Loews Hotels & Co, co-owner and operator of the hotel portfolio at Universal Orlando Resort, debuted the Universal Helios Grand Hotel, a Loews Hotel, on April 16. The 500-room property is located in Celestial Park, one of five themed areas within Universal Epic Universe, which opened May 22. With Universal Stella Nova Resort and Universal Terra Luna Resort opened in January and March, respectively, Loews has introduced three Universal Orlando hotels this year, bringing the total to 11 properties offering 11,000 guestrooms. “Opening three brand-new developments within 100 days of each other is something that Loews Hotels & Co has not ever done before, which makes it unprecedented, even outside of Orlando,” Alex Tisch, president & CEO, Loews Hotels & Co, told LODGING. “It was helpful, however, that all of these hotels were in close proximity to each other and the development surrounding Universal Epic Universe.”
We knew the hotel would be a beacon within the theme park, and with the hotel being the namesake of Helios, Greek god of the sun, it was clear that we had to embrace the Mediterranean aesthetic in a
palatial way.
Alex Tisch, president & CEO, Loews Hotels & Co
Tisch also provided background on Loews’ longstanding relationship with Universal Orlando and the motivation for his company’s most recent investment in the portfolio. “Loews Hotels & Co has had a successful partnership with Universal for nearly three decades. What we have learned over time is that our original eight hotels’ seamless integration with the three original Universal Orlando parks has proven a distinct competitive advantage relative to peers in Orlando,” he explained. “As we began to understand the scope of the Universal Epic Universe project, we believed it would be in everyone’s best interest to invest in the future of Universal Orlando Resort alongside our partners, as we believe the Epic Universe project is a game changer.”
Mediterranean Motifs
Loews and Universal collaborated on the Mediterranean-inspired design of the Universal Helios Grand Hotel, resulting in “a shared design vision that sought to incorporate the fantastical neoclassical architecture of Epic Universe, the awe and wonder of the cosmos, and the sense of luxury and serenity that Loews Hotel guests have come to expect,” explained Jessica Iaconis, assistant director of design – Universal Creative. “We knew the hotel would be a beacon within the theme park, and with the hotel being the namesake of Helios, Greek god of the sun, it was clear that we had to embrace the Mediterranean aesthetic in a
palatial way.”
Elements that represent the Mediterranean and celestial themes include a statue of Apollo near the Court of the Sun terrace and lobby arches that depict a rising sun transforming into a setting moon. “We’ve taken some of the obvious design elements, such as the cut stone walls encircling the lobby, the blue and white tiles … and coupled those with the unexpected touches like the exquisite gold finishes and celestial patterns throughout to elevate the design into something otherworldly,” Iaconis described.
The Greek pantheon inspired the choice of artwork, which was also a collaboration between Loews and Universal Orlando. The teams partnered with “a local art firm to select various artists, both local and from around the world, to develop an art package that was one-of-a-kind,” said Iaconis. “The goal was to take inspiration from the Greek gods and goddesses and represent them in a way that was abstract yet told a compelling story. Adventure, wonder, and journey are at the center of each piece of art and are expressed as we explore the moon and stars, dusk and dawn, flora and fauna, heavens and earth, and at the pinnacle, the sun.”
The Mediterranean influence also extends to the hotel’s dining experiences. Flora Taverna, a full-service restaurant, incorporates bougainvillea features on the ceiling and olive trees to evoke the light, airy feel of Mediterranean spaces, while the Lotus Lagoon, a poolside bar and grill, is named after the lotus flower in Greek mythology. Other F&B highlights include Bar Helios, a rooftop lounge offering creative tapas and handcrafted specialty cocktails, and the grab-and-go Aurora Market.
Surging Group Business
Featuring 10th-floor meeting space with floor-to-ceiling windows and a total of 4,648 square feet of function space, Universal Helios Grand Hotel is prepared to host small to mid-sized groups, capitalizing on a line of business that is growing for Loews’ Universal Orlando portfolio. “Group business at Universal Orlando Resort continues to perform strongly. Demand and interest for our hotels remains on the rise,” noted Kathy Cattoor, vice president, hotel group sales, Universal Orlando Resort. “The groups we’ve hosted this year have seen excellent attendance and achieved great success with their meetings and events. What’s more, the new Universal Stella Nova Resort and Universal Terra Luna Resort, in particular, are in close proximity to the Orange County Convention Center and International Drive, which expands our offerings for rooms-only programs.”
