January 23, 1989|By Vicki Vaughan of The Sentinel Staff
DAYTONA BEACH — Baby groups of tourists came to a abashed arrest on the Boardwalk. They angry their boring from the dejected Atlantic to a 17-story blush architecture that seems destined to become an burning battleground in a boondocks best accepted for bikers, chase cars and the ''world's best acclaimed beach.''
Getting all the absorption is the $47 actor Daytona Bank Marriott hotel, which opened Jan. 12. It is actuality hailed as the centerpiece of a renaissance for this blue-collar resort town.
With its marble lobby, pink-and-turquoise trim, gourmet restaurants and indoor-outdoor pool, the 402-room auberge seems a apple abroad from the bikers and T-shirt shops that accept been the beachfront's longtime signature.
The hotel, which lies anon beyond Atlantic Avenue from Ocean Center, was advised to be the address auberge for the assemblage center. Managers at the Marriott said they are depending on snaring affair groups that accept appointed Ocean Center.
So far, the auberge has active affairs for about 25,000 room-nights at a amount of about $2.4 million. That is about center to its ambition of bushing 38 percent to 40 percent of its apartment (or about 58,000 room-nights) with affair groups. A room-night is one allowance active for one night.
In accession to alluring assemblage groups that book amplitude at Ocean Center, the Marriott has 13,000 aboveboard anxiety of affair amplitude itself, abundant to board baby conventions or spillover contest from conventions captivated beyond the street. The aboriginal assemblage to accommodated in the hotel, the American Tobacco Co., accustomed aftermost anniversary and abounding 240 rooms.
The auberge will attending for the actual 60 percent of its business to appear from the leisure traveler, or tourist, according to Kit McClelland, carnality admiral of marketing.
''We're pleased,'' McClelland said. ''We're advanced of area we anticipation we would be at this time.'' The auberge is actuality managed by Auberge Management Group Inc., a 2-year-old hotel-management aggregation based in Orlando.
City leaders accept a difficult time absolute their pride.
''Just for bodies to say, 'I'm activity to Daytona Bank to breach in the Marriott,' that agency a lot,'' said Evelyn Fine, controlling administrator of the Mid-Florida Research and Business Centermost of Daytona Bank Inc. ''The name Marriott carries a cachet.''
And from Jerry Langston, burghal administrator of planning and redevelopment: ''It is a centerpiece. It's the key to our redevelopment efforts on the bank side.''
David McGrath, managing accepted accomplice and part-owner of the hotel, said the Marriott agents is optimistic about Daytona Beach's future. ''Nobody in this association has anytime approved to get the high-end assemblage business, but we anticipate it can be done.''
Owner of the auberge is Pawnee-Daytona Bank Auberge Venture, a Florida accepted affiliation that includes McGrath, who is a Daytona Bank absolute acreage executive; investors Bob and Rich Martin of Daytona Beach; and Sal Leccese of Orlando.
Pawnee-Daytona additionally has active a letter of compassionate with the burghal that calls for a additional auberge on Atlantic Avenue, aloof arctic of the Marriott. McGrath said the accepted affiliation best acceptable would body a Marriott apartment auberge there.
But there are some skeptics.
The Marriott's allowance rates, some say, are too big-ticket for those who accept been Daytona Beach's bread-and-butter - tourists attractive for a arrangement auberge on the beach.
A night in the auberge can amount from $115 to $155 for a distinct room, depending on the season. The amount for a bifold ranges from $135 to $175.
But McGrath said that there are abundant flush travelers who will appetite to breach at the hotel. He said that abounding bodies who are tempted to buy a time-share unit, for example, may instead adopt to absorb a anniversary at the Marriott.
McGrath said that the Marriott additionally hopes to become a focal point for bounded citizens.
''The auberge is not advised for guests only,'' McGrath said. The auberge appearance a affable capital with an alfresco staircase, and a avalanche that is capped with a carve of animated faces. ''We appetite bodies to stop and to appear central to dance, banquet and shop.''
The Marriott has 33,000 aboveboard anxiety of retail space, 68 percent of which has been leased, McGrath said.
McClelland acclaimed that, nine months ago, the auberge awash out all of its apartment for Chase Weeks, which activate Feb. 13 with the Daytona 500, and for Bike Week, which runs March 6-12.
But the auberge was not planning on accouterment to the party-hungry academy acceptance who assemblage to bounce break, nor the leather-clad bikers benumbed Harleys, McClelland said.
Instead, the Marriott targeted sponsors of those events.
On occasion, the Marriott will abetment its competitors, McClelland said. ''There will be times back we'll charge two or three added hotels to handle the overflow,'' she predicted. The hotels area she would accredit guests, however, will depend on what a assemblage or affair artist is attractive for.
Most of the time, affair planners appeal chain-affiliated hotels, so the Holiday Inn-Surfside and the Daytona Bank Hilton ability account the most.
