Loews Lodges & Co, co-owner and operator of the resort portfolio at Common Orlando Resort, debuted the Universal Helios Grand Hotel, a Loews Lodge, on April 16. The five hundred-room property is positioned in Celestial Park, certainly one of 5 themed areas inside Common Epic Universe, which opened Could 22. With Common Stella Nova Resort and Common Terra Luna Resort opened in January and March, respectively, Loews has launched three Common Orlando inns this yr, bringing the entire to 11 properties providing 11,000 guestrooms. “Opening three brand-new developments inside 100 days of one another is one thing that Loews Lodges & Co has not ever finished earlier than, which makes it unprecedented, even outdoors of Orlando,” Alex Tisch, president & CEO, Loews Lodges & Co, advised LODGING. “It was useful, nonetheless, that every one of those inns had been in shut proximity to one another and the event surrounding Common Epic Universe.”
We knew the resort could be a beacon throughout the theme park, and with the resort being the namesake of Helios, Greek god of the solar, it was clear that we needed to embrace the Mediterranean aesthetic in a
palatial approach.
Alex Tisch, president & CEO, Loews Lodges & Co
Tisch additionally offered background on Loews’ longstanding relationship with Common Orlando and the motivation for his firm’s most up-to-date funding within the portfolio. “Loews Lodges & Co has had a profitable partnership with Common for practically three many years. What we’ve discovered over time is that our authentic eight inns’ seamless integration with the three authentic Common Orlando parks has confirmed a definite aggressive benefit relative to friends in Orlando,” he defined. “As we started to grasp the scope of the Common Epic Universe mission, we believed it could be in everybody’s finest curiosity to put money into the way forward for Common Orlando Resort alongside our companions, as we imagine the Epic Universe mission is a sport changer.”
Mediterranean Motifs
Loews and Common collaborated on the Mediterranean-inspired design of the Common Helios Grand Lodge, leading to “a shared design imaginative and prescient that sought to include the fantastical neoclassical structure of Epic Universe, the awe and surprise of the cosmos, and the sense of luxurious and serenity that Loews Lodge visitors have come to count on,” defined Jessica Iaconis, assistant director of design – Common Artistic. “We knew the resort could be a beacon throughout the theme park, and with the resort being the namesake of Helios, Greek god of the solar, it was clear that we needed to embrace the Mediterranean aesthetic in a
palatial approach.”
Parts that signify the Mediterranean and celestial themes embrace a statue of Apollo close to the Court docket of the Solar terrace and foyer arches that depict a rising solar reworking right into a setting moon. “We’ve taken a number of the apparent design parts, such because the reduce stone partitions encircling the foyer, the blue and white tiles … and paired these with the sudden touches just like the beautiful gold finishes and celestial patterns all through to raise the design into one thing otherworldly,” Iaconis described.
The Greek pantheon impressed the selection of paintings, which was additionally a collaboration between Loews and Common Orlando. The groups partnered with “a neighborhood artwork agency to pick varied artists, each native and from world wide, to develop an artwork bundle that was one-of-a-kind,” mentioned Iaconis. “The aim was to take inspiration from the Greek gods and goddesses and signify them in a approach that was summary but advised a compelling story. Journey, surprise, and journey are on the heart of every piece of artwork and are expressed as we discover the moon and stars, nightfall and daybreak, natural world, heavens and earth, and on the pinnacle, the solar.”
The Mediterranean affect additionally extends to the resort’s eating experiences. Flora Taverna, a full-service restaurant, incorporates bougainvillea options on the ceiling and olive bushes to evoke the sunshine, ethereal really feel of Mediterranean areas, whereas the Lotus Lagoon, a poolside bar and grill, is called after the lotus flower in Greek mythology. Different F&B highlights embrace Bar Helios, a rooftop lounge providing inventive tapas and handcrafted specialty cocktails, and the grab-and-go Aurora Market.
Surging Group Enterprise
That includes Tenth-floor assembly house with floor-to-ceiling home windows and a complete of 4,648 sq. toes of operate house, Common Helios Grand Lodge is ready to host small to mid-sized teams, capitalizing on a line of enterprise that’s rising for Loews’ Common Orlando portfolio. “Group enterprise at Common Orlando Resort continues to carry out strongly. Demand and curiosity for our inns stays on the rise,” famous Kathy Cattoor, vice chairman, resort group gross sales, Common Orlando Resort. “The teams we’ve hosted this yr have seen glorious attendance and achieved nice success with their conferences and occasions. What’s extra, the brand new Common Stella Nova Resort and Common Terra Luna Resort, particularly, are in shut proximity to the Orange County Conference Heart and Worldwide Drive, which expands our choices for rooms-only applications.”
