Orange Beach hotel project adds rooftop lounge, a first for Alabama’s beachfront

NewsA rendering of the future AC Hotel Orange Beach, which will be the first ground-up Marriott hotel built along the beachfront in Alabama. It will also have the first beachfront rooftop lounge along the Alabama Gulf Coast.design by JCER Design Consultants courtesy of Zach Hoyt, president of A&R DevelopmentAlabama’s Gulf Coast has no shortage of iconic beachfront bars that have become destinations, drawing thousands of visitors each year with their atmosphere, views and local flavor.The lineup includes the famed Flora-Bama on the Alabama-Florida line, The Hangout and the Pink Pony in Gulf Shores, along with newer attractions such as Coastal Orange Beach and The Gulf.Hotels and condominiums along the coast offer plenty of dining and drinking options — but one amenity common in cities nationwide has yet to arrive on Alabama’s beaches: a rooftop bar.That is about to change.The AC Hotel Orange Beach, a six-story, 100-room Marriott hotel, is expected to feature a 3,500-square-foot rooftop lounge that will be open to the public when the project opens in the second quarter of 2028.Zach Hoyt, president of Gulf Shores-based A&R Development, which is developing the Marriott-branded hotel, said the rooftop lounge is designed to be the property’s signature attraction and will welcome both hotel guests and the public.He called it an “experience that doesn’t exist anywhere in the market today.”“Orange Beach has grown into one of the premier destinations in the Southeast and it deserves a hotel that matches that,” Hoyt said.The Orange Beach City Council appears ready to approve changes to the project’s planned unit development that would allow the rooftop lounge at 23370 Perdido Beach Blvd. During Tuesday’s council meeting, council members expressed support for the concept, provided there are limits on operating hours and noise.Orange Beach Mayor Tony Kennon speaks during the Orange Beach City Council meeting on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, at City Hall in Orange Beach, Ala.John Sharp“It won’t affect anyone negatively to open it up for the public,” Orange Beach Mayor Tony Kennon said. “It’s a nice place to go on a Friday or Saturday night. No loud music or bands. We talked with the neighbors next door, and they were good with it.”Hoyt told council members the rooftop venue is intended to function more as a lounge than a bar. It will connect to eight of the hotel’s guest rooms and have a maximum occupancy of 100 people. He said it is far from being considered a “raucous or rowdy bar” and is expected to close around 11 p.m.Hoyt said music will be played inside the lounge and would not disrupt neighboring residents. He also said there are no plans for “loud bands” to perform there.The lounge’s outdoor patio will close around 10 p.m., Hoyt said.“The patio is not very big,” he said. “The majority of the bar is inside.”The hotel, with its sixth-floor rooftop lounge, comes at a time when demand remains strong for hotel accommodations along coastal Alabama. It will also replace an abandoned church that Kennon described as a beachfront eyesore.Romar Beach Baptist Church once occupied the site. The church building was destroyed by Hurricane Ivan in 2004 and rebuilt in 2008, but Hurricane Sally left it with heavy water damage in 2020.“It was a church and zoned for a church and the church left and it’s become a significant eyesore,” Kennon said. “Unfortunately, there is no other church that can buy that property, tear it down and make it work. We had a developer come in and who was willing to repurpose it. We had to allow them a greater density zoning than we would have normally for any other situation.” But the bottom line it is an eyesore that’s going to be replaced by an upscale hotel and a unique beachfront lounge, Kennon said.Hotel occupancy continues to outpace vacation rental occupancy in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, according to June destination indicators provided by the local tourism agency. While vacation rentals that typically require longer stays averaged between 50% and 55% occupancy during the spring months, hotels averaged between 74% and 77%.Beth Gendler, president and CEO of Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism, called the addition of a rooftop lounge an attractive addition to the coastal region’s growing portfolio of lodging options.“Anytime something new comes to our community, we are excited, whether it’s a new lodging option, dining experience or attraction,” Gendler said. “Not only does it bring new options for our visitors, but more employment opportunities to boost the local economy from both sides.”The AC Hotel Orange Beach is expected to begin construction later this year.“Being able to offer visitors another elevated experience along our beaches just makes our destination more attractive and appealing,” Gendler said.John Sharp is a veteran reporter for AL.com covering the Alabama Gulf Coast, state politics, and key statewide issues. With 25 years in journalism, his work spans business, criminal justice, and cultural...