that with the flavors and products of South Florida,” he said.
For those seeking rest and relaxation, the new Zenova Spa delivers what the resort calls a “pathway to bliss.” The spa includes nine treatment rooms, a luxury boutique, and what’s being billed as the area’s first co-ed holistic hydrotherapy space, Via Aquae.
“Welcome to Zenova Spa and Wellness — Fort Lauderdale’s newest luxury spa,” said Linda Higgs, director of spa and wellness. “We use a sauna-meister that comes in and leads the guest into a beautiful experience where he or she are using aromatherapy-scented snowballs, as well as towel work to move the air in the sauna and move the aromatherapy around for the guest experience.”
The spa even features a snow room, chilled to 14 degrees Fahrenheit, designed for hot-cold therapy.
“It is the first in this area,” Higgs said. “And it runs 14 degrees Fahrenheit. And it’s ideal for hot cold therapy using the sauna first and then the snow room for optimal wellness.”
The resort also offers a children’s program, Pier Explorers Kids Club, giving younger guests their own chance to learn and play — while parents enjoy some downtime poolside.
“What I like to say about Pier Sixty-Six as it is now, it surprises people,” O’Callaghan said. “You walk into the lobby and people go, ‘Oh my God, this is something amazing.’”
Click here for more about Pier Sixty-Six’s grand return and its new amenities.