A Florida developer plans to give North Texas hotel guests a chance to stay like Jimmy Buffett. Compass Hotels by Margaritaville are inspired by the singer-songwriter’s laidback Key West lifestyle. Described as “upscale boutique hotels,” they offer a Florida beach resort vibe.
Sarasota, Fla.-based Floridays Development Co. built the 123-room Compass Hotel in Anna Maria Sound, Fla. The developer is eyeing a similar project in Rowlett.
The hotels include a lobby “welcome cabana, a living room lounge and complimentary happy hour.
“Our guests are attracted to fun, non-traditional and experiential hotels that help them escape the everyday and elevate their trip,” the marketing pitch on the hotel chain’s website says. “Join fellow guests in the backyard where the outdoor pool, ice cold beverages and comfortable hammocks are calling your name.”
The three existing Compass Hotels by Margaritaville hotels are in Florida, North Carolina and Oregon.
The Rowlett hotel will be part of the $1 billion Sapphire Bay development on Lake Ray Hubbard, according to planning documents filed with the state. Construction is set to start on the 130-room, $16.5 million hotel project in March, with an opening date in 2024.
A Floridays official confirmed this will be the company’s first such development in Texas.
Florida-based Miles Architecture Group is designing the project. That’s the same architect that did Floridays’ Anna Maria Sound hotel.
Plans for the Rowlett development also include a 9,300-square-foot “Landshark” restaurant.
Floridays Development has been in business since 1990, with major projects including the Floridays Resort Orlando hotel and the 32-story Oasis condo tower in Fort Myers.
The developer is also building two apartment communities at Sapphire Bay with more than 600 units.
Floridays has built an apartment project in Garland and is developing a hotel in Austin.
The Compass Hotels aren’t the only developments planned in Texas with a Margaritaville theme.
Early last year, Tampa-based Minto Communities USA said it intends to build Margaritaville-branded housing communities in major Texas metro area locations. And Grand Prairie city officials last year heard plans for a Margaritaville-style lakeside development.
