New look, new ambience, same hospitality

If you drive south on State Road 7, just below Sunrise Blvd. and look to your right, there is a property that might catch your eye. Bold colors and an imposing presence, beckon you to look and you might even think it is new… but it’s not. It’s the result of a massive makeover – both structurally and aesthetically – to the Plantation Inn Hotel.

The hotel, which opened in the 1970s as a Holiday Inn and became the property of a famous tennis player Bobby Riggs (and renamed the Bobby Riggs Plantation Inn) sits at 375 N. State Road 7, Plantation and is today the newly renovated Plantation Inn hotel.

Acquired by Davis Pulikken in 1998, the property was in desperate need of repairs and a facelift. “It was a run down property,” Pulikken told the National Weekly, adding that once the property was acquired, improvements began and continued each year.

But in 2008, after some years of planning and obtaining the relevant permits, they began major renovations – repainting the exterior, refurbishing some 70 bedrooms – adding new artwork, flat screen televisions and other amenities and refinishing the parking lots.

The renovations, which took approximately two years and $1.5 million so far, are a great investment even in these turbulent economic times.

According to General Manager, Bennet Davis the renovations are part of the general rejuvenation of the 441 Corridor. He said since the overhaul, there has been a marked change in clientele and return business has increased tremendously. In fact, the hotel boasts a 70-75 percent year-round occupancy and 100 percent on Valentine’s Day this year.

The inspiration behind the renovations

General Manager Davis said the inspiration behind the renovations was to fill the void in the current market. He said while the area had a large number of Caribbean people, it is difficult to find hotels that cater to the Caribbean market. “We get people who pick up their families from the airport and here is where they bring them.”

Davis said the décor takes on a Caribbean boutique style, which is evident in the bedrooms and the newly renovated poolside.

With competitive prices, the hotel provides a sort of retreat, where guests can shut out the bustle of the city, while being close to many attractions and facilities the city has to offer.

“The vision we have for the property is to keep it [improvements] going,” said Davis, adding that he wants the property to be set apart from the others in the area, and provide an “in-town vacation destination”.

Nightlife – Poolside & Lounge

In addition to hotel facilities, the Plantation Inn offers a fun-filled and relaxing atmosphere at nights.

With its newly redecorated poolside and lounge (which with be completely renovated by yearend), Plantation Inn hotel offers facilities for birthday parties, company parties and other such events. In addition, daily happy hour begins each day from 4 – 8 pm.

The poolside and lounge area, which can comfortably accommodate 250-300 patrons, is where the night comes alive with events like Easy Negril Thursdays – which has been running successfully for 6 years. Partnerships with Carib, Guinness, Red Stripe and Appleton keep things interesting with several promotional events.

Now that the Plantation Inn hotel has made vast improvements and business is increasing, it is just up to people to take advantage of the wonderful amenities the hotel has to offer.