Conrad Hilton, the founder of what is now Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc., was a Mayo Clinic patient and a supporter of the facility in his later years. In 1972 he donated $10 million toward the Conrad N. Hilton Building for Laboratory Medicine, the first facility at Mayo Clinic's Rochester, Minn., headquarters designed specifically for research rather than treatment.
Given this longtime relationship between Hilton and Mayo, it seems fitting that a $70 million, eight-story, 252-room Hilton hotel is planned for the Mayo Clinic campus in Jacksonville, Fla. Construction should begin in summer 2022 and be completed by early 2024. Interestingly, the property will be the first in Jacksonville to operate under the Hilton flag.
Kent Thielen, CEO of Mayo in Florida, said at a media announcement that “we are excited to be offering this type of high-end hotel accommodation to further enhance our patients’ experience when traveling to our campus for care."
But with its 16,000 square feet of event space, the property will also be in the market to host healthcare-related meeting groups. The space features a main ballroom divisible by five, a junior ballroom divisible by two, and three dedicated breakout rooms. In addition, 5,000 square feet of outdoor patio space will be available as well as a lawn area that can accommodate a large tent. Guests will have access to an on-site restaurant, a fitness center, and an outdoor pool.
For overflow hotel accommodations, meeting groups can work with the Courtyard by Marriott Jacksonville at the Mayo Clinic Campus, which has 134 guest rooms within walking distance of the future Hilton.
Jacksonville International Airport is 28 miles from the Mayo Clinic, a 40-minute drive.
