Thursday night (3-12-15) the fine folks at the Ft. Lauderdale Hilton pulled out all the stops to celebrate the Grand Opening of their “Venice Balqony.” Our invitation said, “Attire-Cocktail Chic,” so I pulled out my tropical black shirt with the martini glass accents and off we went to party with the local pretty people.

We were ushered from the valet station to the elevator that let us off at the 6th floor pool deck overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. After checking in, we walked a long red carpet that ended around the waste of a beautiful señorita. A unique touch indeed.

Across the pool, adorned with floating balls lit in pastel colors, a trio of white sequin clad dancers shook their assets to greet us. Next we were ushered along a path marked with glass and brass lanterns to the staircase leading down to the Venice Baqony.

At the top of the stairs a hostess offered us blackberry and raspberry drinks as we paused to take in the view. The round DJ’s platform and celebrated veranda awaited our descent.

Libations flowed with the setting sun as the crowd got to know each other. I asked one of several young models in attendance what her name was. She replied, “Precious.” I responded, “Of course it is!” and posed for a photo with her.

The stiff breeze off the ocean was cool enough to make taking a break by one of the fire pits a nice respite.

When darkness fell the party roared into full swing. The DJ was flanked by red feathered dancers that encouraged the crowd to shake what they brought.

We thoroughly enjoyed the evening. While waiting for the valet to bring our Honda CRV from the parking garage I took note of some of the other guests’ vehicles.

We salute the Hilton staff for making us feel at home during their fun filled fete.