Travel + Leisure Co. and Sports Hospitality Ventures, LLC, hotel and resorts licensee for the Sports Illustrated brand across North America and the Caribbean, introduced a new concept for a network of future sports-themed resort and lifestyle complexes located in popular college towns near universities with devoted fan bases.
Every Sports Illustrated Resorts campus is expected to feature a full-service hotel, a vacation club, and residential condominiums – all of which will share a unique, cohesive design that immerses guests and owners in iconic moments from nearly 70 years of Sports Illustrated content. All resort campuses will also include a host of branded, one-of-a-kind attractions from live action sports and entertainment to quality dining, wellness, and relaxation. In addition to the planned university locations, the broader portfolio of properties is expected to include chic beach clubs and experience parks located in leading leisure destinations.
“Sports Illustrated Resorts are about hospitality, lifestyle, leisure and entertainment where we celebrate not only the legacy of Sports Illustrated, but the path it is on now, by immersing our guests in sports culture and providing the best entertainment, cuisine, fitness, health and wellness to our guests,” said Christopher Schroeder, CEO of Sports Hospitality Ventures, LLC. “People are seeking differentiated experiences that allow them to be more active and participatory, and Sports Illustrated Resorts are delivering the ultimate experiences for guests through the hospitality destinations we are creating.”
First resort planned at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa
The companies also announced that the first location for the line of planned college town resorts in the Sports Illustrated Resorts network will be in Tuscaloosa, Ala., situated across the Black Warrior River from the University of Alabama.
As an institution steeped in rich sports history and tradition, the University of Alabama has been featured on the Sports Illustrated cover more than any other university. This year, Tuscaloosa was named by Travel + Leisure as one of the 25 best college towns in the U.S.