Fort Lauderdale, Fla.—Driftwood Acquisitions & Development (DAD) has broken ground on its dual-branded Tru by Hilton and Home2 Suites by Hilton in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Located at 315 NW 1st Avenue, the property will be managed by DAD’s North Palm Beach management arm, Driftwood Hospitality Management (DHM), and is expected to open in early 2020. The more than $50 million development will merge two of Hilton’s popular brands in the vibrant Flagler Village neighborhood in downtown Fort Lauderdale.
Upon completion, the property will have 112 Tru guestrooms and 106 Home2 Suites guestrooms. The Tru portion of the hotel will be designed to appeal cross-generationally, and complimentary amenities will include the brand’s signature “Top It” breakfast, coffee, and tea; mobile check-in and Digital Key available through the Hilton Honors mobile app; and WiFi bandwidth.
A groundbreaking event took place earlier this month, welcoming more than 60 attendees, including representatives from Hilton, Merrimac Ventures (Driftwood’s co-developers and GP partners), as well as local dignitaries and special guests.
“Fort Lauderdale is booming with development and undergoing an extensive urban revitalization, and this unique dual-branded hotel is the perfect addition to the growing Flagler Village area especially with the addition of the Brightline Station a block away,” said Carlos Rodriguez, CEO of DAD. “We are pleased to be working with our partners at Hilton once again, creating an exciting new destination for a cross-generation of leisure and business travelers to visit while exploring all the area has to offer.”
Tru is Hilton’s newest midscale offering, providing young travelers a colorful design language with an emphasis on personalization, and efficient guestroom layouts in an amenity-rich building. Home2 Suites is Hilton’s midscale all-suite hotel brand with contemporary accommodations and customizable guestroom design.
“We are excited to celebrate the continued expansion of our dual-branded hotel portfolio, as well as this unique new property in the Downtown Fort Lauderdale market,” said Isaac Lake, director of key partners for Hilton. “The Tru and Home 2 Suites brands perfectly complement each other, providing guests with a game-changing, contemporary, fresh experience in an affordable way. We look forward to our growing partnership with Driftwood and working together to make this property a success.”
When it opens, the new-build hotel will rise to 19 stories and feature two distinctive lobbies–each of which will have its own breakfast bar, lounge, and other brand-specific amenities. The lobbies will be connected by an indoor corridor and will share the same elevator bank. The property will also offer 102 parking spaces available to guests for a nightly rate, an outdoor pool deck complimented by an outdoor bar, a fitness center, and 4,843 square feet of private event and conference space.
The pet-friendly Home2 Suites portion of the hotel will offer extended-stay guests the amenities and services they need to feel comfortable, with the flexibility to customize their suite to their style and preference. Guestrooms will feature en-suite kitchens and the hotel will offer complimentary WiFi, communal spaces, and more. Trademark Home2 Suites amenities will include the Home2 MKT for grab-and-go items and the Inspired Table, a complimentary daily breakfast that includes more than 400 potential combinations.
“We are excited to partner with Driftwood on this exciting dual-branded hotel, which will further activate Flagler Village and contribute to the momentum and energy already happening in the area,” said Dev Motwani, president and CEO of Merrimac Ventures. “Our family has been in the hotel business in Fort Lauderdale Beach for over 30 years, starting with the Merrimac Hotel and now the Four Seasons, and we couldn’t be more excited to expand our footprint into the downtown hospitality market with this project.”
Located five miles Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport, and less than a mile from the newly-opened Brightline downtown Fort Lauderdale high-speed train station, the property’s central location will provide guests with easy access to some of the city’s finest boutiques and restaurants on Las Olas Boulevard, and local landmarks including Fort Lauderdale Beach, Hugh Taylor Birch State Park, Bonnet House, Florida Atlantic University, and Keiser University.
This is DAD’s third hotel development project under construction in South Florida this year.
