When we heard about a new hotel and mall combo opening in Orlando, Florida, our initial thought was that the development mostly likely wouldn’t cater to affluent patrons. These types of pairings usually bring to mind Westins and Hiltons, which in themselves aren’t bad options, but are also not especially high end. However, with the Capella Hotel Group partnering on the project alongside developer BlackMINE Group, it seems like we may have judged it too quickly.
Planned for a 2017 debut, iSquare Mall + Hotel will be a four-level, 350,000-square-foot upscale mall attached to a five-star hotel boasting “seven-star amenities” (which remains to be seen). The 530-room, 27-floor property will be divided into two towers: Capella Suites and Solis Orlando Hotel. The brand is known for its five-star properties around the world, many of which have won various accolades throughout the years.
Estimated to cost around $300 million-$400 million, the development will include a performance theater, rotating restaurant, ice skating rink, rooftop pool and amenity deck for guests, 100,000-square-foot convention center, an over 20,000-square-foot spa and a helipad for VIP guests.
The new complex is being built on the site of the existing 85,500-square-foot International Shoppes retail strip center and looks to transform the north portion of I-Drive into more of an international, luxury destination. Something tells us this mall hotel combo will be more Christian Louboutin than Payless Shoe Source.
