Boutique hotel to debut in North Beach Village

Fort Lauderdale’s North Beach Village will soon be home to a 39-room hotel called Aqua, the Sun Sentinel reported. The boutique property is the latest addition to an area that has seen $57 million in new investment from the North Beach Village Group, which is looking to position North Beach Village as a walkable neighborhood. The group has also refurbished several apartment buildings in the area. “What’s happening here can only bring values back up in the neighborhood,” said Cindy Galiette, who lives in North Beach Village. The challenge for the area will be getting a “critical mass of hotels” to draw travelers, however, according to hotel analyst Scott Brush. [Sun Sentinel]