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Readers of Conde Nast Traveler and Travel + Leisure have once again anointed The Alfond Inn as a favorite destination, each naming it among the top 10 resort hotels in Florida.

Readers of Travel + Leisure rated Rollins’ boutique hotel No. 2 among resort hotels in the state, while the Conde Nast Traveler Readers Choice Awards, in which 800,000 people participated, ranked The Alfond Inn No. 8 among Florida hotels.

“To be highly ranked among the best hotels in Florida by the discerning readers of these magazines is such an honor,” says Jesse Martinez, general manager of The Alfond Inn. “I couldn’t feel more proud of our entire team for the commitment and spirit that goes into making each guest experience the best it can be. The distinction from such prestigious publications is a ray of Florida sunshine for all of us during these challenging times.”

The honors come as The Alfond Inn enters a new era that will augment its appeal as a desirable resort destination and satisfy the high demand for luxury accommodations and services in the Orlando and Winter Park area. As part of Rollins’ Innovation Triangle project—which is co-locating new facilities for the Rollins Museum of Art and Crummer Graduate School of Business next door to the expanded Alfond Inn—the hotel is creating more rooms, more amenities, and more financial aid for Rollins’ best and brightest students.

This past summer, the hotel embarked on a two-year expansion that will add 71 guest rooms and suites, bringing the total number of rooms to 183. Additional facilities will be seamlessly integrated within the Alfond’s signature Mediterranean architecture, including a new wing graced by an airy, four-story atrium and a second swimming pool with cabanas and a shaded outdoor living area. That space will flow into a 12,000-square-foot indoor wellness spa, appointed with a fitness area and high-end locker rooms, a steam room, a sauna, and seven personal treatment rooms.

Guests will be able to mingle and enjoy coffee, snacks, wine, and beer at the new lobby cafe, while another 2,400 square feet of space will host special social and business events and include expanded meeting and boardroom space.

In partnership with the newly minted Rollins Museum of Art, the hotel features 300 works from the renowned Alfond Collection of Contemporary Art, a distinguishing feature of the inn as the the only hotel in the U.S. that serves as an extension of a fine arts museum. The curated international collection of sculpture, photography, paintings, and mixed media reflects the mission of Rollins to foster inquiry and critical thinking in the liberal arts, educating students for global citizenship and responsible leadership.

The Alfond Inn is the primary contributor to the full-ride Alfond Scholarship for first-year College of Liberal Arts students at Rollins who demonstrate academic excellence. Since its inception in 2013, The Alfond Inn has channeled $10.8 million to the Alfond Scholars, resulting in approximately 90 full and 900 partial scholarships.

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