Palm Tree Club Orlando entertainment venue to open on I-Drive
By Sarah Kinbar – Staff writer, Orlando Business Journal
Aug 15, 2024
Among the new venues coming to Pointe Orlando this fall, there’s Sports & Social, PBR Cowboy Bar, Shark Bar and Houndsmen Lounge. Now the group behind the incoming venues, Baltimore-based The Cordish Cos., has announced it will bring a fifth venue: Palm Tree Club Orlando, the brainchild of Norwegian DJ and music producer Kygo.
Kygo, whose full name is Kyrre Gørvell-Dahll, has collaborated with musicians including John Legend, Labrinth, Imagine Dragons, OneRepublic and Rita Ora. He also performed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. The famous DJ has traded on his popularity before, launching a clothing brand in 2016 and announcing a 118-suite hotel, Palm Tree Club, in July.
An Aug. 14 news release said Palm Tree Club Orlando is the result of a partnership between Palm Tree Crew — a hospitality company founded by Kygo and his manager and business partner Myles Shear — and Live! Hospitality & Entertainment. It will combine dining and nightlife elements, with a design by Beth Bloom Designs. The Los Angeles design firm is known for its hospitality work, especially for the Live! projects developed by The Cordish Cos.
Palm Tree Club Orlando will be two stories, with a restaurant downstairs and a club and open-air rooftop lounge above. The 11,000-square-foot space will be tropical-themed, with views of the surrounding International Drive corridor and seating areas that can transition into a dance floor.
The restaurant’s menu will feature offerings such as Wagyu dumplings, Thai snapper, sushi and nigiri.
The venue will emphasize its signature cocktails, such as the PTC Martini — poured tableside — and espresso martini flights. There will be VIP lounges and bottle service available, as well.
Entertainment at Palm Tree Club will be curated by Kygo’s team. The news release promised top-tier musicians and DJs, including Kygo himself.
The Cordish Cos. and Pointe Orlando owner and operator Brixmor kept the Palm Tree Club name and concept under wraps until Aug. 15, though Executive Vice President and Chief Redevelopment Officer Bill Brown of Brixmor hinted at a fifth venue in a June conversation with Orlando Business Journal, during which he shared news about the project’s progress.
“We’ve needed a merchandise mix to cater to the locals, tourists and convention attendees,” he said. “Cordish understands entertainment venues, and it's been three years that we’ve been working with them. It started with PBR and Sports & Social, grew into Shark Bar, Houndsmen, and they’re also going to do something with a Miami club vibe."
Live! at Pointe Orlando is part of a significant renovation at the International Drive complex.
In addition to the five Live! venues opening this fall, by next summer another valet station will be installed, more outdoor gathering places will be added, existing concourse area on the second floor will be expanded, another pedestrian bridge to the parking garage will be built and more stores will open.