A spate of new hotels and developments are in the works in the county, prompting resort properties like Boca Raton (Fla.) Resort & Club, Palm Beach Marriott Singer Island Beach Resort & Spa in Riviera Beach, and Tideline Ocean Resort & Spa in Palm Beach to keep pace by implementing multimillion-dollar makeovers of facilities and golf courses.
As more new hotels open in Palm Beach County, Fla., and others enter the development pipeline, there’s an active pace of renovations and refurbishments at existing resorts. Among those dolling up this year to keep offerings fresh and competitive are the Boca Raton (Fla.) Resort & Club, Palm Beach Marriott Singer Island Beach Resort & Spa in Riviera Beach, Fla., and Tideline Ocean Resort & Spa in Palm Beach, Fla., the Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Sun Sentinel reported.
Hoteliers say the renovations are mostly par for the course and part of scheduled property updates that are necessary to combat wear and tear of regularly used facilities. Industry specialists, though, contend the entry of new hotels make ongoing property upgrades even more relevant and crucial, the Sentinel reported.
At the 1,047-room Boca Raton Resort & Club, upgrades include a $4 million makeover of its golf course, with new square tee boxes and upgraded greens, fairways and landscaping, said its president, John Tolbert. The golf course upgrades aim to reflect the “changing demographics of golf,” and will be geared to a more family-friendly and a quicker golfing experience for time-sensitive guests, he said. The golf course is scheduled to reopen in early December, the Sentinel reported.
The historic, pink-hued resort, which marks 90 years in operations in 2016, is also refreshing two event and meeting spaces: the Mizner Conference Center and The Great Hall. Improvements there include new carpeting, tapestries, wall coverings and window treatments, as well as sound and lighting upgrades, Tolbert said. The Great Hall is expected to reopen in early fall and the Mizner center’s improvements should be complete by year’s end, he said.
Over at the resort’s Yacht Club building, the Commodore Executive Lounge will also soon receive a design and layout overhaul, along with new food and beverage experiences for guests, the Sentinel reported.
“This year, we’re making more than $12 million in capital enhancements. These transformational capital improvements show ownership’s commitment to the asset,” said Tolbert, noting there hadn’t been any recent renewed talks about a possible sale of the hotel.
The Boca resort’s ownership, an investment fund of Blackstone Group, had explored putting it up for sale in 2014, but as of June 2015 had been “still evaluating options,” according to a real estate broker hired to handle the sale effort, the Sentinel reported.
In June, Palm Beach Marriott Singer Island unveiled a $6.8 million renovation that included enhancements to its lobby, meeting spaces, guest rooms and signature 3800 Ocean restaurant, the Sentinel reported.
“Every seven years, every Marriott property will go through a renovation to keep it fresh and cutting-edge,” said General Manager Roger Amidon. “By using design to better connect the lobby to the restaurant, we incorporated Marriott’s ‘Great Room’ concept, tying in our food and beverage for guests arriving and departing. Another big project was updating the meeting spaces. Groups are constantly demanding technology at a higher and higher standard, and we can now not only meet but surpass those requests.”
Meanwhile, Tideline also completed a nearly $1 million revitalization of its lobby, public areas and meeting spaces earlier in the year. It converted an upstairs space previously occupied by a Michelle Bernstein eatery into a 2,000-sq. ft. meeting room, the Sentinel reported.
In 2017, nearby Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach plans to begin enhancements to its exterior and entrance, lobby and reception, guestrooms, pool terrace and event spaces among other areas, starting in April, spokeswoman Laurie Herrick said. Plans call for temporarily closing the resort about mid-June and reopening in early September, with all upgrades expected to be complete later in the fall, Herrick said. When all work is done, the Four Seasons will have “the same heart [but be] elevated by a brand-new look,” she said.
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