The Alfond Inn is a unique example to showcase the culture of philanthropy in the Orlando region. As an extension of the Cornell Fine Arts Museum at Rollins College, The Alfond Inn is the only hotel in the United States that serves as an extension of a fine arts museum.
Funded both in part by the Harold Alfond Foundation and Rollins College, The Alfond Inn donates its net operating income to The Alfond Scholars program fund. This fund contributes to student scholarships and assists Rollins College with its goal of creating and supporting a diverse socioeconomic student body, and giving more students the means to attend the institution.
Located in the quaint, historic town of Winter Park, The Alford Inn blends a focus on fine arts with a unique guest experience. A rotation of about 250 art pieces are on display for hotel guests, with weekly art tours open and free to the public. With a boutique-inspired design, the hotel is gaining popularity.
In the three years that The Alfond Inn has been open, the hotel has earned recognition from local and national publications.
- Travel + Leisure Magazine named The Alfond Inn as part of the 2016 top 15 Best City Hotels in the Continental U.S. This ranking is compiled after the magazine’s annual reader’s poll.
- In 2015, the hotel was ranked as one of the top 10 hotels in the U.S. in Condé Nast Traveler Magazine’s Reader’s Choice Awards.
- The Alfond Inn’s restaurant, Hamilton’s Kitchen, was featured in Orlando Sentinel’s 17th Annual Foodie Awards as a Top Hotel Restaurant in Central Florida in 2015, as voted on by the newspaper’s readers. The restaurant also received an Open Table Diners’ Choice Award the same year.
In addition to its management of The Alfond Inn, Rollins College – one of the many educational institutions around Orlando – has been a longtime supporter of philanthropy in both Winter Park and greater Orlando. Rollins is home to the Edyth Bush Institute for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership, which aims to strengthen the impact, effectiveness and leadership of nonprofit and philanthropic organizations through education and management assistance. Rollins also launched the Winter Park Institute, which brings in thought leaders from a broad spectrum of disciplines and expertise in order to promote arts and culture in the Central Florida region.
Similar to Rollins and The Alfond Inn’s unique blend of philanthropy, education and art, Orlando’s culture is built by a united community spirit and an endless list of artistic entertainment options.