The $600-million Grande Lakes project is getting national attention because it's the first to combine Marriott's two luxury brands: The Ritz-Carlton -- which has 54 hotels worldwide and soon-to-be nine in Florida when the Ritz-Carlton South Beach opens later this year -- and the J.W. Marriott, which counts 29 properties worldwide, including one other Florida hotel in Miami. Grande Lakes is the largest non-casino resort to open in the U.S. this year, with a combined 1,600 rooms, 105,000 square feet of meeting space, 40,000-sq.-ft. spa and Greg Norman-designed golf course on 500 acres near SeaWorld.
But Grande Lakes is not the largest Marriott property in Orlando. About 10 miles away, along the S.R. 535 corridor that caters to visitors of Walt Disney World, "the largest Marriott in the world" is wrapping up a three-year, $100-million renovation and addition that has boosted its room count to 2,000 from 1,500. The Orlando World Center Marriott Resort & Convention Center is also working on a plan to expand its meeting space by almost one-third to 314,000 square feet.
Along the west coast, the company is pumping $90 million into its Marco Island Marriott Resort, Golf Club & Spa. The project includes the opening of the only Balinese spa on the Gulf Coast, the hotel says.
Marriott's Florida ventures are part of a larger effort to expand worldwide. "With our partners, we added 7,449 rooms in the second quarter," says J.W. Marriott Jr., chairman and CEO of Marriott International.
Around the Industry
Coming Soon
Getting set to open next month, the Four Seasons Hotel Miami has been interviewing candidates for 400 jobs at the 221-room luxury property. ... The Hilton's luxury brand, Conrad Hotels, will be next to put out the "help wanted" sign as it prepares for the January opening of its 203-room Conrad Miami, the brand's second U.S. property after the Waldorf Towers in New York.
Name Dropping
Richard Kessler has changed the name of his Orlando-based company from Grand Theme Hotels to the Kessler Collection to coincide with this month's opening of the 22,000-acre Colorado Nature Ranch, which "provides a place of private enjoyment for leisure and corporate guests." The ranch is a departure for the company, which specializes in boutique hotels, including Casa Monica in St. Augustine. ... Carnival Glory, the newest ship at Port Canaveral, was unveiled in July during a ceremony officiated by astronaut Sally Ride. ... Jack Wert, executive director of the Greater Naples, Marco Island & The Everglades Convention and Visitors Bureau, has been elected to the International Association of Convention & Visitor Bureaus board of directors.
Spreading the Word
Visit Florida is helping military personnel find hotels, theme parks and companies offering them discounts on a new section of its website, flausa.com. ... Five top hotel companies have joined forces to create Travelweb.com, which offers discounts at properties owned by Hilton, Hyatt, Intercontinental, Marriott and Starwood. ... Fort Lauderdale is touting its Viva Broward festival in Spanish-language ads in markets with large Hispanic populations, including New York, Los Angeles and Orlando. The festival is Oct. 10-12.