A 17-story vacation rental tower could rise near SeaWorld Orlando under a development proposal filed by an ownership group led by executives of Orlando-based Glasstone Group. The project would bring 240 short-term rental units, a restaurant, extensive recreational amenities and a three-story parking garage to a prominent International Drive site.
Key takeaways
The proposal’s main features include:
- A nearly 200-foot-tall tower with 240 short-term rental units.
- A 10,000-square-foot restaurant on a fourth-floor amenity deck.
- A pool, pickleball and basketball courts, gardens, and outdoor gathering areas.
- A 424-space parking garage, exceeding the county’s calculated requirement.
- Sidewalk, bus shelter and landscaping improvements along International Drive.
Project location and design
Known in county filings as Glasstone Morada Orlando, the proposed development would occupy about 2.92 acres at 11304 International Drive, just south of Central Florida Parkway. The site is near SeaWorld, at the entrance to Park Square Homes’ Paradiso Grande resort community and north of the recently completed Grande Pointe Apartments.
The tower’s ground-floor footprint would cover about 66,367 square feet. Approximately 42% of the property—roughly 1.22 acres—would remain open space, above the county’s 25% minimum. Plans also call for a walking path around an existing stormwater pond north of the building.
Resort-style amenities and parking
Guests would reach the amenity deck from the fourth floor of the parking structure. Plans show a swimming pool and deck, pickleball courts, a basketball court, a rooftop garden and landscaped recreation areas. A reflecting pool would mark the entrance at ground level.
The garage would be screened with a living wall intended to reduce heat and soften the structure’s appearance. Vehicle access would come from Paradiso Grande Boulevard, while the exterior design would use off-white stucco, stone, neutral glass and dark green accents.
A different direction for the tourism corridor
The proposal comes as other developers in Orlando’s tourism corridor have increasingly pursued conventional apartments instead of vacation-oriented lodging. Marriott Vacations Worldwide recently proposed replacing an unbuilt timeshare project with as many as 382 apartments, while Davis Development has proposed another 298-unit apartment community.
Nearby rental communities include the first phase of Bainbridge World Center, with 342 units, and Davis Development’s 356-unit Paros Vineland. The proposed tower would therefore add a short-term rental concept to an area seeing substantial long-term housing development.
Ownership and approval status
The property was purchased for $4 million in August 2024 by IDrive Three Land LLC. Park Square Homes’ commercial arm, Kimaya, initially developed the vacation rental concept after an earlier proposal sought approval for 267 conventional apartments.
Corporate filings later identified Glasstone executives as the project’s leading representatives. The development application remains subject to county review and approval, and no construction schedule has been established. San Antonio-based Pape-Dawson is handling civil engineering and landscape architecture, while Orlando-based Rabits and Romano Architecture designed the building.
- 17-story vacation rental tower planned near SeaWorld, GrowthSpotter.