Back in 2002, we were threatened with the good time that was the Sports Illustrated Resort, a joint venture for a series of hotel and family resort properties that would combine the fun and sun of a beach lifestyle with the…branding of Sports Illustrated?
The first Sports Illustrated Resorts property opened in 2022 in the Dominican Republic and D’Iberville, Mississippi was selected as the location of the first U.S.-based property.
Wednesday, Travel + Leisure Co. and Sports Hospitality Ventures, which licenses the Sports Illustrated brand from Authentic Brands Group, announced that they are introducing a new line of college town-focused resorts, with the first one popping up in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
Per a press release, the campus, which will include a full-service hotel, a vacation club, and residential condominiums, will be located across the Black Warrior River from the University of Alabama campus. It’s expected to open in late 2025.
“This property will capture the essence of sports and active lifestyle, complete with a full-service hotel, vacation ownership club, signature SI Fit Health/Wellness Center, world-class dining, entertainment, and more,” reads the release.
Renderings for the new Sports Illustrated Resort coming soon to Tuscaloosa, which seems to be going for a "Live Laugh Love for Dudes" aesthetic. pic.twitter.com/Rqq7V5286i
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 20, 2023
Kituwah LLC, the business entity of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, is also a partner in the project and made a capital commitment of $320 million to expand the Sports Illustrated Resorts brand.
Additional destinations in “popular college towns near universities with devoted fan bases” are expected to be announced in the future, so take your best guess on which location will be next.
[AL.com]
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.