Wyndham To Wind Up Florida Resort Acquisition

Wyndham To Wind Up Florida Resort Acquisition

By Rowland Stiteler

Eager to expand its Florida presence with more upscale properties, Patriot American's Wyndham Resorts will take over a high-profile prize Nov. 17, when the 1,014-room Buena Vista Palace Resort & Spa at Walt Disney World becomes the Wyndham Palace Resort & Spa.

The hotel, which features more than 90,000 square feet of meeting space and one of the largest hotel spas in Orlando, is located across the street from the downtown Disney Marketplace entertainment and shopping complex, and has long been considered one of the primary anchors of "hotel row" in the Lake Buena Vista area.

Bryan Garnache, president of Wyndham Resorts, said the chain wanted the hotel in its lineup because "it's exactly the kind of quality property for which we want to be known." Garnache said he anticipates some upgrading of the property, which already had undergone extensive upgrading and refurbishment before it changed hands.

The addition of the Wyndham Palace marks the third major resort property acquisition in Florida in less than two years for Wyndham. On Sept. 15, a legendary Miami Beach hotel, the 420-room Doral, became the Wyndham Miami Beach Resort. And in December 1997, Wyndham re-opened the former Bonaventure Resort and Spa as the Wyndham Resort & Spa, Fort Lauderdale.

The three new additions give Wyndham a total of seven hotels in Florida and Garnache said further Floridian acquisitions are probable over the coming year. "This is all part of our ongoing growth and expansion, and the increasing of our presence in vibrant markets like Florida," he said.

Les Bentley, president of Wyndham Hotel Group, said the big meeting component of the Orlando hotel was important to Wyndham. The 90,000 square feet of space will make the Wyndham Palace the largest Wyndham meeting property in Florida.

Renovating The Newly Acquired

The Miami Beach property--which was the Doral for decades and then the Westin Resort before becoming Wyndham's feature property in the beach-front city--underwent $24 million in renovation, including refurbishment of all public areas and its 43,000-sq.-ft. meeting center. The hotel now is putting the finishing touches on the Mediterranean Ballroom.

The hotel features an ocean-front fitness center and spa and offers beach and poolside cabanas. Like the other Wyndham acquisitions in Florida, it's close to a major convention center--in this case the Miami Beach Convention Center, which is a 10-minute taxi ride from the hotel.

The Wyndham Palace is about a 15-minute drive from the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, and the Wyndham Resort & Spa also is convenient to the Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale.

Wyndham's Fort Lauderdale acquisition, the 496-room Wyndham Resort & Spa, underwent a massive renovation before its re-opening. The property, set on 1,250 acres, includes a 31,000-sq.-ft. spa, two 18-hole golf courses, and 45,000 square feet of meeting space. The meeting center includes three ballrooms, a 170-seat amphitheater, a 48-seat theater and 15 conference and boardrooms. The square footage of meeting space makes the hotel the second largest meeting facility in metro Fort Lauderdale, after the Broward County Convention Center in downtown Fort Lauderdale.

The new Wyndham resort actually is located in the affluent Broward County suburb of Weston, which is about 25 miles north of Miami and about a 20-minute drive from the Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport.

Along with the re-flagging and re-opening of the hotel came a $15 million renovation, which included refurbishment of all guest rooms, the property's 96 suites, as well as all public areas, the spa, lobby and restaurants, according to hotel spokesperson Stephanie Oliver.