Driftwood Capital has broken ground on the Element by Westin, a new 130-key extended-stay hotel in Melbourne, Fla., one of the beach towns along Florida’s “Space Coast.”
The first Marriott-branded hotel in Melbourne Beach is being built on the 2.56-acre site of a former parking lot, adjacent to The Crowne Plaza Melbourne, another property owned and operated by Driftwood Capital. In Brevard County, Driftwood also owns the Hilton Cocoa Beach and the International Palms Resort and Conference Center in Cocoa Beach, which will soon be replaced with a new $388 million Westin resort and convention center.
Driftwood first acquired the site in 2018 as part of its purchase of the adjacent eight-story, 270-room Crowne Plaza Melbourne-Oceanfront hotel from InterContinental Hotels Group.
When complete in 2024, the six-story, 105,000-square-foot, extended-stay hotel, which will be known as Element Melbourne Beach, will have 130 guestrooms that have in-room kitchens with full-size refrigerators, electric two-burner cooktops, microwaves, dishwashers and sinks; and spa-inspired bathrooms with rain showers and eco-friendly product dispensers.
Wellness-focused amenities at Element Melbourne Beach will include a saline swimming pool, a 24/7 Motion fitness center, vehicle charging stations, Element bicycles designed by Priority Bicycles and pool deck over looking the Atlantic. The property will also have 24/7 onsite laundry and approximately 175 parking spaces.
The project will target a Green Key certification for sustainable design, construction and operation.
The Element Melbourne will be the eighth Element hotel in Florida. Driftwood Development will manage the project. Bermello, Ajamil & Partners is the project’s architect of record and Certified General Contractors is the builder. Beyer Brown is the procurement agent; Ingenuity Engineers will design mechanical, electrical and plumbing; and Kimley Horn is the civil designer. Driftwood Hospitality Management will operate the property.