Universal Endless Summer Resort - Surfside and Dockside Inn & Suites

[GAcoaster]

Holy crap, they've started clearing and putting pilings in on the former parking lot side (I guess the Dockside) now! They are wasting no time on these...

 

[ragerunner]

Holy crap, they've started clearing and putting pilings in on the former parking lot side (I guess the Dockside) now! They are wasting no time on these...

Hotels make a lot of money and helps 'lock' guests into multi- day stays. That is a lot of incentive to get projects like this done as quickly as possible. Even Disney builds their resorts quicker than attraction development.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

Hotels make a lot of money and helps 'lock' guests into multi- day stays. That is a lot of incentive to get projects like this done as quickly as possible. Even Disney builds their resorts quicker than attraction development.

Yeah. The Coronado/Caribbean expansions are being built fast.

 

[GAcoaster]

I think for Disney anything that generates revenue gets built faster than attractions do.

 

[JungleSkip]

Dockside permits rolling in

 

[UniversalRBLX]

Interesting that they are going with a phased opening. Guess it opens faster. Maybe they are testing the demand with Surfside before moving in with more towers?

 

[Scott W.]

Interesting that they are going with a phased opening. Guess it opens faster. Maybe they are testing the demand with Surfside before moving in with more towers?

They're going full steam. Construction should start soon if they're planning on opening Dockside in 2020. Speaking of the devil:

 

[tidecat]

It looks like the blue office building in the Wet ‘n Wild parking lot is not long for this world.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

Uni needs to knock down that stupid Sheraton building.

 

[OLSinFLA]

Uni needs to knock down that stupid Sheraton building.

When I moved here that was one of two (yes, only two!) hotels on I-Drive. (back the it was a Quality Inn called the High Q)

 

[Sithina]

Uni needs to knock down that stupid Sheraton building.

Agreed. That thing is an eyesore. If we ever book rooms at ES, I'll have to ask that our view not contain that thing, lol.

What are the odds of some of these hotels managing to stay in business once the ES resorts are full developed and accepting guests?

 

[GAcoaster]

There will always be a market for non theme park hotels on I-Drive and in other places in the area. Not everyone wants to stay on park property where they may have to pay extra fees for things they don't want. Also anyone with hotel loyalty points wants the option of using them close to a park since they can't use them on park property.

When I used to come to Orlando as a visitor I would book any of the Marriott properties around because I could earn points or redeem points and it was often much cheaper than the park hotels with no parking charges.

 

[IAmFloridaBorn]

I'm all for knocking buildings down but that spherical hotel has been here longer than I've been alive.

I will say, I hope hat Best Western is bought out by Universal soon. That place is trash.

 

[Disneyhead]

Uni needs to knock down that stupid Sheraton building.

Blow it up! Blow it up! Blow it up! Blow it up!...

 

[Wes]

https://www.bizjournals.com/orlando...s-sheraton-on-i-drive-to-undergo-4m-plus.html

...a bit of old news I remember seeing.
Apparently the four points was expected to get a $4 million renovation some time after 2016.

Of course this article also mentions the iSquare mall (which I see never happening)...so take it with a grain of salt.

Either way I don't see this place closing just for the sake of Universal's newest hotel.

 

[Wes]

Of course it could all just be the owner thinking ahead spending the $15 million to buy the place and saying he is going to put another $4 million in improvements, just to sweeten a possible buyout deal later on...

 

[Teebin]

I will say, I hope hat Best Western is bought out by Universal soon. That place is trash.

Ha! I actually stayed there once years and years ago. And yes, it was a trash hole, but I was young and happy to be there.

 

[Mad Dog]

Ha! I actually stayed there once years and years ago. And yes, it was a trash hole, but I was young and happy to be there.

Now we know where you acquired your love for fine architecture. ...:grin: ....

 

[CyborgDinosaur]

Uni needs to knock down that stupid Sheraton building.

Agreed. That thing is an eyesore. If we ever book rooms at ES, I'll have to ask that our view not contain that thing, lol.

Blow it up! Blow it up! Blow it up! Blow it up!...

What does everyone have against the Sheraton building? It seems pretty innocuous from these photos. What aspects of it are making all of you want to take a bulldozer to it?

 

[Scott W.]

What does everyone have against the Sheraton building? It seems pretty innocuous from these photos. What aspects of it are making all of you want to take a bulldozer to it?

I always thought it was a cool looking building. For the longest time I thought it was a part of USF as the top looked incredibly similar to the original USF globe.