Plans for 124-unit Venice hotel move forward

Plans for an extended-stay hotel in Venice are moving forward after the city’s planning commission approved the site and development plan for the project. Located off Laurel Road, the four-story hotel called ECHO Suites will be part of the Wyndham Hotels & Resorts brand.

Parking was the only issue that gave commissioners pause at their Sept. 17 meeting. The Venice ECHO Suites will have 119 parking spots for a 124-unit hotel, according to the site plan. 

While the development code requires 124 parking spots, city of Venice Planner Brittany Smith says 119 spots is “within allowable range.” 

One commission member asked where employees would park, pointing to whether parking would be sufficient for the hotel.

Parking will not be a problem, according to officials representing developer ES Venice, LLC and owner Laurel Road Development LLC. “From their operational experience … we’re not going to be 100% occupied all the time,” Erin Trauger of Trauger Consulting Engineers says.

Some of the guests will not have vehicles, according to Martin Black, a land consultant also representing the owner and developer.

“We anticipate a number of users of the facility will actually come by Uber or cab or Lyft because they’ve got someone staying at the hospital,” says Black, referencing the nearby Sarasota Memorial Hospital's Venice campus. “That’s part of the market evaluation at this time.”

Prior to appearing before the Venice Planning Commission, Black says project representatives met with residents of the neighboring communities and incorporated their feedback into the site and development plan. Acknowledging residents for their contributions, Black notes that unlike other ECHO Suites, this one will have “Venetian” colors that appear neutral. The prototypical ECHO Suites facade is white and green. It will also have a landscape berm along Laurel Road.

The Venice ECHO Suites will be built near the intersection of Laurel Road and Mirasol Boulevard. It is not clear when it will break ground. Having secured approval of the site and development plan, the next steps will include securing a contractor for the project, Trauger tells the Business Observer, noting a time frame has not been established.

When it arrives, the Venice ECHO Suites will deliver a new brand to the area. Wyndham opened its first ECHO Suites in July in South Carolina, according to a statement from the company, which has hundreds more in the pipeline over the next several years. By the end of 2026, the brand is poised to have 75 hotels open and by 2032, there will be 300 ECHO Suites available.

Wyndham points to the growing need for long-term accommodations for business travelers in part due to government-funded initiatives.

“The arrival of ECHO Suites coincides with historic infrastructure investments in the U.S.,” Wyndham says in a statement, citing $1.2 trillion in approved funding as part of the 2021 Infrastructure and Jobs Act and $280 billion as part of the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022. 

“Together, these projects are creating a tailwind for Wyndham and the everyday business traveler, particularly construction and other trade workers, many of whom are in need of long-term accommodations as they travel to job sites across the country,” Wyndham says in a statement. “The work is expected to bring a $3.3 billion opportunity in additional room revenue to Wyndham franchisees over the multi-year period of spend.”

In addition to ECHO Suites, the Wyndham banner includes brands like Ramada, La Quinta, Days Inn and Howard Johnson, among others.