Embassy Suites Opening September 2012

By Georgiana Mihaila, Associate Editor

Opening is approaching for the new Embassy Suites hotel, as developer Sierra Land Group announced that the $51.7 million project will be completed September 2012. The 300-room hotel, dubbed Embassy Suites Orlando-Lake Buena Vista South is located at the corner of State Road 535 and Kyngs Heath Road, a few miles east of Walt Disney World. Although the proximity to Disney World could make it attractive to tourists, the Embassy Suites hotel—part of Hilton Worldwide—is designed to draw group and corporate business; 25,000 square feet of meeting space will be accommodated.

Maitland-based Helman Hurley Charvat Peacock/Architects Inc. is the designer for the 11-story building, while Hardin Construction Co. LLC in Orlando is the general contractor. Five stories have already been completed and local hotelier Dennis Hale, of the Embassy Suites Orlando North in Altamonte Springs, has been appointed as the property’s general manager. According to the Orlando Sentinel, given that the opening date is set for September 2012, Hale will officially join the team starting early next spring.

Glendale, Calif.-based Sierra Land Group also owns and operates the Caribe Royale Orlando all-suite hotel and convention center and the Buena Vista Suites near Walt Disney World. According to county records, the company has been in possession of the 8-acre parcel where the new Embassy Suites is being developed since 1999.

Embassy Suites Orlando-Lake Buena Vista South—the seventh Embassy Suites in the Orlando area—will feature two-room units divided between a bedroom and a living room area equipped with sofa bed, desk, refrigerator, wet bar, and microwave. Upon completion, the hotel is expected to employ around 200 people.