A three-story, 72-room Candlewood Suites hotel is scheduled to open in Safety Harbor by mid-June, according to the owners.
A news release from L & A Hotel Group and Dellisart LLC Management says the extended-stay hotel “is the only one of its kind in the area” with apartment-style studio and one-bedroom suites with fully equipped kitchens and executive desks.
This will be the first name-branded hotel in Safety Harbor. According to the Candlewood website, rates will range from $95 to $135.
The location in Oakbrook Plaza, at Enterprise and McMullen Booth roads, has been slated for a hotel since zoning was approved in 2014. The site previously had an office building and restaurants.
“With a location minutes from major businesses and sporting events, our guests will find convenience and ease when traveling throughout the area” says General Manager Jacquelyn Leppert. “We know that we are a perfect fit and style for the surrounding medical, government, corporate, sports and leisure travelers. Offering a competitive rate with lots of value and partnering with our community is our main goal”.
Two years ago some Safety Harbor residents protested having a hotel on this site and started a petition drive in an effort to stop it, but the zoning for a hotel had been approved years earlier.
Nationwide, the Candlewood Suites hotels comply with COVID-19 safe guidelines. The IHG Website says the hotels have “a long-standing commitment to rigorous cleaning procedures” including a partnership with Ecolab and Diversey, both known for cleaning technology. The hotels follow the advice of the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention.
The IHG website says there is reduced contact at check-in, touchless transactions, front desk screens, sanitizer stations, sanitized key-cards, paperless check-out, additional deep cleaning of high touch surfaces, social distancing, ‘last cleaned’ charts, and “best practices” for pools, fitness centers and lounges
Candlewood doesn’t have food service. Rooms come with kitchens for guests to prepare their own meals.
Candlewood Suites is a subsidiary, owned by InterContinental Hotels Group PLC (NYSE: IHG), which also owns Holiday Inn and other hotel chains.
