Paris is the City of Lights. New York is the Big Apple. Fort Lauderdale is ... well, yachties know it as the Boating Capital of the World because its top-notch marine industry makes it the best place to buy, sell or fix a vessel.

It is also called the Venice of America because its meandering waterways and mansion-lined islands are best viewed from a paddleboard or boat. There is even a gondola service. That the whole world does not know these details is seen as a major missed branding opportunity for the city.

Now one company, Wyndham, has puts its finger on what makes Fort Lauderdale unique. It is courting the boating community and playing up the area's nautical theme. Tryp by Wyndam is a brand-new, 150-room hotel on the 35-acre Marina Bay resort property, which includes a 168-slip marina.

At 2161 Maritime Blvd., the location is on "Marina Mile," a row of marinas along the South Fork of the New River that was formerly industrial. Today it is evolving with the recent additions of hotels, apartments and restaurants.

The hotel is experimenting with room types; it offers family rooms with bunk beds, ideal for the nearly 4 million people per year who come to Fort Lauderdale to embark on a cruise out of Port Everglades, and fitness rooms to target the active traveler.

The property is also home to the Falls at Marina Bay, with furnished, garden-style corporate apartments. These are ideal for marine-industry workers who are sent from around the world to supervise projects like repairs on mega-yachts, or who are stuck in port between sailings. South Florida boatyards and manufacturers employ about 136,000 people and have an economic impact of $11.5B annually.

The resort's activity center has a yacht leasing office, a pool, a gym, tennis facilities, a private theater, a handball court, a business center and a waterfront restaurant. Tryp by Wyndham has aquariums in the lobby and will soon open a rooftop "flight deck" bar with views of the airport runway, cruise ship port and marinas. Amenities include an outdoor spa, a mini basketball court, a sports movie theater, a gym, a koi pond and a tapas bar. The hotel is managed by Innisfree Hotels and owned by Taplin Development Co.