ORLANDO, Fla. -- Loews Hotels has big expansion plans for the
Sunshine State. The chain is opening the 800-room Loews Miami Beach
Hotel on Dec. 17, and three additional Loews properties previously
announced for Universal Studios Escape here are definite, according
to Jonathan Tisch, Loews' chief executive officer and president.
"The Loews in Miami Beach is the first property to be built
[there] in 30 years, and it's located on the last developable site
in South Beach [along the ocean]," he said.
At the Universal Studios Escape, Loews "will have the only
hotels on the grounds of the second-largest demand-generator [among
U.S.] theme parks," Tisch added. The first Loews at Universal
Studios Escape will be the 750-room Portofino Bay Hotel. At press
time, Loews was accepting reservations for stays beginning on Sept.
1.
Rack rates at Portofino Bay cover up to five adults in the same
unit and start at $235 for a deluxe room; the price climbs to $265
for a bay or harborview room, $335 for a king-size room with an
adjoining kids suite, $335 for a villa room and $435 for a
butler-serviced villa unit.
Portofino Bay features will include:
A guest service representative who greets guests with
reservations, handles luggage, completes their registration and
escorts them to their room. The process aims to eliminate a stop at
the front desk.Smart Rooms, which offer a room key that also will serve as an
identification card and a charge card throughout Universal Studios
Escape. In-room sensors will automatically adjust room temperatures
and report any malfunctions.Butler service, which will be available in 50 villas and
suites. Guests will be greeted by their butler, who will serve them
orange juice or Asti Spumante. Butlers will unpack luggage and
arrange for theater tickets and laundry service and will be on call
for personal errands.The second Loews is a 650-room Hard Rock Hotel, set to open in
the fall of 2000, while the third property is the 1,000-room Royal
Pacific Resort, to open in 2001.
The 52-year-old Loews chain owns and operates 14 hotels and
resorts in the U.S. and Canada.
Loews may make more acquisitions, Tisch said. "Clearly, the
industry has gone through a major transformation in the last couple
of years, due to consolidations and strategic alliances, and we
think there may be some opportunities that will be a natural
outgrowth of these kinds of transactions," he said.
Programs for agents are planned in conjunction with the
Universal Studios Escape hotels.
Loews Hotels, Phone: (800) 23-LOEWS