OTO Development plans to rebrand the former Best Western in Fort Walton Beach, Fla. Upon completion of an extensive renovation project, currently underway, the property will reopen in May 2023 as Beal House Destin-Fort Walton Beachfront, part of the Tapestry Collection by Hilton.
The hotel, originally built in 1998, was acquired in February 2022 by OTO Development, which is part of The Johnson Group. The Beal House’s new identity mixes contemporary aesthetics with a dose of history.
“The name honors the legacy of Dr. James Hartley Beal, a fascinating man of many accomplishments,” OTO Development CEO Todd Turner said in a statement. “Dr. Beal was an early citizen of Fort Walton Beach whose vision continues to impact the community today.”
The six-story Beal House will have 100 guestrooms, 60 of them with oceanfront balconies, and a fitness center, an outdoor pool and direct beach access. An onsite restaurant/bar will be called The Remedy, another nod to Beal, and will specialize in “coastal fresh with a dash of Cajun.”
OTO is partnering on the Beal House project with Pond, an engineering, architecture and design firm, for a fully reimagined design that flows from the building’s exterior through all shared spaces and guestrooms. Robins & Morton is the general contractor. The design team is centering aesthetics around Beal’s extensive shell collection, a motif threaded throughout the property.