Company rides the wave of new lodging options in theme park corridor
SeaWorld Entertainment Inc., just a month after filing plans to build its first hotel at SeaWorld Orlando, has revealed that it intends to build a second hotel on park property, GrowthSpotter reports.
The plans, which refer to the hotel as “Project Canopy,” call for a 250-room hotel within the Discovery Cove part of SeaWorld, on a 50-acre property that’s currently a parking lot and vacant land. The hotel, which will span 288,637 square feet over six stories, will hold fewer rooms than the 504-key hotel that SeaWorld announced in December.
Initial plans show a large amenity area on the ground floor of the hotel, with a pool, a bar, a fitness center, and retail space. Additional features include a 7,000-square-foot meeting space and a nearly 11,000-square-foot spa.
The initial concept also includes a 7,000-square-foot restaurant called “Tree Top Restaurant.” While the plans don’t describe the restaurant in any more detail, its name aligns with the hotel’s “Project Canopy” concept.
Representatives from SeaWorld Orlando were not immediately available for comment.
While the initial plans didn’t provide a project timeline, SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment CEO Marc Swanson told investors on an earnings call in November that he expects the company to open hotels in 2026, which suggests that construction could begin sometime this year.
“On the hotel front, we also continue to make progress on our plans. As we mentioned last quarter, we are refining our design, planning on our first hotels and we expect to begin opening in 2026. We identified two locations of the first two hotels and we’ll be offering more details about these properties soon,” Swanson said.
The company also filed plans with Orange County on Jan. 5 for “Project Puzzle” to relocate some of its back of house and operational functions to an undeveloped area on Westwood Boulevard across Sea Harbor Drive from the SeaWorld Orlando park.
SeaWorld’s 250-key “Project Canopy” joins a growing list of new hotels and resorts planned for the I-Drive Corridor surrounding SeaWorld.
Several other hotels were announced in the area in December, including SeaWorld’s planned 504-room hotel at International Drive and Central Florida Parkway. Additional hotels announced in December include a pair of six-story Hilton Home2 Suites hotels, each with 139 rooms, and two hotels from Universal, which will each include 750 rooms.
SeaWorld Orlando continues to build new attractions. The park’s newest roller coaster, Pipeline: The Surf Coaster, opened last May, and an additional coaster called Penguin Trek will open this spring.
Orlando Sentinel article.
At Vacay & Co Real Estate located in Celebration and working in the areas around Disney; Championsgate, Davenport, Kissimmee & South Clermont.
We are specialized in working with vacation homes, 2nd homes & Investment property to local, national & international clientele and have taken care of buyers and sellers for the past 19 years!!
We look forward to being able to assist you with all your real estate needs.
Contact us today: Office No: 321 284 3600 or Broker Direct No: 321 333 1338 or email: [email protected]
