Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort in Orlando is undergoing a $125 million renovation—the largest in resort history—which will transform the guest rooms in the 758-room Swan Hotel and the 1,509-room Dolphin Hotel.
“Each room will be completely reimagined and include all-new furniture, the latest technology, and a serene and sophisticated atmosphere inspired by our water-themed architecture,” says Gino Marasco, director of sales and marketing for the resort.
The renovation is designed by interior design and architecture firm Garcia Stromberg/GS4 Studios, the same firm that designed the Conrad Hotel Ft. Lauderdale, the Waldorf Astoria’s Boca Beach Club and One Thousand Ocean condominium in Boca Raton, Fla. The new interiors feature a combination of whites, blues and grays mixed with playful abstract artwork. Each room will feature a completely new bathroom with a a back-lit mirror mounted on iridescent glass tiles. Additional power outlets will allow meeting attendees to use multiple personal electronics.
“This renovation represents the next chapter of design for the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin, and continues to offer our guests the very best in room product as well,” says Marasco.
Meeting planers will appreciate the resort’s wide variety of teambuilding and experiential activities. In the past, Marasco says the resort’s recreation team hosted pirate ship-building contests in the pools, hosted CSR projects with locally based charities and offered professional development courses from the Disney Institute.
“Among our newest offerings for groups are interactive food and beverage seminars hosted by our award-winning F&B team,” says Marasco. “From wine blending to mixology to pasta making, we’ve found these have been great ways for groups to network and bond while learning something new.”
The new renovation will help attract groups to the property, which already stands out because of its location in the middle of Walt Disney World Resort. Marasco says that there are also plans to refresh the public and meeting spaces, and project details will be revealed later this year.
Currently, the resort features more than 329,000 sf of meeting space, including 128,190 sf of landscaped outdoor function space. Meeting planners that plan an event at the resort will be able to work with the Disney Event Group Team, which can help bring Disney themes to life using themed decor, floral arrangements, theatrical sets, staging, lighting and sound.
All the rooms in the Swan Hotel are scheduled to be completed in 2015 and in the Dolphin Hotel in 2017.
