SRIA defines hotels, motels; OKs concept at Clarion site
BY LISA NEWELL Gulf Breeze News lisa@gulfbreezenews.com

After (time) of deliberating the definition of a hotel, the Santa Rosa Island Authority finally laid down a set of policies to ensure that hotels are constructed on properties designated for transient lodging.

The policies state that hotels/motels must be available for rent on a daily basis, and meet these criteria:

Maintains licensure with the State of Florida as a hotel or motel

Is served by a single utility meter, central telephone system and cable or satellite television system

Contains standardized furniture, furnishings and decor

Maintains a central front desk for checking in and out of the facility

Has a central lobby and provides daily room cleaning for occupied rooms

Has a single hotel management company for all operations, notwithstanding certain components such as restaurants, bars, lounges, conference facilities provided the hotel manager is ultimately responsible for all contracted operations.

Provides records to the SRIA to prove compliance with all standards in this policy.

Has a centralized reservation system

Does not contain a dwelling unit

States in all terms of use that the facility is a hotel

Contains 90 percent of its units with no more than two bedrooms and two bathrooms

Standard hotels must meet the above criteria and also:

Limit room size of 90 percent of the units to no more than 500 square feet with 10 percent of the units having

no limit on size

Have at most, a kitchenette facility with less than five cubic foot refrigerator, microwave oven, coffee maker and sink

Limit unit owners and family friends to no more than 14 day stays per calendar year

Pay lease fees to the SRIA Offer all amenities to the public Hotels with larger rooms is an additional category, and must meet the basic criteria and also:

Limit room size of 90 percent of the units to no more than 850 square feet, with 10 percent of the units having no limit on size

Limit unit owners and family friends to no more than eight weeks per calendar year, broken into 14-day segments.

Pay lease fees to the SRIA as set by the lease

Must have amenities typically associated with hotels, such as restaurants

and conference facilities.

The policies will be forwarded to the Escambia County Commission for approval.

Later, the SRIA voted 4-2 to approve a fractional resort concept proposed for the Clarion site.