Innisfree Hotels, Inc., in partnership with Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, announces plans to build a 127-room Hyatt Place® hotel in Pensacola, Fla. that connects directly to the Pensacola Gulf Coast Regional Airport. Expected to break ground early next year, the hotel combines state-of-the-art amenities and modern design to create an atmosphere of casual hospitality.
The franchise agreement for the development and operation of the Hyatt Place hotel was executed between Leading Edge Hotels, LLC and Hyatt Place Franchising, L.L.C. Leading Edge Hotels, LLC will hire Innisfree Hotels, Inc. to operate the hotel.
“We are very excited to bring Hyatt Place to Pensacola,†said Julian MacQueen, founder and CEO of Innisfree Hotels, Inc. “The hotel will be an exciting option for all travelers, especially tech-savvy business travelers who will enjoy the conveniences of home in a contemporary environment.â€
Designed with multi-tasking business and leisure travelers in mind, Hyatt Place hotels feature a balanced blend of comfortable and functional including:
• A spacious guestroom with a 42″ flat-panel HDTV, the signature Hyatt Grand Bedâ„¢, a plush Cozy Corner oversized sofa-sleeper and complimentary high-speed Wi-Fi internet access throughout the hotel.
• The Gallery, an architecturally distinctive, stylishly furnished welcome area featuring a check-in kiosk, an intimate coffee and wine café, a TV den and an e-room with free access to public computers and a printer.
• Free continental breakfast featuring a variety of fresh fruits, hot and cold cereal, yogurt, breads, coffee and an assortment of juices.
• A cashless food center with a touch-screen menu for ordering along with card-swipe technology.
• Freshly prepared, café quality items, including made-to-order entrées, sandwiches, soups, salads and pizza, which guests can order 24/7 via a touch-screen menu in the Guest Kitchen or from the Gallery Host.
• Complimentary StayFit@Hyatt fitness center equipped with state-of-the art Life Fitness® cardio and access to an outdoor swimming pool.
“Hyatt Place is specifically designed to meet the needs of today’s travelers who are constantly multitasking and toggling between personal and professional responsibilities, which is a perfect fit for a robust city such as Pensacola,†said Alison Kal, vice president, marketing, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts. “Based on the success of the 130+ Hyatt Place hotels across the country, we’re confident travelers to the Pensacola area will find the brand’s combination of friendly service, contemporary design and balanced amenities a refreshing addition to their travel experience.â€
Pensacola Gulf Coast Regional Airport is Florida’s seventh busiest airport with more than 1.5 million passengers passing through it annually. The airport’s significant growth in recent years prompted the City of Pensacola, which owns and operates the airport, to embark on a $51-million improvement project to the airport’s terminal and rental car service areas in 2008.
Sandspur Development, LLC, an affiliate of Innisfree, has leased 11.44 acres of land from the City of Pensacola at the airport. The Hyatt Place will be the centerpiece of this $24-million investment project that will ultimately include upscale shops, restaurants and professional offices. Sandspur will begin marketing other parcels at the project in the coming weeks. The project is expected to employ more than 500 individual tradesmen during construction of the various improvements and permanently employ more then 235 people.
Hyatt Place hotels are open in more than 130 locations nationwide, including Atlanta, Birmingham, Chicago, Cincinnati, Dallas, Houston, Louisville, Miami, Phoenix, Orlando, San Antonio, Tampa and Washington, D.