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| Rendering of Tribute Portfolio-Element Hotel |
STAMFORD, CT—Starwood Hotels & Resorts, The Wurzak Hotel Group and DoveHill have launched the development of a 323-room, dual-branded hotel under the recently launched Tribute Portfolio and eco-wise Element brands in Fort Lauderdale, FL.
Construction on the 24-story project will begin this fall, with an opening scheduled for spring 2017. The hotel will feature the city’s only rooftop bar and 12,000 sq. ft. of ground-floor retail space at the intersection of US1 and 3rd St., according to the company.
“We are committed to providing more access to great hotels in great places, and we know that The Wurzak Hotel Group will create an exceptional property with compelling design and unique offerings for our guests and SPG members,” said Alison Reid, SVP, North America development for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.
Guests will enter through a shared street-level entrance and take elevators to each hotel’s distinct branded lobby and guestrooms. The 209-room Tribute Portfolio hotel and 114-room Element hotel will share facilities including a “sky lobby” on the seventh floor with a high-design bar; an expanded fitness center; and an indoor/outdoor pool deck on the 24th floor featuring cabanas, tropical landscaping and ocean views. The development will also include a three-meal restaurant accessible through the lobby, a variety of ground-floor retail offerings with a separate street-level entrance and a 206-space parking deck.
The hotels will be located in Fort Lauderdale’s downtown market, in the middle of the expanding Flagler Village district and the Fort Lauderdale central business district. The development is located blocks away from the famed Las Olas Blvd. shopping district and 2.5 miles from Fort Lauderdale Beach. Nearby attractions include The Galleria Mall, The Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention Center, Port Everglades Cruise Terminal, Sawgrass Mills shopping center, NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale and Broward Center for the Performing Arts.
The Wurzak Hotel Group will manage the dual-branded property. “We take a hands-on entrepreneurial approach in the way we develop and operate our hotels and look forward to incorporating our unique design driven vision into this project, which will be unlike anything in the market,” said Jake Wurzak, principal, Wurzak Hotel Group.
The downtown Ft. Lauderdale property will be the newest addition to Tribute Portfolio, Starwood’s 10th brand and second collection of independent hotels. The brand debuted in April with its first hotel, the Royal Palm South Beach Miami, and will soon open new hotels in Asheville, NC; Nashville, TN; Savannah, GA; and Charleston, SC.
The Element part of the development will feature light-filled studios with a fluid design of modular furniture, fully equipped kitchens and spa-inspired bathrooms. Guests will be able to stay on the move with Element’s complimentary Bikes to Borrow and enjoy the brand’s signature complimentary RISE breakfast and RELAX evening reception. Established in 2008 as Starwood’s eco-innovation lab, Element hotels are built with eco-friendly and healthy materials, where possible.
