Dec. 28–The developer buying the Sheraton Orlando Downtown says he plans to offer new jobs to the workers expected to lose their current jobs at the hotel when it closes for renovations.
Nik Patel, the chairman of Alena Hospitality, said in an email to the Orlando Sentinel on Wednesday that he will offer the displaced workers positions at some of Alena’s other properties.
In Central Florida, the hotel-development and investment company owns the DoubleTree by Hilton near the University of Central Florida and the currently closed Orlando Vista Hotel near Walt Disney World, which is expected to reopen early next year as a Crowne Plaza hotel.
Patel declined to answer follow-up questions Friday, including when Alena will offer the replacement jobs and at which of the company’s locations those positions will be.
The current owner of the 290-room downtown Sheraton, Aventura-based developer and property manager Turnberry Associates, notified state officials on Dec. 19 that it expects to lay off all 140 of the hotel’s employees on or around Feb. 18.
That’s about when the hotel is expected to shut down to allow for renovations.
Patel said in his email that Alena will spend “several million dollars” refurbishing the property and rebranding it as a Renaissance by Marriott.
“These improvements will give better accommodations to those traveling to downtown Orlando. We are also adding more meeting space to accommodate the needs of the businesses in the city,” Patel said.
Orlando-based Alena also owns hotels in Saddlebrook, N.J., and Peoria, Ill.
Patel has said in the past that he saw potential in the downtown Sheraton’s location adjacent to the city’s proposed Creative Village, a planned mixed-use redevelopment on the site of the since-demolished Amway Arena.
He has also cited proximity to the soon-to-be-built downtown soccer stadium as a selling point for the hotel.
jrgarcia@tribune.com or 407-420-5414
