Inspired by the lyrics and lifestyle of Jimmy Buffett, Margaritaville continues to grow its portfolio of “casual-luxe” hotels and resorts, which cater to travelers who want to escape, relax, and have fun.
Margaritaville recently unveiled the first renderings of its $750 million resort in Orlando, Fla., which is being developed by Encore Capital Management. The 320-acre waterfront resort will offer 175 hotel rooms, 1,000 vacation homes, 300 timeshare units, 30,000 square feet of function space, and nearly 200,000 square feet of retail space. Amenities include a dining and entertainment district, a 12-acre waterpark, a wellness center, wooded fitness trails, and a water taxi system. Margaritaville expects the first phase of the projected to be completed by the end of 2017.
Perhaps one of the most anticipated features of the project is a 3-acre swimmable freshwater lagoon with natural sand beaches, says Jim Wiseman, Margaritaville’s president of development. “Of course Orlando doesn’t have a beach, but we are creating our own beach. We will have a 50-acre lake with a beach club, and you can experience the beach right in downtown Orlando.”
Located near the entrance to Disney’s Animal Kingdom amusement park, the new Margaritaville will also be convenient for Disney visitors, as well as those traveling to Universal Studios. “We’re giving Disney goers an alternative, since we will be very close to the parks,” explains John Cohlan, chief executive of Margaritaville. “We are partnering with both Disney and Universal, because we have a destination Margaritaville restaurant in [Universal’s] Islands of Adventure, so we will have transportation to all of the parks.”
Once it opens, Margaritaville Resort Orlando will become the brand’s third property in Florida, joining a 349-room resort in Hollywood Beach and a 162-room hotel in Pensacola Beach. Outside of Florida, the brand has hotels open in Bossier City, La., and Pigeon Forge, Tenn. “We have four open, and we have two Margaritaville vacation club projects: One in St. Thomas and one in Puerto Rico,” Wiseman says. “We’ll have 10 properties open in the next 18 months.”
In addition to the Orlando project, the brand recently announced new resort destinations in Biloxi, Miss., and Grand Cayman. The 285-room Grand Cayman resort, set on Seven Mile Beach, is slated to open its doors in December. Highlights include an open-air lobby with a beach color scheme, multiple restaurant and bar venues, two pools (one with a swim-up bar), a gym, a spa/salon, and retail space. More Caribbean-related announcements could surface within the next few months, Wiseman adds.
“We are looking for lots of new opportunities,” Cohlan concludes. “It’s good to be in Margaritaville.”
