Who needs a mini bar when your hotel room is located inside a brewery?
In recent years, a growing number of American brewers have started offering overnight accommodation at, or adjacent to, their production facilities. In 2014, Dogfish Head opened the 16-room Dogfish Inn in Milton, Del. Last year, BrewDog opened a craft beer hotel — complete with beer taps in every room — at its Columbus, Ohio brewery.
Now, America’s oldest brewery looks set to join the party.
According to various sources including Philly Voice, Yuengling plans to build a beer-themed hotel near its Tampa Bay, Fla. brewery. The news broke earlier this month via Tampa Bay-based civic group URBN.
On May 4, in a Facebook post, URBN wrote: “Yuengling Beer Company is moving forward with a large mixed-use development at 11111 North 30th Street just south of USF next to its main brewery. The project includes 200 hotel rooms, a microbrewery, a beer garden, a tasting room, 12,700 square feet of restaurant space, a Yuengling museum, and 5,900 square feet of conference space.”
In a later statement to WTSP, the brewery’s CEO Wendy Yuengling said: “As consumer interest in locally crafted beer continues to grow, we are always looking for ways to engage our loyal fans and re-envision the Yuengling experience in Tampa. This new development will not only offer visitors an enhanced brewery hospitality experience but will also increase our presence in the local community.”
https://www.facebook.com/urbnTB/posts/2252650228388058
URBN shared some rudimentary-looking digital mock-ups of the project and said a zoning hearing is set to take place in September. Given the brewery’s track record, if plans are eventually approved, expect boycotts.
