New Boutique Hotel Breaks Ground in Downtown Winter Garden
A rendering of the Winter Garden hotel’s guest entrance along North Highland Avenue. Image courtesy of Aesthetics Department, LLC.
Downtown Winter Garden is finally getting the boutique hotel residents have been hearing about for years — and as of today, it’s no longer just talk.
What boutique hotel is being built in downtown Winter Garden?
A four-story, 60-suite luxury property — officially named the Winter Garden Boutique Hotel — is now under construction at the corner of Plant Street and N. Highland Avenue, on the site of the old, vacant city-owned building that most recently housed a utility billing office. Per the official press release, the project is a partnership between developer WGH Property LLC, equity partner 3R HOLDCO LLLP, and general contractor Fansler Construction, a Jacksonville-based firm. Fansler Construction President and CEO Jason Fansler said he’s “thrilled to be working with WGH Property and 3R HOLDCO” on the project, adding that the property was designed to match the character of the Winter Garden area.
The design comes from Aesthetics Department, LLC, described as a “mercantile vernacular” style meant to blend with the surrounding downtown storefronts, with interior design work handled by Post Company out of Brooklyn, New York. Once open, the property will be managed by Knallhart Management Group, a Florida-based hospitality company. Knallhart Chief Operating Officer Ruby Stephan said the goal has been to build something that fits the character of downtown Winter Garden while also elevating the overall hospitality experience there.
This will be Winter Garden’s first new hotel built in downtown in decades.
When did construction on the Winter Garden hotel begin?
Groundbreaking took place today, Monday, July 20, 2026, with the city closing a stretch of S. Highland Avenue between Plant and Bay streets from 8 to 11 a.m. for the ceremony. Fansler Construction’s announcement lists a completion target of December 2027, putting the boutique hotel on track to open a little over a year from now.
What amenities will the boutique hotel include?
The boutique hotel is planned with 60 luxury guest suites, including 10 penthouse suites with balconies overlooking downtown and the West Orange Trail. Ground-floor plans include a high-end restaurant and a bar and lounge with outdoor lanai seating fronting Plant Street. The design also includes ballrooms and board rooms for events, plus a second-floor pool and cabana bar. Guest entry and valet service are planned off N. Highland Avenue, with a separate pedestrian entrance on Plant Street for walk-in visitors.
Why has this hotel taken so long to build?
This project has been in the works since 2018 — nearly seven years before breaking ground. Winter Garden city commissioners first voted to explore a boutique hotel at this site back in August 2018, after a developer approached the city about the then-vacant building at 8 N. Highland Ave. An earlier version of the project (a different developer, a three-story design) went through a contentious community meeting in April 2019, where residents raised concerns over the site’s lack of on-site parking. That version didn’t move forward as originally proposed, but the site was rezoned for a hotel use in 2019 under what the city formally named the “Winter Garden Hotel PCD.” It took until this year for a finalized deal, design, and construction team to bring the project to an actual groundbreaking.
How will the new boutique hotel affect downtown Winter Garden?
A new boutique hotel gives downtown Winter Garden its first overnight lodging option in decades, right in the middle of the Plant Street corridor. For a downtown built around the Farmers Market, the Garden Theatre, and the West Orange Trail, having a hotel within walking distance of all of it is a meaningful addition — both for visitors and for the overall draw of the area. It’s also one more sign of continued investment in downtown Winter Garden, which has been steadily building on top of its existing charm for years. For anyone considering a move to the area, it’s worth keeping an eye on how projects like this continue to shape Winter Garden as a place to live, not just visit.
Source: Fansler Construction official press release, July 20, 2026. Rendering courtesy of Aesthetics Department, LLC.
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