Space Coast hotel to feature rocket launch viewing lounge
Hyatt Place guests will be in prime location to watch the action
Listen up rocket-launch enthusiasts, this new Space Coast hotel is for you.
A Hyatt Place hotel breaking ground next month near the causeway that leads to Kennedy Space Center will boast a standout feature: A launch-viewing lounge.
The 118-room hotel, expected to open in fall 2019, will be the closest lodging to the Kennedy Space Center and the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, about a 10-minute drive away, placing hotel guests in a prime location to catch views of launches.
And there will be lots to see: The frequency of launches — already more than a dozen this year — is only expected to increase. About 48 launches could take off from the Space Coast in 2021, according to the Air Force.
“It’s going to be a tremendous attraction to the visitors at KSC and the business people that are coming to this marketplace,” said Michael Gaich, whose firm, the Michael Gaich Company, sold the 6.5 acres the hotel will sit on.
The Space Coast has seen massive growth in the past several years with the introduction of new companies to the area, including Elon Musk’s SpaceX, Jeff Bezo’s Blue Origin and satellite manufacturers such as OneWeb.
Gaich said he expects business travelers will take advantage of the slightly higherend hotel offering — and the first Hyatt in Brevard County — in a place where the most luxurious lodgings are a Hampton Inn, a Holiday Inn and a Fairfield Marriott.
But the major draw will likely be the launch-viewing lounge on the hotel’s fifth floor, which will have a view of the Indian River, Merritt Island and the launch pads beyond.
The lounge will have space for about 20 people, with large windows that can be opened for launches so guests can “hear it, see it and feel it,” said Carrie Hillenbrandt, senior vice president of BBL Hospitality, which is building the hotel.
The lounge also will be available for private parties, Hillenbrandt said.
“We think we offer something unique in our site,” she said. “It gives guests, whether you’re traveling for leisure or on business, a different, closer experience.”
The hotel will be in Titusville’s planned industrial park, Riverfront Center, next to Boeing’s Florida headquarters and near the American Police Hall of Fame and Museum.
The hotel will also feature a pool, bar and lounge, restaurant, a gym and meeting space. It is expected to create about 50 part- and full-time jobs, Hillenbrandt said.