Related Cos. considers adding a second convention center hotel in West Palm

The Related Companies is considering building a second convention center hotel in West Palm Beach after a successful first year for its Hilton hotel. 

Ken Himmel, president and CEO of Related Urban, told the Palm Beach Post that the hotel has seen high occupancies and room rates since it opened in January of last year, which was boosted by media bookings in town to cover President Donald Trump’s visits to Mar-a-Lago.

The Hilton, at 600 Okeechobee Boulevard, is also the only South Florida hotel connected to a convention center. “The convention center has tripled its bookings going forward,” Himmel told the newspaper. In downtown Miami, a convention center plus hotel is planned for Miami Worldcenter, and in Miami Beach, a convention center hotel has failed to gain traction since residents rejected a ballot measure that would have allowed for a hotel.

Related would built the second, 200-room hotel on an adjacent parking lot and the property would share the Hilton’s amenities. Related spent roughly $110 million on the 12-story, 400-room hotel.

Himmel told the Post that the company would make a final decision on the hotel by the end of the year and possibly deliver it by the end of 2019. It could be a boutique Hilton brand. [Palm Beach Post] – Katherine Kallergis