ORLANDO, FL—Margaritaville Holdings revealed the debut of its new upscale boutique select-service hotel brand—Compass by Margaritaville Hotels and Resorts—presented as an economically efficient select-service model that connects travelers with the lifestyle brand in a personalized boutique hotel setting.
“Over the last 40 years, Margaritaville has evolved from a song about paradise into a dynamic business capturing the attention of millions of consumers around the world,” said John Cohlan, CEO of Margaritaville Holdings. “Compass by Margaritaville Hotels and Resorts presents a compelling competitive advantage to developers, giving them the unique opportunity to leverage the power of our time-tested lifestyle brand in the thriving boutique select-service space.”
Margaritaville spent the last year conducting extensive customer research and market analysis in order to create Compass by Margaritaville Hotels and Resorts. The outcome is a new design concept and prototype—a distinctive five-story, 131-room, 83,000 sq. ft. building sitting on approximately three acres of land. Compass will offer specific standards to guide developers, while allowing for a flexible design reflecting each property’s local surroundings and architectural or site plan needs.
According to the company, this new model will work for new-builds, adaptive-reuse buildings, mixed-use concepts and conversions. Incorporating Margaritaville’s signature ‘casual-luxe’ design, each Compass property will provide an open-concept living lounge and bright, airy atmosphere, bringing the outdoors inside. Complimentary amenities will include hot and cold drinks and light snacks at a welcome cabana, a daily signature cocktail happy hour, access to laptops, printing services and high-speed WiFi.
Another differentiating dimension is the brand’s approach to food and beverage. Each property will include a signature Margaritaville-designed bar and grill concept, in addition to an indoor space, landscaped outdoor deck and patio area outfitted with fire pits, TVs, water features or free form pool (in warm weather markets), and more. For breakfast, an American breakfast buffet will be available.
Guestroom accommodations will be modern with nature-inspired design and premium amenities, including Margaritaville’s signature bedding, an oversized bathroom with rainfall showers, and smart TVs for streaming video and music.
The new brand is aiming for national growth across the U.S., in city-center urban locations, near regional convention centers, college towns, and smaller destination resort locations on beaches, lakes and mountains.
“Our focus is to ensure the cost to construct a Compass by Margaritaville Hotels and Resorts property is comparable to other upscale select-service hotels while offering a fun, locally inspired lifestyle experience in a boutique setting,” said Rick Cunningham, VP of hotel development at Margaritaville Holdings. “With our tremendous brand awareness and the owner-friendly design concept, we see a remarkable opportunity to rapidly grow the brand across the U.S., with short-term target markets throughout the Southeast and mid-Atlantic.”
The first property is being developed by Floridays Development Company on Anna Maria Sound, FL. The property will be adjacent to Minto Communities’ existing One Particular Harbour marina and luxury condo development. Multiple additional projects are under consideration with development groups in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic.