$148 Million in Construction to Begin on Universal’s Endless Summer Resort

Universal’s Endless Summer Resort is being built as we speak, with Surfside Inn & Suites set to open in 2019 and Dockside Inn & Suites set to follow in 2020; new notices of commencement have just been filed for additional construction to begin on both towers of the theme park giant’s newest resort.

The contracts cited in the document total up to almost $148 million, with the primary contractor for the project being Finfrock Construction, a local company based out of Apopka known for precast concrete walls and structures, including parking garages.

Four notices relate directly to the structures themselves:

• Finfrock Construction — Project 801 – South Tower: $66,066,025 (Expires March 18th, 2020)
• Finfrock Construction — Project 801 – North Tower: $71,680,506 (Expires August 1st, 2021)
• Finfrock Construction — Project 801 – East Garage: $7,262,364 (Expires March 18th, 2020)
• Hoar Construction — Project 801 – $2,900,261 (Expires March 18th, 2020)

The two buildings of the Endless Summer Resort will house a total of 2,800 rooms — Surfside with 750 and Dockside with 2,050 — and be located at the intersection of Universal Blvd. and International Drive, on the property that was formerly home to the Wet ‘n Wild water park. Like other Universal Orlando hotels, these will be operated by Lowe’s and offer Universal park guests similar amenities such as Early Park Admission and free shuttle services.

As a true value resort, Endless Summer will offer rates as low as $73 per night. 1,450 of the resort’s room will be two-bedroom suites, sleeping up to six people and hosting a kitchenette, a dining area, and a bathroom with a separate shower and vanity — the starting price for these is $111 per night.

Notices of commencement are generally filed just prior to a construction’s start, so we should see work continuing at a rapid pace. The documents give expiration dates which exceed the expected openings, but we may assume that the schedule for these two hotels is still on track.

Source: Orange County Comptroller