Image © OTO Development
Hotel owner OTO Development is planning to rebrand a former Best Western in Fort Walton Beach, Florida.
Upon completion of an extensive renovation project — currently underway — the property will reopen in May 2023 as Beal House Destin-Fort Walton Beachfront, part of the Tapestry Collection by Hilton.
Contemporary and historic style
OTO acquired the 1998-built hotel in February this year and its new identity will mix contemporary aesthetics with local history.
The firm’s CEO Todd Turner explained: “The name honours the legacy of Dr. James Hartley Beal, an early citizen of Fort Walton Beach whose vision continues to impact the community today.” Dr. Beal was an influential pharmacist, educator and author.”
Fresh amenities
The six-storey Beal House will comprise 100 guestrooms — 60 with oceanfront balconies — as well as a fitness centre, outdoor pool and direct beach access.
An onsite restaurant/bar will be called The Remedy, another nod to Dr. Beal, and will specialise in ‘coastal fresh with a dash of Cajun’.
Flowing design
OTO is partnering on the project with Pond, an engineering, architecture and design firm, for a fully reimagined design that flows from the building’s exterior through all shared spaces and guestrooms. Robins & Morton is the general contractor.
The design team is centering aesthetics around Dr. Beal’s extensive shell collection, a motif threaded throughout the property. The beach house ambiance will include authentic touches to invoke guests’ curiosity, encouraging them to explore both the history and current attractions of Fort Walton Beach.
Other OTO sites in the USA which are currently being converted into Hilton group-branded sites include Hilton Garden Inn Ocean City Beachfront in Maryland, renovating the former Dunes Manor into a 170-key site due to reopen in Q2 2023; and the 125-room DoubleTree by Hilton Beach Resort Tampa Bay – North Redington Beach, a 1987-constructed seven-storey hotel which faces the Gulf of Mexico.
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Tapestry Collection by Hilton is a gathering of original hotels chosen because of a commitment to being anything but generic.
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