Tryp by Wyndham set to open its first hotel in Orlando

Even as the COVID-19 epidemic batters the hotel industry with historically low occupancy rates in Central Florida, a new hotel is being added to the I-Drive corridor. Tryp by Wyndham Orlando is set to make its public debut on Nov. 14.

The new hotel at 11539 International Drive in Orlando will feature 98 rooms, including 22 family suites and specialty accommodations such as fitness rooms, which have in-room exercise bikes.

Sharing its property with a LaQuinta Inn, Tryp represents the higher end of economy lodgings, with an average daily room rate of $160.

Hallway carpets in a repeating pattern of Orlando streets at the first Tryp by Wyndham in Orlando is under construction at 11539 International Drive, on Thursday, October 22, 2020.
The 98-room hotel is scheduled to open on November 14, 2020. — Hallway carpets in a repeating pattern of Orlando streets at the first Tryp by Wyndham in Orlando is under construction at 11539 International Drive, on Thursday, October 22, 2020. The 98-room hotel is scheduled to open on November 14, 2020. (Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/Orlando Sentinel)

This will be the fourth hotel in the Tryp brand in Florida and the ninth in the U.S. The brand has more than 100 properties internationally. Wyndham acquired Tryp from the Spanish chain Mélia in 2010. The hotel was developed by Riviera Point Invest + Develop, which acquired the property in 2016, and will be managed by Coakley & Williams Hotel Management. Winter Park Construction was the general contractor.

“Powered by the city” is the slogan for the brand, focusing on making each Tryp hotel a reflection of the city its in.“Each Tryp is different,” said Diana Saumell, general manager for both the LaQuinta and the Tryp.

Saumell said guests will see Orlando themes on patterns and in art around the hotel. The hallway carpeting features a map of the I-4 corridor, and signs and artwork around the hotel feature palm trees as well as nearby attractions.

“I call them Easter eggs scattered all throughout the hotel,” she said.

Bunk beds in one of the guest rooms of the first Tryp by Wyndham in Orlando is under construction at 11539 International Drive, on Thursday, October 22, 2020.
The 98-room hotel is scheduled to open on November 14, 2020. — Bunk beds in one of the guest rooms of the first Tryp by Wyndham in Orlando is under construction at 11539 International Drive, on Thursday, October 22, 2020. The 98-room hotel is scheduled to open on November 14, 2020. (Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/Orlando Sentinel)

Tryp also has a pool with a bar, a lounge with a library, a tapas restaurant and a gastropub that serves microbrews from local breweries.

The hotel is debuting in hard times. Orlando is one of the markets with the lowest occupancy levels in the country during the coronavirus pandemic, with an average of 33.7% capacity as of Oct. 15, according to data site STR.com.

A 25-year veteran of the hotel industry, Saumell said she sees signs of improvement that give her hope for the new property’s early days.

Gastro 538 bar in the first Tryp by Wyndham in Orlando is under construction at 11539 International Drive, on Thursday, October 22, 2020.
The 98-room hotel is scheduled to open on November 14, 2020. — Gastro 538 bar in the first Tryp by Wyndham in Orlando is under construction at 11539 International Drive, on Thursday, October 22, 2020. The 98-room hotel is scheduled to open on November 14, 2020. (Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/Orlando Sentinel)

“People are traveling,” she said. “The drive market [guests driving instead of flying to destinations] is there.”

The Tryp by Wyndham Orlando will have a ribbon-cutting ceremony 11 a.m. Nov. 5, with a scheduled appearance by Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings.

Want to reach out? Email tfraser@orlandosentinel.com.