- April 23, 2024
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Grab your popcorn and some friends: Cinépolis USA’s newest, luxury movie theater in Hamlin is hosting its grand opening Friday, Aug. 10.
Two years ago, Hamlin developer Boyd Development Corporation announced that Cinépolis USA was bringing a luxury movie theater to the community. Now, the 10-screen, 40,000-square-foot theater invites guests to enjoy the movies in style through its enhanced movie-going experiences.
Hamlin’s movie theater comes complete with fully reclining leather seats, in-theater dining with the push of a button, full bar and expansive menu, elegant lobby space and cutting-edge sound and projection technology.
According to the company’s website, Cinépolis VIP created the push-button Dine In movie theater concept in Mexico in 1999. The company entered the U.S. market in 2011 and debuted its luxury-cinema concept based on the VIP concept.
“Our mission is to create an upscale, family-oriented environment and to indulge our guests in an intimate, comfortable and friendly setting,” the website states. “Through innovation, we have become entertainment leaders. We’re committed to updating our dining menu regularly to offer our guests fun and exciting new options.”
Cinépolis currently has 20 theaters nationwide, with the Hamlin theater being the fifth Florida location alongside Miami, Deerfield Beach, Jupiter and Davenport (Polk County). However, it is only the second Florida location for a Cinépolis luxury theater — the other three are premium theaters.
“Premium is a culmination of things, but luxury is very defined,” said Annelise Holyoak, Cinépolis USA’s national director of marketing and communications. “It has push-button waiter service, a full bar, luxury leather reclining seats, and the biggest difference is that it has the on-demand waiter service. The premium locations vary, but typically it’s slightly more upscale than a traditional theater. Some have a full bar and some don’t, but none of them have the push-button waiter service.”
The on-demand waiter service allows moviegoers to order gourmet appetizers, beverages and restaurant-quality entrées at the simple push of a button. The menu includes the traditional popcorn and candy but also boasts cheese boards, hummus, flatbreads, salads, hot sandwiches, tacos, a dessert menu and more.
“We have a full menu of pretty much anything you can think of, from healthy options to burgers and fries,” Holyoak said. “We sell all the traditional candy, and at this location we sell butter popcorn, light popcorn, Cheetos popcorn and zebra popcorn — which is caramel corn drizzled with chocolate. We also serve our own caramel popcorn, fresh and hot.”
And patrons don’t need to worry about their view being blocked: The auditoriums are set up stadium-style, so each seat is above the one in front of it.
At Cinépolis, all ages are welcome to come and enjoy a movie — or even hang out in the lobby and order food or drinks.
“We want it to be a hangout,” Holyoak said. “We encourage people who don’t want to come see a movie to come and hang out at the bar, hang out in the lounge, relax and enjoy yourself. Anyone is welcome to come in, eat and hang out. It’s a great place to stop by for the night.”
Creating an upscale yet family-friendly atmosphere is important to the company, and it’s part of the reason Holyoak said Cinépolis decided to take roots in Hamlin.
“I think the Boyd Development Company and Hamlin are great partners for us,” she said. “The Orlando market, in terms of Winter Garden, is underserved with options outside of Disney. We’ve already gotten so much great feedback from guests, that they’re happy to have something to do entertainment-wise that is not related to any of the parks. …I think that’s really (Hamlin’s) mission, to create a great place for locals that is in a market traditionally underserved.
“There’s so many families, and while we do cater to date nights and we serve alcohol we also serve families and play all the family movies,” she said. “This is a great area, it has great schools and it’s the perfect location for us.”
Moviegoers also will find ample parking, with both surface space and a two-story parking garage. The theater will play anywhere from eight to 10 movies, Holyoak said, and although it doesn’t have IMAX capabilities there are 3D showings.
Ticket prices range depending on showtime and day, but guests can expect to pay about $5 more per ticket than they would at another theater, she said. For example, plan to pay just under $18 for a ticket if you’re going to see a brand-new movie at peak showtime on a Saturday night. Tickets can be purchased online ahead of time, through the Cinépolis smartphone app, directly at the box office or at self-serve kiosks near the box office and in the lobby.
“Typically you’ll pay $12 to $13 around (this area), but you really are paying for that experience and level of luxury inside the auditorium,” Holyoak said. “It’s a different experience and we work very hard to choose finishes and furniture that is luxury, because we are charging a premium and we feel that we’re giving a premium experience in return.”
