A New Thoroughbred Emerges

The new The Equestrian Hotel at the World Equestrian Center raises the bar for luxury

For every passion — whether it’s a music genre, sport, cuisine, wine or something else unique and special — there’s almost always a venue, location or spiritual home that represents the essence, where every passionate follower immediately feels excited, welcomed and at home. For equestrian enthusiasts, that place could well be the World Equestrian Center in Ocala, Central Florida.

Situated on nearly 380 acres of pristine Florida horse country, the World Equestrian Center (WEC) opened this spring with state-of-the-art arenas and equestrian facilities and the stunning new The Equestrian Hotel, a resort that is the embodiment of elegance and equestrian excitement. Featuring ‌248 ‌stylishly‌-appointed‌ ‌rooms‌ ‌and‌ ‌suites‌ that overlook‌ ‌the‌ ‌open-air‌ grand‌ stadium, The Equestrian Hotel couples VIP accommodation with a VIP ‘luxury box’ experience where guests‌ ‌can ‌view‌ ‌world-class‌ ‌equestrian‌ ‌events‌ ‌right‌ ‌from‌‌ their ‌room!

“This is no ordinary resort and The Equestrian Hotel is no ordinary hotel,” Justin Garner, Director of Hospitality Operations, World Equestrian Center explains. “It was conceived with the passionate equestrian community in mind, informed by the equestrian lifestyle and built with attention to every detail so that guests would have the most complete, comfortable and enjoyable experience possible. Just as tennis has Indian Wells, golf has Bandon Dunes and wine has Napa Valley, our ambition is that WEC and The Equestrian Hotel becomes the go-to destination for equestrian fans.”

Just minutes from the arenas, exposition centers and competition rings, The Equestrian Hotel features a ‌13,000-square-foot ‌upscale retail pavilion, several casual and fine dining establishments, a stylish promenade, day spa and even a specialty pastry boutique.

The vision that inspired the WEC is as ambitious as it is expansive. The complex also includes two expo centers with advanced logistics and AV systems for trade shows and exhibitions; a large, comprehensively-equipped RV Park; vacation rentals with the choice of homes, cottages and condominiums; real-estate opportunities, and a worship center with a resident chaplain where two-footed and four-footed friends are welcome. The WEC acquired 300 acres adjacent to the current complex so there is considerable room for expansion.

“Whereas our brand identity and guest experience are derived from the equestrian lifestyle, we also want the WEC to be a place where guests from outside the equestrian community can come and enjoy something unique and passion-driven,” Garner continued. “For that reason, we wanted The Equestrian Hotel to stand on its own merits and compete with the very best luxury hotels in terms of guest experience. This is one reason we feature LG hospitality televisions in the guest rooms and shared spaces.”

Garner references The Equestrian Hotel’s use of LG 65UT770H 65” hospitality televisions in the guest rooms and an LG Pro:Centric system for managing the devices and content and optimizing the guest experience. The LG hospitality televisions are also featured in bars and casual restaurants which also reside on the LG Pro:Centric network.

With personalized welcome screens, user-friendly menus and real-time information on weather, restaurant menus, gift-shop specials or spa treatments, Pro:Centric is designed to help hotels run an efficient, successful enterprise. The WEC is capitalizing on the impressive 65” screen size in each of the guests rooms by utilizing the LG Pro:Centric server to digitize the resort compendium and advertise hotel amenities to guests right in their room.

“LG is more than a vendor. They’re a partner that listens and provides a comprehensive solution tailored to our unique and specific needs,” Garner said. “The ability to provide stylish, high-performing televisions that enhance the guestrooms with a back-end system that advances our operational efficiency and enables personalization is something that few other providers can do. Couple that with the experience, insights and commitment of Cheryl Weiland and her team, and you have a partnership that works very well.”

Cheryl Weiland, Vice President of Hospitality Sales at LG Fulfillment, agrees with this assessment. “The Equestrian Hotel is founded on the premise that a guest experience is only as good as the weakest link, that every detail counts and that each moment of a guest’s time is precious. This is why the televisions need to look the part in a luxury environment; it’s why they need to perform at the highest standards and why the system needs to support operational excellence and advanced personalization. We’re always pleased to work with exceptional professionals and the team at WEC is comprised of the very best professionals that hospitality has to offer.”

Weiland and Garner are also on the same page when it comes to the recovery. “As the industry rebounds from the pandemic and competitions return to venues like the World Equestrian Center, the passion that has been ever-present will power a surge in bookings,” Garner says. “I am thankful we’re in a position to serve that latent need for the equestrian community to come together around beautiful animals, great competition and phenomenal guest experiences.”

“Properties like The Equestrian Hotel will do well as hospitality rebounds,” Weiland concurs. “The team there has cleared many hurdles and come through exceptionally. I cannot wait to see their success and I’m proud of LG’s involvement in this sparkling accomplishment.”