Irvine, Calif. – February 24, 2016 – R.D. Olson Development broke ground yesterday on its latest hotel development, the 271-room, full-service Irvine Spectrum Marriott at 7905 Gateway in Irvine, California. Executives from R.D. Olson Development, Irvine Company, Joseph Martelli Real Estate Investments, Inc., project general contractor R.D. Olson Construction, project architect WATG, and Marriott International joined civic leaders including Irvine Mayor Steven Choi at the ceremonial groundbreaking.
Located next to the Courtyard by Marriott Irvine Spectrum, which opened in 2014 and was developed by R.D. Olson in partnership with Joseph Martelli Real Estate Investments, Inc., Irvine Spectrum Marriott represents the first ground-up construction project in the nation featuring Marriott’s new Millennial-focused design elements. R.D. Olson Construction plans to complete construction in summer of 2017.
“We are proud to launch the first full-service hotel project in Irvine in more than a decade,” said Bob Olson, founder and CEO of R.D. Olson Development. “With its rooftop lounge and bar, high-end amenities, and Marriott’s excellent service, Irvine Spectrum Marriott will provide a unique hotel experience that has not yet been offered in Irvine.”
As is customary for all R.D. Olson Development hotels, Irvine Spectrum Marriott is designed around a theme that pays tribute to the local area, in this case the iconic Irvine Ranch. The interior design celebrates the rich history of the Irvine Ranch through design elements, as well as food and beverage selections. The hotel’s full-service restaurant will feature locally-sourced options for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
The 15-story, 206,332-square-foot hotel is designed with a room mix that includes 50 suites with full kitchens, 121 king beds, and 100 double queen bed configurations. The room mix caters equally well to weekday business guests and weekend leisure and group travelers. Guest rooms will offer views of Saddleback Mountain, Laguna Canyon or Spectrum Center.
Guest rooms include technology features at the forefront of hotel design, including WiFi, big screen TVs with full connectivity and the ability to stream Netflix and Hulu without charge, convenience plugs, iPhone/iPod docking stations and more.
The new Irvine Spectrum Marriott will offer a variety of event and pre-function spaces to accommodate the needs of guests, as well as local businesses. A large rooftop lounge, featuring a full-service bar, offers unobstructed views of the Irvine Spectrum. The hotel will also feature more than 13,000 square feet of meeting and pre-function space, including a large event lawn. Both the rooftop lounge and event lawn are well-suited for corporate events, parties and weddings.
Public area amenities include an expansive pool and spa, complete with outdoor fire pits and fireplaces. A state-of-the-art, two-story, 2,000-square-foot fitness center is equipped with CrossFit-style equipment. Additional amenities include Marriott’s private lounge, M Club, for Marriott Elite members.
“Today’s hotel guests are seeking a full experience that enhances their time visiting the surrounding area,” said Bill Wilhelm, president of R.D. Olson Construction. “We are proud to bring a full-service hotel to the Irvine Spectrum, an area that has been born out of a keen understanding of how people like to work and play.”
Located on a 4.84-acre parcel on Gateway between Alton Parkway and Spectrum Center Drive, the hotel is in the heart of the Irvine Spectrum and is easily reached via the San Diego (I-405) Freeway at Irvine Center Drive, Santa Ana (I-5) Freeway at Alton Parkway and Laguna Canyon Road (SR-133). Laguna Beach and Newport Beach are close by, as is John Wayne Airport, University of California, Irvine and Disneyland.
The $120 million Irvine Spectrum Marriott will serve the growing demand for lodging regionally and from the 5,000-acre Irvine Spectrum, home to a 24 million-square-foot office and industrial market.
Irvine Spectrum Marriott was designed by the renowned international architecture firm WATG, specialists in hospitality design. The Irvine office of WATG is recognized for its design of numerous Orange County hotels, including the Ritz Carlton, Hyatt Huntington, Hilton Huntington and Marriott Newport Coast. WATG served as the partner on R.D. Olson’s other recent development at the Irvine Spectrum, the Courtyard by Marriott Irvine Spectrum.
Monogram will be performing interior architecture for the hotel, and Steven Langford Architects will perform interior architecture and design for the hotel’s on-site restaurant and rooftop terrace.
R.D. Olson Development began developing hotels in 1997 and has been especially active over the past five years, including the development of the Renaissance Clubsport, a full-service hotel in Aliso Viejo, California. Additional recent completions at Marriott brand hotels include Courtyard by Marriott hotels in Irvine, Oceanside and Goleta, California, and Maui, Hawaii; Residence Inn by Marriott in San Juan Capistrano, California; and Residence Inn by Marriott and Fairfield Inn & Suites hotels in Tustin, California. In December 2015, R.D. Olson Development received Marriott International’s most prestigious award, the Partnership Circle Award, to recognize the organization’s support of Marriott hotel brands and dedication to embodying the spirit of the company’s philosophy of providing outstanding customer service.
In a co-development with Pacific Hospitality Group, R.D. Olson Development is scheduled to complete Paséa Hotel & Spa, a 250-room upscale boutique hotel in Huntington Beach, California, at the master-planned Pacific City project in 2016. In spring of 2016 R.D. Olson Development is scheduled to complete the 200-room Residence Inn by Marriott in Wailea, Maui, Hawaii, and the 144-room Residence Inn by Marriott in Old Town Pasadena, California.
R.D. Olson Development recently broke ground on the 204-room Residence Inn by Marriott Silicon Valley in San Carlos, California. R.D. Olson Development and R.D. Olson Construction are planning to break ground on several other hospitality projects throughout California and Hawaii in Q1 2016, including the 130-room Lido House Hotel resort in Newport Beach, California, and the 118-room Residence Inn by Marriott Santa Barbara/Goleta in Goleta, California.
In addition to R. D. Olson Construction’s work with R.D. Olson Development, the Irvine-based general contractor recently completed work on the full-service Bicycle Hotel & Casino in the heart Bell Gardens, California. The firm is currently under construction on additional regional hospitality projects including the 94-room Hampton Inn & Suites in Glendale, California; the 161-room Homewood Suites in Irvine, California; and the 174-room Country Inn & Suites by Carlson in Anaheim, California.
*Photo details – L-R: R.D. Olson Development’s Bob Olson, The Irvine Company’s Doug Holte, Irvine Mayor Steven Choi, R.D. Olson Construction’s Bill Wilhelm, Marriott International’s Bridget Bilinski, Marriott International’s Anne Betsch, Joseph Martelli Real Estate Investments, Inc.’s Joseph Martelli, Marriott International’s Peri Flora
