As travelers research how they can indulge their wanderlust safely in 2021, Coastal Mississippi: The Secret Coast kicks off the year with an array of new developments. These new attractions and lodging properties will allow visitors to enjoy a vacation in a responsible manner and create memories while keeping themselves and others safe. The Coastal Mississippi Promise of Health and Safety ensures tourism partners throughout the destination are implementing best practices in health and safety and helping visitors to make informed choices when visiting.
For those looking to venture away from home, The Secret Coast’s newest experiences are perfectly poised to surprise and delight with safe and diverse experiences for visitors of all ages. The destination’s recently completed and upcoming developments include:
- The Mississippi Aquarium is an aquatic wonderland that opened in the summer of 2020 on the waterfront in downtown Gulfport. Featuring more than a million gallons of freshwater and saltwater, with a wide variety of habitats and 200 species, this is the perfect experiential attraction to engage family members of all ages.
- The Mississippi Aviation Heritage Museum sports sky-high learning and fun. Telling the story of Magnolia State aviation from start to finish, the Gulfport area museum offers visitors 17 galleries, hands-on displays and even flight simulators.
- Featuring four modern, floating cabins complete with wet bars and private, lush outdoor showers, the unique boutique Hotel Beatnik is located in the Ocean Springs Creative District, offering a new type of accommodation for the area. The hotel draws on elements found within nature to create a comfortable atmosphere, specifically featuring a plunge pool, native garden and fire pit.
- The 132-room Hotel Legends in Biloxi opened October 2020, bringing some old-school glitz-and-glamour to The Secret Coast, thanks to a design that harkens back to Hollywood’s golden age. High-rolling, luxury suites made for the silver screen, sumptuous and sophisticated dining, classic cocktails and musical entertainment will have guests swinging and buzzing.
- Pearl Hotel in Bay St. Louis, one of the newest and most anticipated developments along The Secret Coast, rang in 2021 with its grand opening on New Year’s Eve. The property features 59 luxury suites with balcony views. The ground floor houses in-house restaurants and a cocktail bar – while the second floor features an outdoor pool and gazebo, perfect for relaxing and soaking up the coastal sun.
- Last year emphasized the importance of supporting local, which visitors will soon be able to do across the street from Hotel Beatnik at the Ocean Springs Collective. With a mission to bring together passionate craftspeople who want to share their talents with the community and a focus on sustainability, education and creativity, this exciting development will showcase several local businesses, including a restaurant, nanobrewery and taproom, community garden, bookshop and deli.
- The Creative Complex at the Walter Anderson Museum of Art will be a transformative cultural experience and expansion to a local favorite. This new addition to the beautiful museum in downtown Ocean Springs will be inspired by interdisciplinary discovery, the natural world, the vision of Walter Anderson and the entrepreneurial legacy of Shearwater.
- The Universal Music Group is opening a line of music-themed luxury hotels, including a property in Biloxi, MS. The Biloxi UMUSIC Hotel will feature a concert venue and complex, serving as the perfect stay for those seeking luxury and entertainment.
“Travel will likely still look different in 2021, but Coastal Mississippi has had several exciting updates that we’re eager to share with travelers when they’re ready to visit,” said Milton Segarra, CEO of Coastal Mississippi. “We look forward to welcoming you and your friends and family safely soon to show you what’s new at The Secret Coast.”
About Coastal Mississippi: Coastal Mississippi is an organization charged with promoting South Mississippi as a tourism and convention destination worldwide. Its mission centers on attracting ever-increasing numbers of leisure, convention, sports and business visitors to the area. It is dedicated to maximizing the travel and tourism industry for South Mississippi. Visit CoastalMississippi.com to learn more.
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