COCOA BEACH, Fla. – The only 4-star hotel in Brevard County should be quite the attraction when it’s done, but while it’s still being built, complaints are filling up from a property very close to the future Westin.
Cocoa Beach approved the resort four years ago.
Then, the county granted the developer $1 million per year to advertise the hotel.
And last year, in another polarizing debate, the hotel gave up on its plan to rent a park for events.
The Westin will be just as close to The Marlin as the old hotel it’s replacing used to be, but the noise of construction is new to owners and guests.
One person staying at the vacation condo told News 6 reporter James Sparvero that sometimes construction crews are working overnights, so not only does she hear the noise that can wake her up, but really bright lights also shine through her window.
Condo owner Stacy Bryan said she’s trying to sell her unit, but the noise is making it difficult.
“It turns people off right when they walk in,” Bryan said. “They see the beach, and it’s beautiful, and then they hear the construction, and it’s affecting the property values.”
Officials with the project said they received approvals from the City of Cocoa Beach for all night work, and have near daily communication with the city. They said the The reason for the night work is so they can complete the concrete pours, which cannot be paused once they begin.
Former Cocoa Beach Mayor Ben Malik, who voted for the hotel, argued the resort would raise property values at The Marlin.
“This is the only 4-star hotel that is proposed in the entire county,” Malik told the Brevard County Commission in 2022.
Bryan said that for now, she’s being hurt financially.
“We’ve had to cut our rates by about $50 a night,” the condo owner said. “And then, property taxes are really high too, so...”
On the other side of the construction, there’s still a protest sign from when the hotel tried renting Lori Wilson Park for special events.
Last year, developer Carlos Rodriguez reached out to Sparvero to clear the air about the controversy.
“We’ve never, ever intended to take the park,” Rodriguez said in the 2024 interview.
On Tuesday, News 6 received the following statement from The Marlin:
“From the onset of this process and ongoing, we have been working with the HOA Board. As you are aware, four public hearings were held regarding the construction of the Westin Resort & Spa as part of its approval process. With construction ongoing, we have installed monitoring equipment to help ensure that the construction does not affect neighboring properties. As to the pipe breakage Ms. Fiori is noting, we have been in communication with the HOA Board, and based on all data and professional assessments, the breakage was not related to our activities. As a whole, Driftwood has invested in solutions to infrastructure issues that did not originate with us, issues that were ‘inherited’ while absorbing additional infrastructure costs to ensure the Marlin Condominium experienced minimal disruption. We remain committed to being a respectful neighbor and to bringing long-term value to the Cocoa Beach community.”
The Marlin spokesperson