Development to include over 100 rooms and "sabbath" elevator
It was announced on November 29 that a boutique hotel development will open early in 2022, just across the street from the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida.
The Wyndham Dolce Kosher House Hotel will incorporate over 100 rooms, kosher catering and a special, designated "sabbath" elevator that stops automatically on every floor. This allows those who are observing the sabbath to reach their hotel floor without having to press a call button.
The 7-storey hotel will is scheduled to open in October 2022, and is being developed by BSD Capital LLC. It is intended to cater for the sector of Jewish tourists who prefer the lure of gambling in a casino to lazing on the beaches of Florida.
Speaking on the need to cater to this customer segment, Sharon Sharaby - one of the developers behind this scheme - had this to say:
“There are people who look at casinos like the ocean: They want to wake up in front of a casino”
Helping Florida's tourism industry to recover
The development will no doubt be a welcome addition to Florida's tourist industry, and an appealing destination for Jewish tourists who want to gamble while enjoying the Florida sunshine.
The tourist industry has been hard hit by the global pandemic, and in 2021 the industry is still struggling somewhat to recover to pre-pandemic levels. In the first 3-months of the year, Florida drew 26.16 million visitors from January 1, down from 30.4 million tourists during the first quarter of 2020.
Any new facility that proves a draw for visitors to head to the state, is welcome.
Seminole Hard Rock Casino in the news again
Meanwhile, the Seminole Hard Rock Casino remains in the news headlines as its owners continue to seek a favorable ruling from the courts to allow the resumption of online sports betting.
The tribal owners of the casino had launched a new online sports betting app on November 1 having signed an agreement with Governor Ron DeSantis that sought to allow online betting under their tribal compact with the state. This was subsequently overruled by a federal judge, forcing the app and online gambling to be suspended.
The Seminole tribe are now pursuing further legal appeals to allow them to continue.
Regardless of the outcome, it seems that come October 2024, the casino could benefit from a new sector of tourism choosing the Wyndham Dolce Kosher House Hotel for their stay.
Have you noticed the impacts of the pandemic on Florida's tourism industry? Have you been affected by the downturn? Let me know in the comments section below.
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