Space enthusiasts, travelers and local diners alike will have a new destination to explore when The Space Bar opens this April as the signature feature of the Courtyard by Marriott Titusville – Kennedy Space Center.
The hotel property, which is owned and operated by Delaware North, is nearing completion. Sitting atop the five-story hotel, The Space Bar will boast unobstructed views of the Indian River, which is part of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, as well as Merritt Island and Kennedy Space Center. The hotel is just 7.1 miles from the space center and 6.4 miles from Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex and will be the closest to the space center’s 39A and 39B launch complexes.
The Space Bar, which can be accessed via a dedicated elevator from the hotel’s lobby, will offer a mix of traditional table service, bar seating and casual lounge areas with a capacity of about 250 guests. Space-themed décor, including a large mural of the Earth’s moon, will set a cosmic ambiance for diners, and a retractable awning will provide partially covered seating around the bar.
Complementing The Space Bar’s views and atmosphere is its broad menu of casual but chef-driven fare, including salads, bowls, flatbreads, specialty desserts, space-inspired cocktails and vegetarian options. Highlights include:
- Signature Cocktails: Skyrockets in Flight (Herradura Silver Tequila, Triple Sec, fresh lime and white peach, topped with a Rocket Pop); Shooting Star (Knob Creek Bourbon, Campari, sweet vermouth, smoking star anise); and Intergalactic Planetary (Absolut Citron, Malibu Coconut Rum, St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur, Blue Curacao).
- Small Snacks:Space Bar Nachos (house-made blue corn tortilla chips topped with braised short rib, black beans, Shishito peppers and queso blanco) and Deviled Eggs & Bacon (topped with Dijon-spiced yolks and maple-candied bacon).
- Sandwiches/Bowls: Space Coast Roll (Stone Crab salad, topped with fresh lemon spritz and celery on a potato bun); Korean BBQ Short Rib Bowl (shredded Korean beef short rib, brown rice, Sambal pickled cucumbers and carrots).
- Dessert: Donut Hole Sundae (raspberry jam-filled donuts, vanilla bean ice cream and raspberry sauce, topped with whipped cream).
Overseeing the culinary direction of The Space Bar and the hotel is Executive Chef Chris Chadwick, a seasoned culinary veteran with more than two decades of experience in the premium hospitality industry. Chadwick, who most recently served as executive chef at The Westin Peachtree Plaza hotel in Atlanta, is focused on using local ingredients for a distinctive Florida-Caribbean flavor.
The Space Bar’s full menu, along with additional information about the restaurant, can be found on the recently launched website.
Semiprivate catered events – such as corporate happy hours, holiday parties and rehearsal dinners – can also be booked in The Space Bar and other event spaces in the hotel.
Beyond The Space Bar, the hotel will feature 152 rooms, 14 extended and one-bedroom guest suites and eight ground floor walkout rooms, four of which will have firepits. The property will also have a large outdoor resort-style pool with a children’s section, cabanas and a bar; a ground-floor Bistro featuring a bar and outdoor seating and serving full breakfast, lunch and dinner menus as well as Starbucks® products; a 700-square-foot meeting room; charging stations for electric cars; and access to walking and biking trails along the Indian River.