Sports Illustrated Resorts Announces New Resort Destination Near LSU in Baton Rouge

[HitchHiker71]

For those interested - this was announced on T&Ls site at 9:00AM EDT today: https://investor.travelandleisureco...ew-resort-destination-near-lsu-in-baton-rouge

Full press release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/h...ew-Resort-Destination-Near-LSU-in-Baton-Rouge

Per this excerpt from the article - this project will use an existing hotel building location:

As a conversion project, the existing 11-story hotel located at 201 Lafayette Street was purchased by Northshore Development and its investment partners, including Kituwah LLC, the economic development arm of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. The project also includes investment from various businesspeople, including, but not limited to, Shaquille O’Neal, an LSU graduate.

The existing hotel will continue operations throughout 2026, with renovations slated to begin in early 2027. When complete, it is anticipated that the property will relaunch as a Sports Illustrated Resorts destination, featuring a combination of vacation ownership, hotel and whole ownership units. Renovations are expected to be completed in late 2027.

So, we won't see anything until late 2027 at the earliest, so likely 2028 best estimate. Interesting that it's a multi-format type resort, including VOIs, hotel rooms, and wholly owned units (condos). Perhaps this is a leading indicator of how many of these SI resorts will be brought to market - using a three legged stool type approach with a mix of VOIs, hotel space, and condo owners.

 

[Arimaas]

For those interested - this was announced on T&Ls site at 9:00AM EDT today: https://investor.travelandleisureco...ew-resort-destination-near-lsu-in-baton-rouge

Full press release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/h...ew-Resort-Destination-Near-LSU-in-Baton-Rouge

Per this excerpt from the article - this project will use an existing hotel building location:



So, we won't see anything until late 2027 at the earliest, so likely 2028 best estimate. Interesting that it's a multi-format type resort, including VOIs, hotel rooms, and wholly owned units (condos). Perhaps this is a leading indicator of how many of these SI resorts will be brought to market - using a three legged stool type approach with a mix of VOIs, hotel space, and condo owners.

We still don't know what access CW owners will have to SI, right?

 

[Floridaman76]

LoL...

Wyndham just continues to rack up the hot, desirable destinations!

Tuscaloosa, now Baton Rouge!!!

Waiting for Lawrence, KS and Bloomington, IN to join the party!

 

[Arimaas]

LoL...

Wyndham just continues to rack up the hot, desirable destinations!

Tuscaloosa, now Baton Rouge!!!

Waiting for Lawrence, KS and Bloomington, IN to join the party!

I was just in NOLA for Mardi Gras (thanks to ARP and somehow a MG week not in a high week in 2026). I think Baton Rouge could be a popular destination. Close to NOLA, you have the school and football, museums, etc. Lots of folks I bumped around NOLA were on a day trip from Baton Rouge. Not a bad location, if you ask me. Not sure what else Tuscaloosa offers other than U of A. Too bad I didn't buy anything in Newport, they could have gotten me on the VIP list for that opening

 

[amycurl]

Talk about a highly seasonal resort....because the last place I want to be in the middle of summer is Baton Rouge. (And I say this as someone who was in an outdoor wedding in Baton Rouge in the middle of summer. I love the bride *that* much.) Since high seasonality is one of the common factors of the resorts that are closing, you would think they might pause if they are exchanging one kind of seasonality for another.

Again, I think ILX tried this model of timeshares near Division 1 sport powerhouse colleges, and it never really got off the ground before their takeover by Diamond; I think they had three of them (we spent two nights at the one in Arizona decades ago.)

Varsity Clubs of America--that was the sub-brand. I think the only one that is still around that carries that brand is the one in South Bend, IN. Of course, it's part of HVC now.

 

[Floridaman76]

I was just in NOLA for Mardi Gras (thanks to ARP and somehow a MG week not in a high week in 2026). I think Baton Rouge could be a popular destination. Close to NOLA, you have the school and football, museums, etc. Lots of folks I bumped around NOLA were on a day trip from Baton Rouge. Not a bad location, if you ask me. Not sure what else Tuscaloosa offers other than U of A. Too bad I didn't buy anything in Newport, they could have gotten me on the VIP list for that opening

I go to NOLA often. Baton Rouge is NOT NOLA. It's just not a tourist destination, at all. There's no reason to go there unless you are a government consultant, lobbyist, LSU Grad / sports fan or parent of a LSU student.

I guess we will find out how this experiment works out.

 

[Jan M.]

Talk about a highly seasonal resort....because the last place I want to be in the middle of summer is Baton Rouge. (And I say this as someone who was in an outdoor wedding in Baton Rouge in the middle of summer. I love the bride *that* much.) Since high seasonality is one of the common factors of the resorts that are closing, you would think they might pause if they are exchanging one kind of seasonality for another.... Again, I think ILX tried this model of timeshares near Division 1 sport powerhouse colleges, and it never really got off the ground before their takeover by Diamond; I think they had three of them (we spent two nights at the one in Arizona decades ago.)

In 1985 in late May, all of June, and almost all of July, DH worked 12 hour shifts as a contracted National Board inspector at the River Bend nuclear plant outside of Baton Rouge. My MIL and I went to visit for a week in early June. Everyone kept telling us how lucky we were that the weather was so much less hot and humid than normal that week. Okay, that's nice I guess? But it was still warmer and more humid than what we were used to in Pennsylvania at the height of summer!

About two weeks after our stay, one night when DH called he sounded completely miserable so I asked what was wrong. I had no idea how bad it was. He said he couldn't step outside without his glasses fogging up so badly he kept having to dry them off to be able to see. At night when he'd leave the site to go back to his hotel, he had to keep running the windshield wipers that's how bad the humidity was. He said he was done asking nicely and finally raised hell with the hotel manager to stop the housekeeping staff from changing the settings on air conditioner in his room. If it wasn't left on full blast everything in the room felt damp when he'd get back. That he couldn't get a decent night's sleep because it took so long to bring the temperature down and not have the sheets feel damp. He likes to swim and needed the outlet of getting some exercise but said the water in the pool was warm enough to be bath water and swimming in it wasn't at all refreshing. After finding a snake in the pool one day, he wasn't going swimming in it again. He was tired and tired of being hot, sweaty, and miserable. He wanted so badly to just come home but had to finish out his contract. I suggested he do what the old people do. Go to a nearby mall and walk. Bring or buy a newspaper, buy himself a coffee in the food court and sit and read the paper in the nice cool mall instead of being stuck in his room. He wasn't at all receptive to my suggestions but I convinced him to give it a try. After a couple days of doing that and getting some decent sleep, he was doing much better.

August and September aren't any better, probably worse, and it's hurricane season too.

It's said that everyone has a number. No one is going to pay DH his number to make him agree to stay in Baton Rouge in the summer months, lol!

 

[HitchHiker71]

We still don't know what access CW owners will have to SI, right?

Correct, I don't think we have any firm guidance as yet. With that said, the mere fact that they are selling VOIs under these new brands, including Eddie Bauer and SI, tells me that we won't have access at least at first. If VOI sales don't go as well as hoped, or if they don't see sufficient occupancy rates from the club membership base, then we may see a mixed approach where some of the inventory is moved between the systems, like we've seen many times in the past with various resorts where inventory has been moved between Worldmark and Club Wyndham for example. We may also see limited access into these new resort clubs for Club Wyndham owners via Club Pass (like we have with Worldmark today for CW developer points owners), or perhaps similar to how CW owners can book into MVC resorts if occupancy is persistently too low over time.

 

[bnoble]

These SI Resorts seem like a very bad idea. I mean, god bless 'em, and I hope they can sell, but I just don't see it---and I'm someone who has attended more than his fair share of sporting events. When I go to a game, I don't want to go on vacation. I'm spending a few nights, and maybe a long weekend. Maybe.

I can almost see the urban core locations near professional venues, but even that is a tough sell, because e.g. a Bears fan only needs to be near Soldier Field eight or nine weekends a year, unless for some reason they are also a huge Chicago Fire fan. Those can be decent bases to explore the city, but why would I buy into the SI brand to do that?

At least Margaritaville sort of implies "vacation".

 

[chapjim]

LoL...

Wyndham just continues to rack up the hot, desirable destinations!

Tuscaloosa, now Baton Rouge!!!

Waiting for Lawrence, KS and Bloomington, IN to join the party!

Lubbock, TX; Oxford, MS; Athens, GA (hat tip to @paxsarah); Ames, IA; Fayetteville, AR; Syracuse, NY; Blacksburg, VA. Endless possibilities.

 

[paxsarah]

Correct, I don't think we have any firm guidance as yet. With that said, the mere fact that they are selling VOIs under these new brands, including Eddie Bauer and SI, tells me that we won't have access at least at first. If VOI sales don't go as well as hoped, or if they don't see sufficient occupancy rates from the club membership base, then we may see a mixed approach where some of the inventory is moved between the systems, like we've seen many times in the past with various resorts where inventory has been moved between Worldmark and Club Wyndham for example. We may also see limited access into these new resort clubs for Club Wyndham owners via Club Pass (like we have with Worldmark today for CW developer points owners), or perhaps similar to how CW owners can book into MVC resorts if occupancy is persistently too low over time.

I would hope that since there are several dozen Club Wyndham resorts (called "Varsity Pass") that are in the SI directory as available to SI owners with their points, that there would need to be some level of reciprocity for CW owners to book SI resorts (even if it's gatekept to certain VIP levels or new purchases, etc.). And since the SI points levels don't correspond to either the CW points levels or Worldmark credit levels, it seems like it would have to be closer to Club Pass than the Margaritaville way, but that all remains to be seen.

Edit: on second look, the SI points levels for Nashville and Chicago are actually not far off of city Worldmark locations like Portland or Austin, or NYC through Club Pass. I don't know if it's supposed to be the same "scale" as Worldmark, though, or it just ended up close to it.

 

[paxsarah]

OMG this is the first time I've really looked at the SI resorts directory beyond just the points charts and I have many thoughts about elements that are either confusing or are just stupid.

First of all, does every element of normal timeshare policies have to have its name changed to something sports-related? Must everything be a gimmick?
Owners = "MVPs"
Program fee = "Facility fee" (which is also dumb because "facility" implies a resort location, but this is apparently the corporate program fee)
Prime, High, Value, Quiet seasons = "Legend," "Hall of Fame," "All Star," "Rookie" seasons
Directory = "Playbook"

Things that are confusing:
- On Page 61 it says "This is a multisite, trust-based timeshare plan," and also "Maintenance fees will be blended across all resorts," but then there is also an ARP window from 14-12 months for "home" resort. Is there a designated home resort even though the maintenance fees are blended and it's a trust?
- It does specifically say there's no borrowing points, and there's no mention of a Points Deposit type benefit. RCI is available, and hopefully the deposit deadline is the end of the use year (but I didn't see where it specified that).

Things that are dumb:
- It seems like they copied a lot of glossary stuff over from the Club Wyndham directory, some of which is pretty arcane, but the difference is there's a lot of content on the program in the Club Wyndham directory and then the glossary is just extra at the very end, whereas the content in the SI directory is pretty sparse so the weird glossary items are like half of it. It ends up talking about the Nightly Unit Limit in 3 different places (as if booking 10+ units is a regular issue for regular owners).
- The dumbest thing (and already one of my biggest pet peeves about the CW directory) is that the Vacation Planning calendar HAS FRIDAY, SATURDAY, AND SUNDAY COLUMNS. Why is that necessary? This is a brand-new club that never had fixed weeks.

One thing that's interesting:
- Owners sorry, MVPs can rent points at $12 per 100 points - so maybe it's intended to operate at 1/10 the points as Club Wyndham?

Really, the directory doesn't seem ready for prime time.

 

[Jan M.]

I was just telling DH about this discussion of the Sports Illustrated resorts and my post about his Baton Rouge experience. He wondered if Baton Rouge still has all the chemical plants along the river that were there back when he was there in 1985. There was a whole stretch of them he had to drive past twice a day. The smell was horrendous. He said it was like breathing super strength perm solution. I'd forgotten about him saying if he got a flat tire while driving through that area that he'd keep driving even if it ruined the tire and the rim rather than get out and have to breathe that air.

He also recounted that early on in his time in Baton Rouge the guys there called him Yankee when he thought it was hot and humid. They laughed and told him to just wait until the temperature hits 100 and up and the humidity is 100%. In 1971, while he was on the USS Enterprise they were in Subic Bay in the Philippines and just off the coast of Vietnam during monsoon season. He said the heat and humidity in Baton Rouge was worse.

 

[jp10558]

LoL...

Wyndham just continues to rack up the hot, desirable destinations!

Tuscaloosa, now Baton Rouge!!!

Waiting for Lawrence, KS and Bloomington, IN to join the party!

These SI Resorts seem like a very bad idea. I mean, god bless 'em, and I hope they can sell, but I just don't see it---and I'm someone who has attended more than his fair share of sporting events. When I go to a game, I don't want to go on vacation. I'm spending a few nights, and maybe a long weekend. Maybe.

I can almost see the urban core locations near professional venues, but even that is a tough sell, because e.g. a Bears fan only needs to be near Soldier Field eight or nine weekends a year, unless for some reason they are also a huge Chicago Fire fan. Those can be decent bases to explore the city, but why would I buy into the SI brand to do that?

At least Margaritaville sort of implies "vacation".

Yea, I really am a bit confused about mixing hotel, VOI and wholly owned Condos - in what does seem like a seasonal location. Isn't this exactly what they were running from and dealing with the pain of in Shawnee? Also, it seems like it'd need to be a very special person to buy a condo in a college sports team themed resort as wholly owned. I mean, I think it'll take a special person to buy one as a timeshare also becasue like you said, the games aren't really week long events.

Lubbock, TX; Oxford, MS; Athens, GA (hat tip to @paxsarah); Ames, IA; Fayetteville, AR; Syracuse, NY; Blacksburg, VA. Endless possibilities.

Yea, Syracuse, NY is not a place to go vacation. Even in upstate it makes a lot more sense to consider building near Niagara Falls or somehow getting into the Adirondacks near Lake George or other lakes... IMO. If you were ok with seasonal. Which I guess Wyndham isn't? IDK. This whole strategy escapes me.

 

[amycurl]

I was just telling DH about this discussion of the Sports Illustrated resorts and my post about his Baton Rouge experience. He wondered if Baton Rouge still has all the chemical plants along the river that were there back when he was there in 1985. There was a whole stretch of them he had to drive past twice a day. The smell was horrendous. He said it was like breathing super strength perm solution. I'd forgotten about him saying if he got a flat tire while driving through that area that he'd keep driving even if it ruined the tire and the rim rather than get out and have to breathe that air.

He also recounted that early on in his time in Baton Rouge the guys there called him Yankee when he thought it was hot and humid. They laughed and told him to just wait until the temperature hits 100 and up and the humidity is 100%. In 1971, while he was on the USS Enterprise they were in Subic Bay in the Philippines and just off the coast of Vietnam during monsoon season. He said the heat and humidity in Baton Rouge was worse.

Yes, it's an appalling environmental justice issue, because, of course, those plants are located in communities with the least amount of wealth and political power. It's called "cancer alley" for a reason.

 

[chapjim]

Yea, I really am a bit confused about mixing hotel, VOI and wholly owned Condos - in what does seem like a seasonal location. Isn't this exactly what they were running from and dealing with the pain of in Shawnee? Also, it seems like it'd need to be a very special person to buy a condo in a college sports team themed resort as wholly owned. I mean, I think it'll take a special person to buy one as a timeshare also becasue like you said, the games aren't really week long events.

Yea, Syracuse, NY is not a place to go vacation. Even in upstate it makes a lot more sense to consider building near Niagara Falls or somehow getting into the Adirondacks near Lake George or other lakes... IMO. If you were ok with seasonal. Which I guess Wyndham isn't? IDK. This whole strategy escapes me.

I was kidding!!

At least people have heard of Syracuse University. What about Niagara Falls and Lake George? SUNY Buffalo and SUNY Albany (not sure they're called that anymore). Not exactly power schools sports-wise.

 

[chapjim]

I was just telling DH about this discussion of the Sports Illustrated resorts and my post about his Baton Rouge experience. He wondered if Baton Rouge still has all the chemical plants along the river that were there back when he was there in 1985. There was a whole stretch of them he had to drive past twice a day. The smell was horrendous. He said it was like breathing super strength perm solution. I'd forgotten about him saying if he got a flat tire while driving through that area that he'd keep driving even if it ruined the tire and the rim rather than get out and have to breathe that air.

He also recounted that early on in his time in Baton Rouge the guys there called him Yankee when he thought it was hot and humid. They laughed and told him to just wait until the temperature hits 100 and up and the humidity is 100%. In 1971, while he was on the USS Enterprise they were in Subic Bay in the Philippines and just off the coast of Vietnam during monsoon season. He said the heat and humidity in Baton Rouge was worse.

When your husband was on USS Enterprise, I was in that destroyer 1,000 yards astern.

 

[Arimaas]

I was kidding!!

At least people have heard of Syracuse University. What about Niagara Falls and Lake George? SUNY Buffalo and SUNY Albany (not sure they're called that anymore). Not exactly power schools sports-wise.

Still called that. You forgot Binghamton.

 

[chapjim]

Still called that. You forgot Binghamton.

Another great spot for a SI resort!

Also, Ithaca, NY -- home of Cornell University and Ithaca College. At least Ithaca is pretty (in the summer), which Binghamton is not. I grew up in farm country outside of Ithaca.

 

[Floridaman76]

Lubbock, TX; Oxford, MS; Athens, GA (hat tip to @paxsarah); Ames, IA; Fayetteville, AR; Syracuse, NY; Blacksburg, VA. Endless possibilities.

I think you are joking, but that's a great list of "places I would never vacation"...

 

[chapjim]

I think you are joking, but that's a great list of "places I would never vacation"...

Not on my list either!

 

[Floridaman76]

The supreme irony in all of this is that Wyndham just closed approximately 15 locations which, by their own admission, had very seasonal occupancy.

And is replacing "dots on the map" with locations that have ZERO seasonality, or seasonality being 8-10 weekends (football) in the late summer/fall.

This is not even "concepts of a plan".

And this is being funded by us... and we may or may not even have access to these locations most of us would not want to travel to (outside of Chicago)

 

[Floridaman76]

I was just telling DH about this discussion of the Sports Illustrated resorts and my post about his Baton Rouge experience. He wondered if Baton Rouge still has all the chemical plants along the river that were there back when he was there in 1985. There was a whole stretch of them he had to drive past twice a day. The smell was horrendous. He said it was like breathing super strength perm solution. I'd forgotten about him saying if he got a flat tire while driving through that area that he'd keep driving even if it ruined the tire and the rim rather than get out and have to breathe that air.

He also recounted that early on in his time in Baton Rouge the guys there called him Yankee when he thought it was hot and humid. They laughed and told him to just wait until the temperature hits 100 and up and the humidity is 100%. In 1971, while he was on the USS Enterprise they were in Subic Bay in the Philippines and just off the coast of Vietnam during monsoon season. He said the heat and humidity in Baton Rouge was worse.

Yes, the chemical plants, paper mills and refineries are very much still in the area. Maybe they can build couple resorts in Elizabeth, NJ or the Eastside of Houston, TX to complete the "Industrial vacation" portfolio...

And as far as the oppressive heat and humidity, i'm from Florida, and while I hate it, I guess i'm used to it.

 

[TolmiePeak]

Yes, the chemical plants, paper mills and refineries are very much still in the area. Maybe they can build couple resorts in Elizabeth, NJ or the Eastside of Houston, TX to complete the "Industrial vacation" portfolio...

And as far as the oppressive heat and humidity, i'm from Florida, and while I hate it, I guess i'm used to it.

Yes the DuPont collection....

 

[Arimaas]

Another great spot for a SI resort!

Also, Ithaca, NY -- home of Cornell University and Ithaca College. At least Ithaca is pretty (in the summer), which Binghamton is not. I grew up in farm country outside of Ithaca.

What about Newark / Harrison, NJ to go with SI Stadium (NYC MLS team)?