hospitalitystyle.com

Fort Lauderdale, a famous (or infamous) spring break destination for the college crowd, has spent recent decades making itself over into a more grown-up-friendly, upscale destination. Two upcoming hotel projects-and one recently rebranded property-will further galvanize that transformation. Here's what's happening:

* Slated to open Jan. 4, 2009, is the W Fort Lauderdale. The interiors in the two-tower, 23-story hotel/residence complex were created by New York-based Clodagh Design. Clodagh, the single-name founder of the firm, outlined her design philosophy for the W interiors thus: "The goal was to engage guests' senses and their imaginations by the interplay of light, water, and texture with fabrics and finishes that reflect the environment of shimmery sands, pounding surf and the infinite variations of colors in seashells."

* The first quarter of the new year will also see the opening of the 24-story Trump International Hotel & Tower. The interiors in the latest jewel in "The Donald's" crown were designed by Michael Graves & Associates. Graves' design brief for the project notes that rooms will be opulent affairs, with private balconies, floor-to-ceiling windows, kitchen areas with fine-wood cabinetry and bathrooms featuring marble flooring and tea-for-two bathtubs.

* The year-old St. Regis was recently reflagged as a Ritz-Carlton. The hotel's 192 guest rooms sport interiors designed by HBA/Hirsch Bedner and feature a muted color palette of cream, yellow and beige. Vintage black-and-white photos on the walls evoke the Fort Lauderdale of the 1940s. A Ritz-Carlton spokesperson said no major design-related changes/updates are planned for the property in the immediate future.