The furniture will start arriving next week. There’s still much to be done before the Hyatt Place opens in Marathon in mid-December, but already there’s wallpaper and carpeting in the rooms and hallways of the 125-room resort.
“It’s coming along at a good pace,” said Hyatt general manager Steve Robbins.
Workers are still assembling the reception desk, kitchen, bar and coffee bar areas, but the plan for how it will operate is already complete.
“In our lobby area we have hosts. The same person can check a guest in, pour the Starbucks coffee, serve a cocktail or even go into the kitchen,” Robbins said. While the main building doesn’t have a restaurant, guests can order food around the clock from a basic menu or indulge in the free “a.m. Kitchen Skillet,” the resorts’ breakfast buffet every morning.
The real star of the show, however, is the Hyatt’s waterfront, surpassing even the treasured memories of the former Faro Blanco resort. The lighthouse will be converted into a dockmaster’s office and topped with a functioning navigational light. There will be 70-plus slips with water and electric service in two basins that can accommodate yachts up to 120 feet. The Lighthouse Grill will feature private and public indoor dining rooms, plus a wide veranda with more seating and a panoramic view of the gulf, palm trees, yachts and swimming pool.
“I think that jetty is going to be very popular with our wedding parties,” Robbins said, pointing to a scenic spot across the marina basin.
Other resort amenities for marina guests include facilities such as showers, lockers, laundry and a fitness room it shares with the hotel. The resort has two pools and a conference room with audio/visual equipment. The entire property will have access to Wi-Fi.
One of the last pieces of the puzzle will be the property’s event lawn. It’s 6,500-square feet and guests will have the option of a tent almost that big.
Robbins said that many Marathon residents have told him they are excited for the resort to open.
“It’s two things. We are breathing life back into the old Faro Blanco property that was so central to Marathon’s early history, and we’re also bringing a brand hotel to Marathon which will increase tourism,” he said. “We’re pretty excited too.”
The Marriott
The Courtyard by Marriott shares a property line with the Hyatt Place. It has 95 rooms, each angled so it has a view of the same gulf waters.
“We’re about 50 percent complete,” said Roger Masters who is one of the principals along with Prime Hospitality Group. “The ground infrastructure is in and the rooms are almost completely closed in.”
The completed resort will have a pool, 20 slips and possibly a brand-name restaurant.
“It most likely will be a recognized name with a unique twist to the menu to reflect the Florida Keys,” Master said.
Masters said he expects the resort to be completed in the first quarter of 2015.
Both resorts will be holding job fairs in the near future.
Editor Sara Matthis thinks community journalism is important, but not serious; likes small and weird children (she has two); prefers target practice with a zombie rat poster; and looks best with saltwater dreads. Occasionally she tortures herself with sprint-distance triathlons, but only if she has a good chance of beating her sister.
