From endless activities to calm, quiet days spent sunbathing and beachcombing, visitors are finding just what they’re looking for in a Florida vacation along the 23 miles of world-famous shores of Daytona Beach. With area investments in progress and more hotel, attraction, dining and shopping options available, it’s a great time to experience all that Daytona Beach has to offer, including these new developments:
- State-of-the Art Indoor Karting – Speedway Indoor Karting (SIK) opened in Daytona Beach October 30. Its state-of-the-art electric powered karts give guests of all ages and skill levels a full racing experience on the 16-turn road course with multiple elevation changes and a slick tri-oval.
- New Airlift – New seasonal non-stop service between Daytona Beach International Airport and Dallas/Ft. Worth and Philadelphia via American Airlines starts Dec. 17 through April 5, 2021.
- World-Class Pickleball Complex – Pictona, one of the largest dedicated pickleball facilities in Florida, opened in Holly Hill in July with 24 courts – 8 of them covered with “skybox” viewing – restaurant, clubhouse and more. Pictona will be the site of the International Federation of Pickleball’s famous Bainbridge Cup April 7-11, 2021.
New Accommodations
In 2020, the 112-room Comfort Inn & Suites Daytona Beach Oceanfront opened in January, and the 93-room Home2 Suites by Hilton Ormond Beach Oceanfront opened in February. The oceanfront Grand Seas Resort by Exploria held a grand reopening and the landmark Plaza Resort & Spa completed a multi-million dollar property renovation. In 2019 The Shores Resort & Spa completed a multi-million dollar renovation project, and The 318-room Daytona Beach Resort & Conference Center reopened after a $12 million renovation. Two new hotels at ONE DAYTONA, a world-class dining and entertainment complex across from the Daytona International Speedway – the 105-room Fairfield Inn & Suites Daytona Beach Speedway/Airport and The DAYTONA, an exclusive 4-Diamond 144-room Marriott Autograph Collection® hotel, opened in 2018 and 2019 respectively. In 2018, the area gained three new hotels – the 107-room Home2 Suites by Hilton Daytona Speedway, the 200-room Hard Rock Hotel Daytona Beach, a 4-star luxury oceanfront resort, and the oceanfront 133-room Delta by Marriott Daytona Beach. In late 2018, the 744-room Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort completed a $25 million renovation; the 44-room Streamline Hotel, a historic beachside art deco-style boutique property that once hosted the meeting that launched NASCAR, reopened in 2017 after a multi-million dollar renovation.
Perfect Beach Base Camp to Experience Central Florida
Direct flights, hundreds of connecting flights, and interstate access (I-95 and I-4) make getting to Daytona Beach easy and convenient. Non-stop flights to Daytona Beach International Airport (DAB) are available from Atlanta (Delta), Charlotte and NYC (American Airlines) and seasonally from Toronto (Sunwing Airlines) as well as Philadelphia and Dallas/Ft. Worth starting December 17 (American Airlines).
ONE DAYTONA Retail, Dining and Entertainment Destination
ONE DAYTONA is a world-class retail, dining and entertainment destination located across from Daytona International Speedway. Bass Pro Shops Outpost, Ben & Jerry’s, P.F. Chang’s, CMX Cinemas Daytona Luxury 12 theater, Gallery500, GameTime, Guitar Center, IT’SUGAR, Jeremiah’s Italian Ice, Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery, 4 Rivers Daytona BBQ and more opened to rave reviews. Fairfield Inn & Suites Daytona Beach Speedway/Airport opened in 2018 and an exclusive Marriott Autograph Collection® hotel called The DAYTONA opened in 2019 with a total of 250 rooms. ONE DAYTONA is quickly becoming a favorite place for visitors, race fans and residents alike.
Shopping and Travel Go Together
In addition to the ONE DAYTONA entertainment district, explore all the unique markets and boutiques the Daytona Beach area has to offer! Tanger Outlets is an open-air center with 75 of the most popular national brand names and designer outlet stores. On International Speedway Boulevard the long-popular Volusia Mall provides an inviting indoor experience. The Tomoka Town Center, across from Tanger Outlets, includes new retail and entertainment options including Dave & Busters. The area’s thriving downtown districts – located in Daytona Beach, Ormond Beach, New Smyrna Beach and DeLand – offer eclectic boutiques and eateries. Exceptional flea and farmers markets can also be found throughout the area.
New Additions to Daytona Beach Ale Trail
World’s Most Famous Brewery, Hyderhead Brewery and Blue Springs Brewing all joined the Daytona Beach Ale Trail in 2020. Featuring exceptional craft beer and artisan spirits, the trail has grown to two dozen breweries, tasting rooms and tap houses. The area’s first distillery, Copper Bottom Craft Distillery, offers artisan hand-crafted spirits, tours and tastings.
Biketoberfest® (Oct. 14-17, 2021)
Biketoberfest® annually celebrates the adventure and the spirit of today’s motorcycle enthusiast. Main venues include Daytona International Speedway, Main Street, Beach Street, Destination Daytona, Midtown, New Smyrna Beach and DeLand. This extended weekend of fun and sun includes motorcycle shows and rallies, live music, scenic rides along A1A and other historic roadways, racing at Daytona International and New Smyrna Speedways and vendors offering everything from the latest cycles to parts and accessories. More information is available at Biketoberfest.org.
Arts, Culture & History
See the largest private collection of Florida oil and watercolor paintings in the world at the Cici and Hyatt Brown Museum of Art, a 26,000 square foot museum on the campus of the Smithsonian-affiliated Museum of Arts and Sciences. Explore the area’s rich history from Ponce Inlet Lighthouse, Florida’s tallest. Trace the footsteps of educator and civil rights activist Mary McLeod Bethune on a tour of her former home. Stop by the Halifax Historical Museum or historic Jackie Robinson Ballpark. See a theatre performance or international symphony concert at Peabody Auditorium or the Ocean Center. Enjoy an independent or arthouse film at Cinematique.
Add Some Education to Your Beach Vacation
Whether your family is homeschooling, roadschooling, or virtual learning, adding first-hand experiences to the mix is a great way to make family time fun AND educational. From tasting new food to exploring history to experiencing a new adventure, travel can be a fun and rewarding way to enrich a child’s education. The Daytona Beach area offers many resources that will help make your beach vacation a schoolcation.
‘World Center of Racing’ & Motorsports Hall of Fame of America
A $400 million overhaul transformed Daytona International Speedway into a state-of-the-art motorsports facility in 2016. Known as the ‘World Center of Racing,’ it features premium amenities and unparalleled conveniences including three concourse levels spanning the front stretch; five fan entrances called ‘injectors’; 11 social areas each the size of a football field with open sightlines and dozens of video screens to capture the on-track action; more than 60 luxury trackside suites with patios; 17 elevators and 40 escalators in the grandstand; and, 101,500 new grandstand seats featuring backs and arm rests. In addition, more than 7,000 solar panels make this sports complex one of the top five largest solar installations at a professional sports venue in the country. In addition to racing, the stadium is also home to a growing number of events and shows, as well as unique meeting and convention space. Daytona International Speedway tours include a visit to the not-to-be-missed Motorsports Hall of Fame of Americaand its spectacular displays honoring all forms of motorsports including a long list of exclusive vehicles and sights even non-race fans can appreciate.
Tee up a Perfect Golf Getaway
Ranked in the top 15 places to play golf in the U.S., Daytona Beach is a rising golf destination for the serious player and weekend warrior. With year-round affordable greens fees, visitors can choose to play where the pros do – LPGA International, home course of the LPGA and Symetra tours – or on more than 20 other area courses. More information is available at DaytonaBeach.Golf.
Go All Out at High-Speed Attractions
Speedway Indoor Karting offers state-of-the-art electric powered karts from CRG and give guests a full racing experience on a 16-turn road course featuring multiple elevation changes and a slick tri-oval. Daytona Lagoon Premier Waterpark and Family Entertainment Center, just north of the pier area and steps from the beach, completed $1.5 million worth of improvements in 2019 including a new wave maker Treasure Lagoon Wave Pool, new arcade games, and two new water slides – Kraken’s Revenge, a 54-foot-high, 4-lane mat racer slide, and Shaka Halfpipe, a thrilling inner-tube experience that shoots riders backwards over a 50-foot-drop. These new features, along with mini golf, go-karts, MEGA arcade, and Sky Maze indoor ropes course make this a favorite year-round family spot. Daytona Beach offers visitors plenty of adventure that you won’t find at any other beach destination. Test your trampoline skills at Hangar 15 Extreme Air Sports. Zip through a treetop adventure with Daytona Beach Zipline Adventure. If your need for speed is better served on the ground, get behind the wheel of an actual race car with NASCAR Racing Experience and take laps around the world famous 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway. Take in the sights of the Daytona Beach area and see nature as it happens, all while experiencing the thrill of Daytona Speedboat Adventures. Take your vacation to new heights with Daytona Parasailing. Have a heart pounding, adrenaline pumping experience on the thrill rides at Screamer’s Park, located just south of the Daytona Beach Pier.
