The Alfond Inn at Rollins College is nearing the completion of a new wing that will expand its amenities and services with 71 guest rooms, a wellness spa, a second swimming pool and a café. And the grand opening will coincide with the award-winning hotel’s 10 year celebration.
Work crews are currently finishing the spa and pool deck, and guest rooms are receiving the last pieces of interior decor. The only components still under construction are a connecting hallway from the main hotel lobby, and the café.
“The area that used to be our administration office is now being cleared for the hallway that will access the café and the new spa,” Alfond Inn General Manager Jesse Martinez told the32789 during a May 10 tour. The hotel check-in desk, formerly located to the left of the main entrance, has been moved to the right side of the lobby to allow for the hallway.
Once complete, the connector hall will lead to the wellness spa check-in area on the ground floor of the new wing. “After you check in, you will be accompanied to the second floor by staff who will assist you in your spa experience,” said Martinez.
Seven treatment rooms include men’s and women’s accommodations, and couples rooms. Equipment and furniture installations are under way, and the spa is slated for completion in late June.
The spa will also offer a 2,000-square-foot fitness center, complete with locker rooms, showers, a steam room and sauna. According to Martinez, local residents may also be able to take advantage of the fitness center through a possible membership component that is currently under consideration.
The spa has access to a new pool deck with three private cabanas, each with television, stereo, fans and lighting. Additional poolside lounge areas are equipped with fans and automated louver shades.
A laundry and staff break room are among the new back of house facilities. A prep area, behind the spa, will service the pool deck with light snacks and drinks.
The new wing also expands hotel convention facilities with three event spaces. The 1,700-square-foot Interlachen Room can be split into two separate rooms via an automated divider. The Interlachen Room can also host indoor-outdoor functions with a connecting courtyard that can serve as its own event space. And the 700-square-foot Executive Board Room will accommodate large meetings with a board room-style table.
The 71 new guest rooms increase the capacity of the hotel to 183 rooms; the additions are nearly complete and will be ready for occupancy by early June. Each of the wing’s four guest floors has a Grand Suite that can connect to a neighboring king bed guest room to create a two-bedroom suite. The wing also offers a Deluxe Suite on each floor, and double queen bed guest rooms.
“We wanted each room to feel like Florida,” said Martinez of the bright color pallet and use of natural light. Some decorative elements are a nod to Rollins College – from the school colors to art prints of campus buildings. And the school motto is printed on every full-length mirror. “We included accents without making it feel like you’re in a college building.”
According to Martinez, the exterior of the main building is getting a fresh coat of paint, and renovations to its guest rooms are in progress with new carpet, bathroom vanities and other furnishings being installed.
The expansion will be welcomed with a grand opening event that could double as a 10 year anniversary celebration. “Our anniversary is August 18th,” said Martinez. “But we obviously want to combine it all and have a really big celebration.”
Owned by Rollins College, The Alfond Inn contributes all of its net operating income to The Alfond Scholars Program, which has granted millions of dollars in student scholarships since 2013.
