Oct. 20–The long-delayed hotel planned at the headquarters of Darden Restaurants is finally underway.
Site work has begun on the property, which will be a Courtyard by Marriott. Construction is expected to be complete in 10 to 12 months. The hotel is expected to open this time next year, said Darden spokesman Rich Jeffers.
Darden said that the 128-room hotel will be developed by Concord Hospitality Enterprises of Raleigh, N.C. Located off John Young Parkway near Taft Vineland Road, the hotel will be built on Darden property. Jeffers would not discuss lease terms of the deal.
The hotel will serve as lodging headquarters for people attending training sessions at Darden’s restaurant support center.
In 2010, developers for the project said construction was expected to start in 2011, with a goal of opening the hotel by mid-2012. In early 2012, Darden confirmed that plans for the hotel had stalled, prompting the company to look for a new developer to keep the project alive.
U.S. Travel hails shutdown end
The U.S. travel industry hailed the end of the government shutdown last week, saying the political impasse and closure of government cost an estimated $152 million per day.
The 16-day shutdown caused $2.2 billion in lost travel-related spending, according to trade group U.S. Travel.
U.S. Travel noted that while services such as security screening and air traffic control were largely unaffected by the shutdown, the closure of national parks and historic sites harmed tourism interests that depend on those destinations for visitors.
“The shutdown’s damage cannot be undone, but reopening the government will allow America’s travel community to get back to work and continue to drive U.S. economic recovery,” said Roger Dow, president and chief executive officer of U.S. Travel.
Dow said he believes that the shutdown will have long-term consequences for the U.S. brand in the international travel market.
Meanwhile, the American Hotel & Lodging Association put the loss to its industry at $115.2 million, with “billions of dollars more in lost collective income and visitor spending.”
The hospitality group urged policymakers to spend the next few months working to find a “meaningful and long-lasting solution” to the nation’s fiscal issues.
Meetings spending to be flat
The American Express 2014 Global Meetings Forecast reveals that overall spending on meetings in North America is expected to be flat next year, even though companies expect to host 1.5 percent more events with slightly more attendees.
The budget challenges mean that localized meeting demand is expected to be a key trend for meeting planners next year, as companies look to keep meetings closer to home, using regional facilities and perhaps their own buildings. Orlando ranks as the No. 1 meetings destination, according to Cvent Inc., a company that runs an online marketplace for meeting-and-event planners.
American Express said the approval process for meetings is expected to become “increasingly complex.” Planners also indicated they were considering more non-traditional locations such as outdoor venues, universities and aquariums.
Allegiant adds Cincinnati
Allegiant airlines has announced its 53rd nonstop destination from Central Florida.
The airline said it will begin flying from Orlando Sanford International Airport to Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport early next year. The two-day-a-week service is slated to begin Feb. 12.
skclarke@tribune.com or 407-420-5664
