A 140-room hotel redevelopment at Carolina Beach’s SeaWitch site is moving forward after the Town Council approved conditional rezoning in November 2025. The decision followed a major redesign that replaced an earlier, larger Embassy Suites proposal with a shorter SpringHill Suites concept, according to WilmingtonBiz.
The change came after community opposition to the earlier plan, including a petition signed by more than 1,500 people. The revised building is planned at roughly 67 to 73 feet, above the 50-foot limit that applies to new construction in the Central Business District, making conditional zoning approval necessary, according to the project coverage cited by WilmingtonBiz.
What the approved plan includes
The hotel is planned for the west side of the property. On the oceanfront side, the proposal includes a pedestrian skybridge over Carolina Beach Avenue North, a new SeaWitch restaurant, a 4,000-square-foot ballroom and parking. The existing surface parking area is planned for conversion into a two-story parking structure. Property records cited by WilmingtonBiz show Harmony Hospitality spent more than $7.7 million assembling the property in 2024.
Those features place pedestrian movement and street crossings at the center of the site’s design. They also matter in a town that has been examining broader gaps in its walking and bicycling network. WHQR reported that NCDOT crash data recorded 24 bicycle and pedestrian crashes in Carolina Beach from 2013 through 2022.
The town’s bike and pedestrian master plan identifies network gaps and proposes measures including crosswalks and parking adjustments intended to keep sidewalks accessible, WHQR reported. That planning context does not establish how the hotel will affect traffic or safety, and the skybridge should not be treated as proof that those issues are resolved. The project’s eventual effects will depend on final design, permitting and how people use the crossing and surrounding streets.
SeaWitch transition
The existing SeaWitch Cafe & Tiki Bar at 227 Carolina Beach Ave. N. is scheduled to close Oct. 3 as redevelopment begins. Jenni and Alex Gilewicz sold the property to Virginia Beach-based Harmony Hospitality in 2023; Jenni Gilewicz had previously managed the business for an earlier owner, according to the Wilmington StarNews and Charlotte Observer.
Before the closure, SeaWitch plans a Sept. 30 celebration of its “Record Weekend” mural by Sharon Dowell. The business says the mural cannot remain on its current wall during construction and plans to preserve it through photographic artwork at the replacement location, according to SeaWitch Tiki Bar.
Harmony Hospitality expects construction to begin after the bar closes and hopes to open the replacement restaurant in 2027. Those dates are projections; the approved rezoning establishes the land-use framework but does not by itself guarantee a construction start or opening date.
