Sports Illustrated Resorts and Travel + Leisure Co. Launch the Sports-Themed and Active Lifestyle Resort Network

Sports Hospitality Ventures, LLC, hotel and resorts licensee for the Sports Illustrated brand across North America and the Caribbean, alongside Travel + Leisure Co has introduced a new idea for a network of sports-themed resort and lifestyle complexes. The plan would be to place them in popular college towns near universities with large, devoted fan bases.

The idea for these Sports Illustrated Resorts campuses will feature full-service hotels, vacation clubs, and residential condominiums. All of these will share a unique design that immerses guests and owners in 70 years of Sports Illustrated content. They will also offer branded, one-of-a-kind attractions from live-action sports as well as other amenities like entertainment, dining, wellness, and relaxation.

Beyond the university locations, there is a plan for a broader portfolio of properties set to include beach clubs and experience parks in top leisure destinations.

“Sports Illustrated Resorts are about hospitality, lifestyle, leisure and entertainment where we celebrate not only the legacy of Sports Illustrated, but the path it is on now, by immersing our guests in sports culture and providing the best entertainment, cuisine, fitness, health and wellness to our guests,” said Christopher Schroeder, CEO of Sports Hospitality Ventures, LLC. “People are seeking differentiated experiences that allow them to be more active and participatory, and Sports Illustrated Resorts are delivering the ultimate experiences for guests through the hospitality destinations we are creating.”

The first Sports Illustrated Resorts property opened in 2022 in Cap Cana in the Dominican Republic. Cap Cana offers fantastic active amenities like golf, scuba diving, fishing, horseback riding, ziplining, biking, hiking, and more.

Sports Illustrated Resorts vacation club is a brand new product that will bring fans, friends, and family together by providing them with elevated accommodations and a rich vacation experience. The membership will provide members with a flexible points-based currency to make regular resort reservations and utilize offerings within the growing Sports Illustrated Resorts portfolio.

Travel + Leisure Co is using its seasoned expertise in managing multiple brand partnerships for the development, distribution, and management for the new Sports Illustrated vacation club product.

“We’re excited to be working with the Sports Hospitality Ventures team to create a custom club experience for passionate sports fans,” said Geoff Richards, chief operating officer of vacation ownership at Travel + Leisure Co. “Our vision for this entirely new vacation club is to provide members a unique opportunity to totally immerse themselves in gameday life with a piece of their favorite college town, plus flexibility to travel away with their team and beyond.”

Through the guidance of Wolfson Partners LLC, and in partnership with Sports Hospitality Ventures and Authentic Brands Group, Travel + Leisure Co. acquired the rights to the vacation ownership business for Sports Illustrated and will develop and operate the sales and marketing of the new Sports Illustrated vacation club, as well as select Sports Illustrated residential condominiums.

The Sports Illustrated residences will be both fractional and wholly owned condos that will be professionally managed through Travel + Leisure Co. and Sports Hospitality Ventures. The residences will offer signature services and amenities to support an active lifestyle.

The first planned resort location for the line of planned college town resorts in the Sports Illustrated Resorts network will be in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, set across the Black Warrior River from the University of Alabama. Tuscaloosa was just named by Travel + Leisure as one of the 25 best college towns in the US.

Learn more about the Sports Illustrated Resorts portfolio by visiting the Travel + Leisure Co website.