Margaritaville, Cosi Hotels See Ground Breaks

INTERNATIONAL REPORT—Well-known and emerging brands are seeing a ramp up in various global locations. Here’s a pair to know about.

Margaritaville Resorts’ $250M Bahamas Project Underway

Margaritaville Holdings is underway with a $250 million destination resort in Nassau, The Bahamas. Margaritaville at The Pointe, a six-acre development that plans a phased opening in mid-2019, will feature a 150-room Margaritaville Beach Resort, 150 luxury oceanfront residences—100 of which will be branded One Particular Harbour at The Pointe—a marina, water park, spa, entertainment center, signature Margaritaville food and beverage concepts, retail shops, a kid’s club and other aspects.

“The Bahamas—one of the most beautiful places in the world—is an absolutely perfect location for a Margaritaville lifestyle destination,” said John Cohlan, CEO of Margaritaville. “Nassau is an ideal destination for our lifestyle brand as we continue to expand our global hospitality footprint.”

The resort also will include an open-air shopping concourse, a movie theater, bowling alley, outdoor performance stage for live entertainment, cascading water pool, and a private beach with cabanas.

A 45-slip marina will offer berths for up to 150-ft. yachts, and include dockside WiFi. A public-access boardwalk will be lined with tiki-hut-style shops offering local crafts, a pier restaurant and yacht club facility.

The pier also will serve as a launch pad for pirate ship excursions and a water taxi to transport visitors around the various points of interest in and around Nassau.

Margaritaville currently has 11 destination resorts/hotels the United States and Caribbean and 23 additional locations under construction or in active development, according to the company. It also has four gaming locations and more than 60 food and beverage locations open.

Centara Marks Cosi Groundbreaking in Thailand

In Thailand, Centara Hotels & Resorts broke ground in North Pattaya for a second Cosi Hotel slated to open in 2019. The lifestyle brand’s first hotel—COSI Samui Chaweng Beach—opened in December.

The brand features smartphone integration, self-service check-in and a 24-hour lifestyle café concept.

Cosi Pattaya Naklua Beach will offer 282 high-tech rooms, all with smart TVs, free WiFi and USB ports (and throughout the hotel). Other amenities include a swimming pool, laundry and “Hub,” a social space with café.

According to Centara, within the next five years it plans to add approximately 40 more Cosi hotels to its portfolio, all situated in resort and city locations throughout Thailand and Asia.