Grove Street Sets March Start for 200-Key Marriotts

ORLANDO-Atlanta-based Grove Street Partners expects to break ground in March on two 200-room Marriott hotels on International Drive adjacent to the Aquatica Waterpark at Sea World Orlando. The project is being done in conjunction with Ed Lee LLC.

The two hotels are expectedly to open simultaneously in May 2009. One will operate as a SpringHill Suites and the other as a Fairfield Inn & Suites. The two hotels will share some amenities, including the pool, the fitness center, and a common bar and grill. The project cost was not released.

Grove Street Partners partner Jim Stormont tells GlobeSt.com that the hotels will attract both tourists and convention goers. They will be immediately south of the waterpark and across the street from Sea World and less than one mile from the Orange County Convention Center. “The hotels are complementary, but they have slightly different price points,” Stormont says.

The Aquatica Waterpark will open in spring 2008 and will feature 80,000 sf of beach area in addition to numerous themed water features and rides. “Orlando remains one of the hottest tourist and convention destinations in the world,” says Stormont. “With the expansion of Sea World and the building of a major water park attraction, as well as the expanded convention center, we have a tremendous opportunity to accommodate the increase in tourists and conventioneers.”