Benchmark Hospitality International Welcomes The Villas of
Grand Cypress Resort, Orlando, To Its Portfolio
The Woodlands (Houston), Texas, November 5, 2009 … Benchmark
Hospitality International has announced the addition of The Villas
of Grand Cypress Resort, Orlando, Florida, to its portfolio of
distinctive resorts, conference centers and hotels. The announcement
was made jointly by Greg Champion, chief operating officer of
Benchmark Hospitality, and Michael Iwuc, senior vice president
of Grand Cypress Florida, LP.
“We are delighted to welcome The Villas of Grand Cypress
to the Benchmark Hospitality family,” said Mr. Champion. “This
widely-acclaimed resort is renowned for its exceptional accommodations,
recreational amenities and service, and is a welcome addition
to Benchmark’s growing portfolio of award-winning golf
resorts.”
Mike Iwuc, senior vice president of Grand
Cypress Florida, LP, expressed equal delight with the transition. “Grand
Cypress has built an excellent reputation for providing world-class
service, accommodations and golf to our guests,” said Iwuc. "With
their expertise in the meetings, travel, and golf industries,
Benchmark Hospitality International complements all of our successes
and is the perfect choice to take The Villas of Grand Cypress
to the next level.”
 The
Villas of Grand Cypress is a Four-Diamond property located in
the Lake Buena Vista area of Orlando, adjacent to Walt Disney
World and just minutes from Universal Studios and Sea World. A
member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts, a global brand with
185 of the finest independently owned luxury hotels and resorts,
the property is part of a 1,500-acre resort complex that includes
The Villas of Grand Cypress, which features 146 elegantly-appointed
accommodations comprised of Club Suites and one-, two-, three-
and four-bedroom villas with full kitchens, living rooms and
dining rooms. The resort also offers guests a variety of
dining alternatives.
The award-winning Executive Meeting Center
at The Villas of Grand Cypress provides 7,200 square feet of
distinctive conference and event function space, as well as meeting
support services. This space increases to 10,400 square
feet in season, which includes an elegant air-conditioned pavilion.
Widely-acclaimed as offering one of the nation’s most inspired
golf experiences, the resort’s Grand Cypress Golf Club
features 45 holes of Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf with varying
degrees of play difficulty. The 27-hole North, South and
East Course is designed to challenge the most skilled golfer
and provides three unique golf experiences on master-designed
nine-hole courses.
The Grand Cypress Golf Club’s New Course provides another
dimension of play at the resort with steeper and more challenging
bunkers and slopes. Set in the midst of an open meadow, the New
Course is Jack Nicklaus' homage to the famed Old Course at St.
Andrews in Scotland. The links masterpiece was designed with
double greens, stone bridges and walls, gorse mounds, burns,
and pot bunkers as deep as 12 feet, all reminiscent of the Scottish
original.
The resort’s Grand Cypress Academy of Golf is rated one
of the "Top 25 Golf Schools in America” by GOLF Magazine. Additionally,
The Grand Cypress Racquet Club features 12 Har-Tru and Deco Turf
II courts for both casual and championship play.
About The Villas of Grand Cypress
The Villas of Grand Cypress is owned by Grand
Cypress Florida, LP. The property is part of the 1,500-acre
Grand Cypress Resort complex that also includes the Grand Cypress
Golf Club and the Grand Cypress Academy of Golf, all operated
by Benchmark Hospitality International. For additional
information, visit www.grandcypress.com.
The Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress and Grand Cypress Racquet Club,
operated independently by Hyatt Hotels Corporation, are also
located at the Grand Cypress Resort complex.
About Benchmark Hospitality International
Benchmark Hospitality International is a
leader in the management and marketing of resorts, conference
centers, hotels, and Personal Luxury Hotels™. The
privately held company, launched in 1980, is a founding member
of the International Association of Conference Centers. Benchmark
Hospitality is a worldwide organization operating properties
in major metropolitan and resort destinations. Benchmark's
international headquarters is located in The Woodlands, Texas,
near Houston, with regional offices in New Jersey and Connecticut. International
offices are located in Tokyo, Japan, and Santiago, Chile. For
the location of Benchmark’s properties and additional
information, visit www.benchmarkhospitality.com. |
