ORLANDO, Fla. – Universal Orlando is not the only company cashing in on the excitement of Epic Universe.
Other companies are already opening nearby resorts, and one of the most notable is Villatel Orlando, which just opened this spring.
Villatel Orlando features a mix of more than 500 villas and apartments, catering to people looking for something larger than a typical hotel room. The resort boasts its own six-acre water park, making it an attractive option for families and groups.
[Watch video to get look at new Orlando resort]
It’s located right between the new Epic Universe property and Universal Orlando, just off the northern part of International Drive, an area the developer says has previously been overlooked.
“Most of the hotel rooms on I-Drive were built around the convention center traffic, which has been here many decades, and it has developed 40,000 or 50,000 really small individual corporate hotel rooms,” said developer Brock Nicholas, with Baseline Property Group.
Villatel Orlando offers a variety of units ranging from 2 to 9 bedrooms with full kitchens. Some of the larger villas accommodate up to 26 guests and have their own private pool, arcade games and theater room.
Nicholas first set his sights on the 80-acre property back in 2017 and recognized the potential for a large-format hospitality option in a region known for smaller hotel rooms. Fast forward eight years, and the $500 million resort seems to be opening at the perfect time, just as Epic Universe prepares to launch.
“We opened the water park March 14. We opened our first round of the apartments by Marriott-Bonvoy during spring break week, also in March,” said Nicholas. “By May 22nd, when Epic opens, we’ll have the next couple of buildings online, and by the end of this year, this entire campus will be 100% done. No more construction. Just all guests, fun, and family.”
Nicholas says the design of the resort takes into account Central Florida’s climate. The water park features plenty of places to cool off with a lazy river, waterslides, and pools. Nicholas said they also took into consideration the resort’s potential impact on nearby roads and the Tangelo Park neighborhood. As a result, he says the resort offers shuttles to all Central Florida theme parks throughout the day.
“Separating this resort campus from the front door of Epic University to the north boundary is a residential community. When we went through the process of design, we took feedback and we were very careful to make sure not to dump traffic into that residential neighborhood,” said Nicholas. “When you get to this campus, however you get here from the airport or by car, you pretty much just park and you’re done... we have shuttles going back and forth to all the parks all day, multiple times a day. So what we hope is that you get here and then the stress of having to drive around or be on I-4 has left you a little bit.”