ORLANDO, Fla. — Hilton Garden Inn has opened its 100th property, a 233-room hotel in Orlando, Fla., featuring a new prototype design for resort locations. The Hilton Garden Inn Orlando at Sea World International Center was developed by Orlando South Hotel Partners LLC, an affiliate of Atlanta-based Hardin Capital LLC, under a license agreement with Hilton Inns Inc., a subsidiary of Beverly Hills, Calif.-based Hilton Hotels Corp.
"Essentially, this is now a prototype for us to be able to develop hotels in these resort destination locations," said Adrian Kurre, senior vice president of brand management for Hilton Garden Inn. "Hardin has created some features for this hotel that stretched Hilton Garden Inn from where we’ve been before." Denver-based Sage Hospitality Resources will manage the property.
New amenities include an enlarged glass-walled pavilion and a children’s play area containing small furniture, books, games and a television. The hotel also features three meeting rooms, a 24-hour business center, the Great American Grill restaurant and a lounge area featuring a saltwater aquarium.
The project marks the tenth partnership between Hardin and Hilton Garden Inn. Hardin also developed the chain’s original model room and created the chain’s urban prototype. Hardin also developed the company’s largest property, the Chicago Hilton Garden Inn, a high-rise, 357-room property located off of Michigan Avenue.
Hardin plans to continue its relationship with Hilton Garden Inn. "We’re somewhat enamored by the urban location and we’re looking very hard now with Hilton for other development opportunities in major urban centers," said Rodney Williams, senior vice president of Hardin Capital. Cities under consideration for urban properties include San Francisco, New York and Boston.
With 136 hotels in the development pipeline, Hilton Garden Inn plans to continue opening properties at a rapid pace.
"By 2003, we’ll probably be celebrating the 200th Hilton Garden Inn opening," Kurre said.
