New Hilton hotel set to replace longtime mini-golf, laser tag spot in Ocean City

After 24 years of operation, an Ocean City entertainment staple  has announced it will shut its doors before the end of the month to make way for a new hotel.

Planet Maze is known for its mini-golf, laser tag and indoor climbing maze, as well as being a venue for birthdays, local fundraisers and adult parties.

If you've been holding off on one last round of mini-golf, don't fret. The venue on 33rd St. and Coastal Highway will still be open Saturdays and Sundays starting at 10 a.m. until its permanent closure on Oct. 24, according to its website.

"It's been 'A-mazing' hosting your parties, fundraisers, proms and family reunions," its website said in the closure announcement. "Thank you for 24 FUN years!"

Planet Maze could not be reached for comment.

The city plans to replace Planet Maze, located a block and a half from the beach, with a five-story, 100-plus-room Hilton hotel.

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Deep Blue Hospitality, LLC, the Rehoboth Beach-based developer behind the project, hopes to have it up and running by the spring of 2020. The Planning Commission approved its site plan request earlier this month.

The hotel is part of the relatively new, countrywide Hilton Tru enterprise branded as an affordable option for millennial travelers.

The new hotel wants to give younger Ocean City visitors a “more modern, relevant and affordable option” in their hotel stay, said Mike Meoli, one of the developers with Deep Blue Hospitality.

Jeff Thaler with Atlantic Planning Development and Design, Inc., the architecture firm designing the hotel, expects it will be "a busy hotel year-round" because it is a 10-minute walk from the Roland E. Powell Convention Center.

Hilton announces new affordable hotel brand, Tru

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