Ft. Lauderdale Pompano Beach Residence Inn by Marriott First in Florida to Open 'On the Sand'

POMPANO BEACH, Fla., Feb. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- The first Residence Inn by Marriott in the state of Florida to be situated "on the sand," just steps from the Atlantic Ocean, opened here today.  The Residence Inn Fort Lauderdale Pompano Beach hotel was converted from the recently built Ocean Sands Resort & Spa and has completed a multi-million dollar renovation that further upgraded all suites and public space.  The property is owned by a joint venture that includes Aztec Group, Inc., Mercury Investment and Concord Hospitality Enterprises Company.  Concord oversaw the renovation and will continue to manage the property.  

The hotel is located at 1350 North Ocean Boulevard and is approximately 20 minutes from Ft. Lauderdale Airport and five minutes from nearby Pompano Beach Airpark, which caters to private airplanes.

The property, which is within 100 steps of the water's edge, offers a combination of luxury over-sized studios and one- and two-bedroom suites ranging in size from 560 to 981 square feet, all featuring spectacular views of the Atlantic Ocean.  The resort also boasts a luxury, 20,000 square-foot spa, Ocean Sands Spa, salon, spacious, fully-equipped fitness center with more than 20 pieces of sophisticated work-out equipment, and two swimming pools.  Other on-site amenities include a business center, sundries shop, valet parking and wired and wireless Internet throughout the property.

The lobby, which is wrapping up its renovation, features unobstructed, wall-to-wall views of the ocean.  Oceano (Portuguese for Ocean), a new, full-service bistro and lounge, will open later this month and will offer a wide-ranging menu that includes a number of Brazilian signature items.  The bistro and connecting lounge offer pool-side service.  

Suites were upgraded to include 37-inch flat-panel TVs, full kitchens, full-size washers and dryers--a necessary luxury to tend to wet swimwear--and upgraded bathroom fixtures and furniture.

Special Packages from Beach Weddings to Area Resident Get-aways

"As the city's only full-service resort and spa directly on the ocean, our goal is to make the property a resort travel destination with all the amenities that a leisure, business or area resident guest would want to enjoy," said Heather Hanley, general manager.  "Guests can relax and take full advantage of our spa and fitness center, the beach and all the associated water activities or venture out to the more than 10 golf courses and tennis courts within a 10-mile radius.  World-class shopping is minutes away in adjacent Ft. Lauderdale and Boca Raton."

The resort hotel will offer a variety of packages targeted to business, leisure and area resident guests:

• Beach Weddings -- "With our beach location, we are the ideal site for an unforgettable wedding," Hanley said.  "We can accommodate weddings and other family and social gatherings of 100 guests or more."
• Girlfriend Get-aways -- Designed for groups of women looking to get away, visit the spa, relax at the oceanside lounge, or sit by the pool or on the beach, the hotel will feature constantly changing packages to appeal to area residents.  
• Friends and Family Visits -- The resort is surrounded by a number of condominium complexes.  "When friends and family come to visit, there often isn't enough comfortable space in a condo to accommodate them," Hanley said.  "Research indicates that friends and families prefer their own space to sleeping on a couch.  With our central location, we're within walking distance of thousands of units."
• Fitness/Wellness -- The resort offers a variety of indoor and oceanside meeting space.  The spa and fitness facility features a Pilates room and a layout suitable for classes, recertification events, or groups who want to get away and work on their fitness and wellness.  
• Nearby Hospitals -- Broward Medical Center and Holy Cross Hospital are within minutes of the hotel, which makes the Residence Inn a perfect rejuvenating headquarters for elective surgery recovery, as well as for people visiting family members who are having procedures at the nearby medical facilities.  
• The Ocean Sands Spa Treatments -- The 20,000 square-foot spa offers a full range of treatments including body exfoliations, water rituals, massage therapy, eastern therapies, body wraps, facial rejuvenation, advanced skin therapy, exfoliating facial treatments, skin enhancements, hand care, foot care, day spa packages, hair care, waxing services and health and fitness activities.

About Aztec Group

Founded in 1981, Aztec Group, Inc. has long been recognized as the premier real estate capital markets intermediary and merchant banking firm in the Southeast, handling more than $8 billion in transactions during the past decade. During the past 15 years, the company's key principals have invested in a diverse portfolio of more than 50 ventures, including direct equity and financial products investments in hotels, retail shopping centers, office buildings, residential development, industrial/self storage, multi-family apartment complexes and land.  For more information on Aztec Group Inc. and its key principals see http://www.aztecgroup.com/.

About Mercury Investment

Mercury Investment was founded in 1995 and is based in Duluth, Minn.  Mercury is a national real estate investment group with interests in hotels, multi-family real estate, office/industrial and real estate development.  Its focused approach has allowed Mercury to effectively invest in and add value to acquisitions, ultimately providing maximum returns for its investors and affiliates. For more information on Mercury Investment, see www.MercuryInv.com.

About Concord Hospitality

Concord Hospitality Enterprises Company, an award-winning hotel management and development company based in Raleigh-Durham, N.C., manages over 70 hotels with more than 8,000 guest rooms in 15 states and two Canadian providences.  The company operates under such well-known industry elite brands as Marriott, Hilton, and Choice Hotels, is an approved franchisee for Hyatt and Starwood, and also operates two independent boutique hotel.  Formed in 1985, Concord was recently listed as one of the top management companies in the nation by independent sources, and recently won Marriott's elite Partnership Circle award for the sixth time.  Concord properties are some of the most awarded hotels in the country, having won nearly 30 honors in the past two years alone, including Marriott's Hotel of the Year and Developer of the Year awards.  For more information, visit   http://www.concordhotels.com/.

SOURCE Concord Hospitality Enterprises Company