SI Resorts takes its talents to LSU

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana — Travel + Leisure Co. is opening a new Sports Illustrated Resorts location in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The conversion marks the experiential brand’s latest expansion into the lucrative college campus premier sports markets and will offer fans an immersive, year-round destination designed around the energy of game day.

Located in downtown Baton Rouge on the Mississippi River, the resort will be minutes from the Louisiana State University campus and major Baton Rouge entertainment districts and will provide convenient access to university events.

“With nationally recognized facilities, a rich college sports culture anchored by LSU, and a proven track record of hosting youth, amateur, and mega sporting events, Baton Rouge is a sports tourism engine that transforms every tournament into a full-scale economic and cultural experience,” said Geoff Richards, COO at Travel + Leisure Co. “From multi-day youth championships to high-profile national competitions, the city delivers world-class venues, hospitality, and fan experiences that keep athletes and families coming back year after year. We’re excited to be a part of that.”

The 11-story conversion project was purchased by Austin, Texas-based Northshore Development and its investment partners, including Kituwah LLC, the economic development arm of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. The project also includes investment from various individuals, including, but not limited to, Shaquille O’Neal, an LSU graduate.

The existing hotel will continue operations throughout 2026, with renovations slated to begin in early 2027. When complete, it is anticipated that the property will relaunch as a Sports Illustrated Resorts destination, featuring a combination of vacation ownership, hotel and whole ownership units. Renovations are expected to be completed in late 2027.

In an interview earlier this year with Hotel Investment Today, Travel + Leisure CEO Michael Brown said the company is definitely leaning into the vacation ownership model for Sports Illustrated Resorts, with its first Nashville property scheduled to open in the coming months, followed by its Chicago property, which will open in Q3. But he also said the company is being flexible in its approach and will let the customer guide where it eventually heads.

“What we are seeing is there’s hotel components and there’s full-ownership condos,” he said. “As we get the first one up and being sold, we’ll start to see which one has the greater demand and then it’s like with everything, optionality is critical… We try to give ourselves maximum flexibility and with Sports Illustrated resorts, depending on consumer demand, we can push toward vacation ownership, hotels or condos or a combination of all three.”

The campus destination is intentional for Sports Illustrated Resorts, which is developing a new resort in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, set to begin construction early next year. Richards told Hotel Investment Today last year that college development is often unique because the schools themselves are the land owners. However, he said there has been a change lately in how these colleges and universities view development.

“Traditionally, if you wanted to be adjacent, you were going to be challenged to do that, because the land really didn’t transact,” he said. “What we’re seeing on many college campuses is a desire to have an entertainment district that is different than the entertainment districts that existed when I was in school.

“[They are] much more designed around not just students, but alumni activities, significant F&B presence and a significant hospitality presence. There is an opportunity to partner with universities to offer a different experience. Each university that we speak with is very interested in how they capture that… revenue opportunity for the sheer number of people coming.”