Over 300 Rooms, Shops, and a 7000-Square-Foot Restaurant: A NEW Orlando Hotel Is in the Works!

Orlando’s booming with new experiences — from an all-new theme park to a wave of hotel openings —  it’s hard to keep up.

And now, there’s word of yet another hotel headed near Universal Orlando. Here’s the latest scoop!

According to the Orlando Business Journal, Zicav Group LLC just asked the City of Orlando for the green light to build a hotel—with shops and restaurants—on their 1.7-acre property at 5600 Major Blvd.

Their original plan of creating a 174-unit condominium property has now been upgraded to a 303,372 square-foot hotel packed with over 300 rooms, retail space, a full-service restaurant, and a spa.

And that’s just phase one. A second, smaller tower could come later, according to engineer Nestor Diaz of DM Architects, who is leading the project.

The property sits right off I-4, next to a Best Western, and close to Universal Orlando. With the opening of Epic Universe, the newest theme park for Universal, this could be a very beneficial project for Zicav Group LLC, as huge waves of development and investment have been pouring into the I-Drive area.

Still, not everyone’s sold. Paul Sexton, a hotel industry expert not involved in the project, says it’s an ambitious plan for a site that’s less than two acres. To compete, the developers will need to carefully plan out amenities like pools, bars, and event spaces to appeal to group travelers and boost revenue beyond just room rates.

Right now, Orlando’s average daily hotel rate is $237, and occupancy sits at about 79 percent. Hotel revenue is expected to rise 6% this year, thanks to Epic Universe and a strong rebound in group travel.

Just last year, 11 new hotels opened in Orlando. Now, with more than 116 projects in the pipeline and over 22,000 new rooms on the way, this latest development is jumping into a very busy—and very competitive—market.

Still, we are very eager to see what can come out of this project. We have our eyes and ears peeled for all the latest details, so stay tuned to us here on AllEars!

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What are your thoughts on this proposed hotel project? We’d love to read about them in the comments!