In This Article:
This story was originally published on Hotel Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Hotel Dive newsletter.
Dive Brief:
-
The 80-acre Villatel Orlando Resort near Universal Orlando will open March 3, offering 270 villas with immersive themed rooms, the resort announced in a release obtained by Hotel Dive.
-
Villatel Orlando will also be home to Marriott International’s first Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy property, with 256 units, according to the resort. The resort will have 200,000 square feet of amenity space, including a water park, sports courts, a fitness center, a Top Golf swing suite and dining options.
-
Catering to families and groups, the resort debuts amid rising multigenerational travel. In Orlando, a market driven by family tourism to the area’s theme parks, similar luxury hotel and short-term rental concepts have cropped up in recent months.
Dive Insight:
Villatel Orlando will offer four- to nine-bedroom villas equipped with private spa pools, full chef’s kitchens, movie theaters and game rooms. The unit layouts “encourage bonding through grand dinners around the oversized dining tables or game nights in the lofts or arcades,” according to the resort.
Every villa will also include up to two themed bedrooms, with elements like bunk beds designed to look like castles, slides “transforming bedrooms into playgrounds” and game rooms. The immersive rooms will be crafted by local team Immersive Scenic Studios, known for 3D printing, hand-carving, painting and intricate installations.
According to Villatel, the resort will also include an Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy property encompassing two- and three-bedroom accommodations with full kitchens and private balconies. Many of the units will include arcade games and immersive themed bedrooms, as well, Villatel shared in the release.
The resort’s family-friendly accommodations, coupled with its entertainment and recreational amenities, will make it a desirable destination for travelers “ranging from multigenerational groups and theme park goers to sports teams and cheer or dance groups,” Villatel CEO Stephen Lobell said in a statement.
The resort debuts as multigenerational travel ramps up in 2025. Orlando is one market benefiting from the travel trend, which poses a multibillion-dollar opportunity for hotels, according to London-based kids- and teens-focused hospitality consultancy Wanderland.
“The rise of family travel and multi-gen travel was already popular in Orlando, but we saw it getting more and more popular,” Stewart Brown, executive vice president of hospitality at Dart Interests, which developed the newly opened Evermore Orlando Resort, told Hotel Dive in October.