| Winter Park, Florida-August 26, 2013 — The Alfond Inn, a new boutique hotel in Winter Park, Florida with a philanthropic mission, is now welcoming guests. A Preferred Boutique Hotel, The Alfond Inn is a dramatic addition to the city of Winter Park and was designed to serve both visitors and residents.
Owned by Rollins College, a private coeducational liberal arts college in Winter Park, The Alfond Inn was built with a $12.5-million grant from the Harold Alfond Foundation. Net operating income from the Inn will endow The Alfond Scholars program, which offers full scholarships and provides additional financial aid to deserving students. Income will be directed to the fund over the next 25 years or until the endowment principal reaches $50 million, whichever comes later.
“We’re proud to begin welcoming guests to a special Floridian experience that uniquely combines hospitality and philanthropy,” says Deanne Gabel, General Manager of The Alfond Inn. “We’re just as delighted to unveil a hotel that is smart and design-forward on the inside, while embracing the elegant sensibility of the Winter Park neighborhood that surrounds us.”
Baker Barrios Architects of Orlando were responsible for the Inn’s architecture, interior design and landscape architecture. Built in the Spanish Mediterranean revival style, The Alfond Inn echoes the classic look of Rollins College and of Winter Park homes designed by noted 20th century architect James Gamble Rogers II. The use of arches, columns, decorative wrought iron, overhanging trellises covered with flowering vegetation and formal courtyards are the essence of the elegant Winter Park design vernacular.
The interior, with 112-guest rooms range from comfortable Classic Kings to a majestic Luxury Suite, features striking contemporary design. Headboards and armoires have an Arts & Crafts feel, while other furnishings recall modernist classics. All guest rooms come equipped with complimentary High Speed Wireless Internet Access, iPod docking stations and flat screen televisions, as well as oversized workstations. Guests of The Alfond Inn will have access to the hotel’s fitness center and elevated pool. The Alfond Inn is also pet friendly, welcoming dogs in designated pet-friendly rooms and suites.
The Inn offers an oasis of outdoor gathering spaces, from a lushly planted courtyard with intimate nooks and private seating. The grand interior public spaces are both dramatic and welcoming, from the glass domed Conservatory at the heart of the hotel to the Lobby with its fanciful yet comfortable furnishings. The Library, with its wall of books and fireplace, is ideal for casual meet ups, as is the spacious Bar, which serves small bites and is destined to become a new gathering spot in Winter Park.
Hamilton’s Kitchen, the Inn’s restaurant, is overseen by Chef J. Christopher Windus, a Winter Park native and fresh from his tenure as executive chef of Todd English’s bluezoo at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotel. Chef Windus has created a Floridian-inspired menu that’s being served at breakfast, lunch, dinner and weekend brunch. The restaurant boasts exposed beams, a farmer’s table, and Dutch oak floors, with a private dining room offering a quiet retreat for 12 to 36 guests. There is also alfresco dining in the courtyard.
Throughout the hotel are artworks from The Alfond Collection of Contemporary Art for Rollins College, established by longtime donors and alumni Barbara and Ted Alfond (both ’68). The Alfond Inn has created a beautiful and welcoming backdrop for weddings and social affairs, with a 5,000 square foot Ballroom and 10,000 square feet of dedicated divisible meeting space, including a 1,000 square foot Board Room.
Introductory “Welcome Rates” at The Alfond Inn start at $99 per night, based on double occupancy, and are good through September 30, 2013. Rates from October 1, 2013 begin at $159 per night.
About The Alfond Inn
The Alfond Inn, a Preferred Boutique Hotel, is located in Winter Park, Florida. Owned by RollinsCollege, a private coeducational liberal arts college in Winter Park, The Alfond Inn was built with a $12.5-million grant from the Harold Alfond Foundation. Net operating income from the Inn will be directed to The Alfond Scholars program fund, the College’s premier scholarship fund, for the next 25 years or until the endowment principal reaches $50 million, whichever comes later. The 112-room boutique hotel features Hamilton’s Kitchen restaurant, a pool and fitness center, and 10,000 square feet of flexible meeting space. The Alfond Inn is poised to become the new hub of dynamic Winter Park, which The New York Times recently called “a sophisticated alternative to Disney.” The Alfond Inn is 15 minutes from downtown Orlando and 30 minutes from Walt Disney World and OrlandoInternationalAirport. The Alfond Inn, 300 East New England Avenue, Winter Park, FL32789. 407-998-8090
www.thealfondinn.com
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