In addition to the 18-hole course, the redevelopment of the former Grand Cypress Resort by Dart Interests under the “Evermore” brand will include a two-story “Boathouse” for weddings and private events, a food hall, gourmet market, and casual restaurant overlooking the golf course. Hilton will have a 443-room hotel under its Conrad Orlando brand on the 1,110-acre property and at full buildout 10,000 rooms will be available, including vacation homes, villas and flats.
Hilton’s contemporary luxury Conrad hotel brand is setting up shop next to Disney World, the Orlando (Fla.) Sentinel reported, as part of Dart Interests’ $1 billion plans to redevelop the former Grand Cypress Resort under an “Evermore” brand.
Redevelopment plans for the Grand Cypress property have been quietly in the works for several years, the Sentinel reported, after Dallas, Texas-based Dart Interests acquired a majority interest in 2002.
Dart Interests plans to open a new 18-hole Nicklaus Design golf course and a two-story “Boathouse” that will serve weddings and private events as part of its redevelopment plans, the Sentinel reported. Other amenities would include a food hall, gourmet market and casual restaurant overlooking the golf course.
The property would have a 433-room Conrad Orlando hotel accompanied by a series of first-class vacation home rentals, all developed and owned by Dart Interests and centrally managed by a single entity.
In addition, the 1,100-acre resort community will feature a 20-acre beach complex with tropical landscaping, as well as an eight-acre lagoon by Crystal Lagoons called Evermore Bay. Bars will sit near swim areas peppered with cabanas and firepits.
David Pace, president of Dart Interests Florida, told GrowthSpotter the first phase of Evermore will consist of the hotel, a multitude of vacation homes and a robust list of amenities.
“No matter who you are, a typical theme park vacation can be tiring,” Pace said. “It’s hot, it’s relentless, the lines are long, the traffic when you get out is tough. We have designed this project above all else to be an oasis from that experience.”
About 1,500 bedrooms will come online as part of Evermore’s first phase, slated to be complete in the summer of 2023, the Sentinel reported. That number would include guest rooms in the hotel, as well as a mix of vacation single-family homes, villas and flats.
A breakdown of plans estimates the developer will deliver 69 houses ranging in size from five to 11 bedrooms; 76 four-bedroom flats; and 41 two- and four-bedroom villas, the Sentinel reported. At full buildout, the resort will have about 10,000 rooms and will represent an equity investment in excess of $1 billion, according to the developer.
The Grand Cypress Resort was a leading travel destination competing with nearby resorts like the Four Seasons and the Ritz-Carlton hotel, Pace noted. When Dart Interests acquired its majority share, he added, “That’s when our owner, who is very intellectually curious and not one to take unnecessary risks, allowed us to explore the opportunities within our land-use plan amendment,. We began to look into what can we do within that.”
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