Tryp by Wyndham opens its first Orlando hotel on I-Drive

Even as the COVID-19 epidemic batters the hotel industry with historically low occupancy rates in Central Florida, a new hotel is being added to the I-Drive corridor. Tryp by Wyndham Orlando is set to make its public debut on Nov. 14.

The new hotel at 11539 International Drive in Orlando will feature 98 rooms, including 22 family suites and specialty accommodations such as fitness rooms, which have in-room exercise bikes.

Sharing its property with a LaQuinta Inn, Tryp represents the higher end of economy lodgings, with an average daily room rate of $160.

This will be the fourth hotel in the Tryp brand in Florida and the ninth in the U.S. The brand has more than 100 properties internationally. Wyndham acquired Tryp from the Spanish chain Mélia in 2010. The hotel was developed by Riviera Point Invest + Develop, which acquired the property in 2016, and will be managed by Coakley & Williams Hotel Management. Winter Park Construction was the general contractor.

“Powered by the city” is the slogan for the brand, focusing on making each Tryp hotel a reflection of the city it’s in. “Each Tryp is different,” said Diana Saumell, general manager for both the LaQuinta and the Tryp.

Saumell said guests will see Orlando themes on patterns and in art around the hotel. The hallway carpeting features a map of the I-4 corridor, and signs and artwork around the hotel feature palm trees as well as nearby attractions.

“I call them Easter eggs scattered all throughout the hotel,” she said.

Tryp also has a pool with a bar, a lounge with a library, a tapas restaurant and a gastropub that serves microbrews from local breweries.

The hotel is debuting in hard times. Orlando is one of the markets with the lowest occupancy levels in the country during the coronavirus pandemic, with an average of 33.7% capacity as of Oct. 15, according to data site STR.com.

A 25-year veteran of the hotel industry, Saumell said she sees signs of improvement that give her hope for the new property’s early days.

“People are traveling,” she said. “The drive market [guests driving instead of flying to destinations] is there.”

The Tryp by Wyndham Orlando will have a ribbon-cutting ceremony 11 a.m. Nov. 5, with a scheduled appearance by Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings.

The hotel joins another new one called Tru by Hilton Orlando Convention Center Area, which opened in September. The location on Westwood Boulevard near the convention center has 259 rooms and about 2,000 square feet of conference space.

This story originally appeared as an exclusive in GrowthSpotter. To subscribe, go to GrowthSpotter.com.

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