THE WOODLANDS (HOUSTON), TEXAS - Benchmark will operate a major new resort property in the Houston area, which will be the first Margaritaville Resort in Texas. Scheduled to open the summer of 2020, the Margaritaville Lake Resort, Lake Conroe-Houston, an all-suite resort, will feature 335 guest suites. Bars and restaurants will feature signature Margaritaville dining concepts – the LandShark Bar & Grill with boat slips on Lake Conroe, the 5 o’Clock Somewhere Swim Up Pool Bar, the Lone Palm Pool Bar & Restaurant, the License to Chill Bar & Grill, and Joe Merchant Grab n’ Go, and a Margaritaville Retail Shop.
Set on 186 lakefront acres on the 21-mile-long Lake Conroe, the Margaritaville Lake Resort, Lake Conroe-Houston will offer an array of recreational activities: an 18-hole golf course, a three-acre waterpark with a lazy river and outdoor pools, pickleball, tennis, swimming, boating, fishing, jet skiing and waterskiing. Margaritaville’s popular full-service St. Somewhere Spa, and a spacious, 24-hour fitness center, will provide exceptional wellness options. With 72,000 square feet of indoor/outdoor IACC approved meeting space, the resort can host special events and meetings of every size. Located just an hour from Houston and about three hours from the major hubs of Austin, Dallas and San Antonio, the resort is within easy reach of over 19 million consumers. The project is a joint venture of Songy Highroads (SHR) and The Wampold Companies. The Margaritaville Lake Resort, Lake Conroe, will be part of Benchmark’s signature brand, Benchmark Resorts & Hotels.
“Benchmark is very excited to be part of this groundbreaking project that will bring the iconic Margaritaville brand to the Houston market, and to our neighbors throughout the Lone Star State, and beyond,” says Benchmark CEO Alex Cabanas. He also notes that thanks to a booming statewide economy, Benchmark is rapidly expanding in Texas. The Margaritaville property will join Hotel Contessa, located on San Antonio’s famous Riverwalk, The Doug Pitcock ’49 Texas A&M Hotel and Conference Center that opened last year on the campus of Texas A&M University in College Station, La Cantera Resort & Spa, also in San Antonio, and the newly opened Delta Hotels by Marriott Dallas Allen & Watters Creek Convention Center.
“The Margaritaville lifestyle brand is one of the hottest in the country, and Texas is a prime market for it,” said Todd Nocerini, SHR’s chief operating officer. “The fact that the lakefront resort is an easy drive for residents of the state’s four largest markets only adds to the excitement and potential pool of guests. This venture represents an opportunity to align with a beloved brand that has created a community of loyal customers united by a shared state of mind,” added Nocerini. “Margaritaville properties are known top performers when it comes to guest satisfaction, which makes for an excellent partner.”
“The dynamic Texas economy makes this a great time to expand within the state,” says Mr. Cabanas, himself a native Texan and proud graduate of Texas A&M University. He notes that Texas again claimed the top spot in CNBC’s Top States for Business rankings, with the energy sector a leading factor in the state’s $1.6 trillion economy and last year’s gain of more than 350,000 jobs. Business travel to Texas is up and 23 percent of its visitors are travelling on business, with a growing number of these millennials, many of whom are making Texas cities their home.
Located just 60 minutes from Houston via I-45, the Lake Conroe area exemplifies this vibrant growth. The 2000-acre man-made lake extends 21 miles in length and offers a variety of recreational opportunities, including boating, fishing, hunting, golfing, swimming, water skiing, jet skiing and tennis. A booming real estate market has resulted from the growth of area businesses, including financial institutions, engineering firms, energy, utilities and independent business owners.
