by Joe Wilhelm Jr.
Staff Writer
The punch list has been completed and the welcome mat is officially out at a local Hilton concept property.
The Hilton Family “officially” opened a one-of-a-kind property for Florida in Jacksonville that features both Homewood Suites and Hilton Garden Inn brands under one roof.
Homewood Suites is an upscale extended-stay hotel and across the hall Hilton Garden Inn is a midscale overnight-stay hotel. The two brands offer a combined total of 221 rooms through eight floors with river views from the outer rooms of both Homewood Suites, which faces San Marco, and Hilton Garden Inn rooms, which face Jacksonville Municipal Stadium.
“Our occupancy rates are growing every week,” said Max Kiker, general manager of the hotels. “We are reaching our projected occupancy goals regularly.”
Kiker and the hotel staff welcomed local business people and citizens to enjoy food and drinks and explore the different rooms on the eighth floor of the building.
“This is my new guest house,” said Barbara Ferguson. “I live in a condo in San Marco so there isn’t a lot of room for guests. This will be a great place for people to stay when they come to visit me.”
The Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) was glad to hear about the excitement the property was generating when the first guests walked through the doors July 2. It partnered with the Hilton Family of hotels to create a Transit Oriented Development (TOD) at Kings Avenue Station. JTA leases the property that the hotels are built on and the hotels lease parking space in the Kings Avenue parking garage to the east of the hotels. Guests can also utilize the Skyway to access Downtown properties during their stay.
The project was originally seen as a welcomed marriage of private accommodations and public transportation, but that relationship is experiencing some strain.
“I’m not happy that the weekend after we have our grand opening is the date (the JTA) chose to close the Skyway on Saturdays,” said Hank Fonde, president of Baymeadows Management Corporation, which manages the property. “Our guests need that service.”
Skyway Saturday service is schedule to stop Oct. 5, according to JTA. The Skyway will be open for special events on Saturdays, though. The visitors that have booked all the rooms on both sides of the property during Florida-Georgia weekend will have that service available.
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