By Dan Hounsell, Senior Editor

Mayo Clinic recently announced that it will build an eight-story Hilton hotel with 252 guest rooms at Mayo Clinic in Florida. Expected to join Hilton's flagship brand, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, construction on the $70 million project is scheduled to begin in the summer of 2022, with completion slated for early 2024.

The 179,000-square-foot hotel will offer guests personalized service, elevated accommodations and amenities such as a fitness center, on-site restaurant with room service and an outdoor pool. It will feature 16,000 square feet of meeting space, including a main ballroom that can be divided into five spaces, a junior ballroom that splits into two spaces and three additional smaller meeting rooms. In addition, 5,000 square feet of outdoor patio space is available for meetings, as well as an area on the lawn where a large tent can be assembled.

"As a premier destination medical center, exceeding the current and future needs of our patients is our top priority," said Kent Thielen, M.D., CEO, Mayo Clinic in Florida. "We are excited to be offering this type of high-end hotel accommodation to further enhance our patients’ experience when traveling to our campus for care."

The new hotel represents Concord Hospitality’s fourth property in Jacksonville and its 27th hotel in the state of Florida. After completion, the project is expected to create 85 full-time and 40 part-time jobs.

To provide a safer and cleaner environment for its guests, Hilton instituted a new program beginning last year to deliver an industry-defining standard of cleanliness and disinfection in Hilton properties around the world. In a first for the hospitality business, Hilton collaborated with Reckitt, maker of Lysol and Dettol, and consulted with Mayo Clinic to develop elevated processes and team member training. These efforts have enabled Hilton guests to enjoy an even cleaner and safer stay from check-in to check-out. Medical experts from Mayo Clinic's COVID-19 Response Team also advised on new technologies and approaches and created a rigorous quality assurance program.