I received a press release from JetBlue with some very interesting and unexpected news…
The airline opened a boutique-style hotel in Orlando, Florida called The Lodge at OSC. While the hotel sounds pretty awesome, odds are that none of us will be checking it out any time soon since it’s not open to the public.
JetBlue’s new hotel is a crew member hotel, located at JetBlue University, the airline’s “state of the art training campus“.
The Lodge at OSC (Orlando Support Center) opened today featuring 196 rooms spread out over four floors. According to the press release I received, over 7,000 crewmembers will visit the training center this year for “new-hire orientation and recurrent training“.
The Lodge will be managed by Pyramid Hotel Group as a boutique hotel “with every element thoughtfully designed to reinforce JetBlue’s values, inspire collaboration and team building, and deliver the JetBlue Experience to the airline’s own crewmembers“.
JetBlue sends around 400 new employees each month to Orlando to learn about and better understand the company’s “distinctive culture and customer experience“. Current crewmembers and pilots also visit for trainings throughout the year.
Based on the amount of employees JetBlue has travel to Orlando, you got to think that having their own hotel will save them some cash…
JetBlue University is located next to the airport on seven acres of land.
A little about the Lodge at OSC:
Based on what I read about the hotel, it sounds pretty impressive. The property features a restaurant and lounge, tail fin shaped pool, fitness center, softball field, pool & outdoor fire pit. There is also a walking track and bikes available to use.
The rooms sound nice too. They offer “bright thoughtful touches to make the most of crewmembers’ stays“. (I just wish there were images included to get a better idea of the style described.
The building has also taken a variety of steps to be environmentally friendly. (Hand dryers, low-flow toilets, waterless urinals among other things being done.)
Now if only I could book a room to check it out in person!
Noah- The hotel broke ground in 2013 according to the press release. Is that what you are referring to? I’d guess that long term this will save JetBlue some money, definitely not in the early years. I think this hotel might convince many to be big fans of the “blue juice”! 🙂
They have tried to do this in the past and only recently succeeded.
Crews train for weeks in Orlando, and all new hires pass through OSC. Not sure if this will be much cheaper than paying for hotel stays (if at all) since Orlando airport area rates are very cheap, especially in volume, and JetBlue is paying someone else to manage it. In addition, it’s not a clear ROIC win which is part of their financial strategy.
But it helps indoctrinate crewmembers to drink the blue juice! And certainly for people there on longer term training, it will be a more comfortable stay.
Sometimes it’s more about consistency then lowest price. Since the airline would be renegotiating the rate periodically rates will go up or down. There is no fear of being bumped from the hotel for a conference, and travel cost should be walking. It might cost more but knowing the costs are more or less fixed helps with cash flow planning