Excitement is in the salty Pensacola Beach air over its new 11-story hotel, decked out with a beachside restaurant and the Gulf Coast’s largest lazy river that opened this weekend.
The first guests roamed the lobby of the $75 million Fairfield Inn & Suites at 16 Via de Luna Drive Saturday morning. Whether they were in line to load up on their complimentary breakfast or grab an air-conditioned ocean view from one of the pastel patterned chairs — guests from near and far were eager to get a taste of the Emerald Coast waiting outside.
“This is a completely custom design. Definitely not your cookie-cutter Fairfield. Very nice finishes, I’ve never seen a Fairfield that looks like this,” Fairfield Inn General Manager Seth Fagan said.
The space is intended to make guests feel as though they are on holiday, with live bands that play on the pool deck and the best view on the beach for fireworks and the Blue Angels overhead.
When Hurricane Sally destroyed the hotel’s predecessor, a 129-room Best Western Beachside Resort, the hotel’s owners saw the opportunity to rebuild bigger — that is 80 rooms bigger — and better.
“It was bittersweet, kind of, because it left me kind of like, ‘What am I going to do next?’ But then once the plans came out for this and I was locked in as going back here, it was reassuring,” Fagan said. “Then the excitement set in. Interior design meetings and seeing how beautiful the place was really going to be — it was exciting for sure.”
Fagan, who also was manager of the former Best Western, remembers walking into the aftermath of the hotel after the hurricane searching for anything that could be salvaged. After hauling AC units out of the building and breaking the news to employees that the building was a loss, he began thinking about the hotel, and his future.
Now, as he sees the excitement on the faces of those eager to book a reservation, he knows he worried for naught.
“Man, the potential. We’re going to be competing at the top of this market for sure. From atmosphere, to entertainment, to food quality, to drink quality. We’re going to be top tier,” Fagan said.
“If you’re in the lobby bar — it’s a very classy, elegant experience with classic cocktails and very high-end finishes everywhere you go. But then you go and stop at the complimentary breakfast. So, you know, happy people getting a break every day and they’re sitting right there on the window ledge, and they can see over the pool deck. Then, go down to the pool and it’s awesome. The music’s going and everyone’s happy to turn the lazy river.”
After crossing paths with only construction workers for months, he was eager to hear the ding of the elevator carrying real-life guests to the second-floor lobby. As his team scrambled to get everything into place, the moment they had been working toward finally came to fruition.
“A lot of running around, minimal sleep — it’s been pretty crazy,” he said. “But I think we have a great team here. We all kind of work together to plan an amazing experience for our first guests.”
“It’s an open-air restaurant, it’s about 13-feet above sea level. So, you’re just overlooking the sand dune straight onto the beach,” Fagan said. “Can’t really beat the views there. I would argue with anyone over who has the better views than Fish Heads. I would say Fish Heads is the premiere spot to be.”
Here’s what you will find in the new hotel
The Gulf Coast’s largest lazy river: At 315 feet long and holding 60,000 gallons of water, the lazy river meanders past three waterfalls, a skyline of palm trees, a hot tub, and a zero-entry pool, giving rafters a long, memorable ride. Other water features include an adult pool, two hot tubs, and direct access to the crystal-white sands and pristine waters of Pensacola Beach.
Fun and delicious food and beverage outlets: Fish Heads, the popular pool bar and grill with unbeatable views of the Gulf of Mexico from an open-air deck, has reopened on-site, offering its famous fish tacos, flat-grilled cheeseburgers, ice-cold tropical cocktails, and more. The property also boasts a beautiful elevated lobby bar that overlooks the Gulf. And, of course, the famous Fairfield full, hot breakfast is always complimentary for guests.
State-of-the-art fitness center: A spacious 800-square-foot modern facility with floor-to-ceiling windows that provide breathtaking views of the Santa Rosa Sound with workout equipment from top performance brands.
Modern upgrades for comfort and convenience: High-speed wifi is available throughout the property, and central AC provides quiet, efficient, and healthy air circulation in guest rooms and public areas. Gulf-facing rooms feature oversize furnished balconies. A comprehensive recycling and sustainability program is on par with Innisfree’s and RREAF’s rigorous environmental standards.
During peaks summer season, room starts out about $300 to $400, while in of the off-season they drop down to land in the $200 to $300 starting price point.
Reservations can be made by visiting fairfieldpensacolabeach.com or calling 850-932-1889.
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