Woodlands Resort Set for $50M Redevelopment

"The resort is doing very well, and we've been seeing record business. But sometimes, you have to sit back and sharpen your saw to get to that next level," says Dan Leverett, VP of commercial for the Woodlands Development Co., which owns the hotel and conference center at 2301 N. Millbend Dr. "We just think it's time to take this to the next step, and the next level of service."

Plans are to move the lobby, registration and concierge desk to the front of guest room buildings Fairway Pines I and II, and the future Fairway Pines III. The property's existing lobby will be used as a check-in area for conference attendees. Meanwhile, a four-level garage with 620 parking spaces will replace the existing Fairway Pines parking lot.

Meanwhile, Fairway Pines III, which will be built next to Fairway Pines I and II, will contain 158 guest rooms. Ten nearby lodges, containing 222 guest rooms, will be demolished, leaving 18 acres zoned for high-density residential use and reducing the total guest room count to 380.

Also on the drawing board is renovation of the Woodlands Dining Room and Glass Menagerie Restaurant, and an upgrade of 60,000 sf of meeting space. The project will be topped off by a 1,000-foot lazy river.

Leverett tells GlobeSt.com that the renovation's goal is to make everything modern, which is why interior painting, carpeting, bedding and furniture are also planned. "We wanted everything to be brought to the same standard, to the same level of consistency," he explains. "That's driving us, more than anything."

The project's design architect is Morris Architects, and Acumen Design will handle restaurant design. Both companies are Houston-based, as is the Office of James Burnett, which is in charge of landscape design. Vivian/Nichols Associates of Dallas is overseeing interior design, and Cloward H2O in Provo, UT is the consultant for the lazy river.