Ambitious renovation of downtown Tampa's Floridan Palace Hotel finishes in October

Christopher Curry | Tuesday, August 22, 2023

As part of the renovation of the Floridan Palace Hotel, The Dan restaurant opened in space previously occupied by the Sapphire Lounge. Courtesy of the Floridan Palace Hotel

The Floridan Palace will rebrand as part of Hilton's Tapestry Collection after the renovation project finishes. Courtesy of the Floridan Palace Hotel.

The Cass Street Coffee Company opened in the Floridan Palace Hotel in mid-August. Courtesy of the Floridan Palace Hotel.

An ambitious, nearly $30 million renovation and rebranding of the historic Floridan Palace Hotel in downtown Tampa is slated to wrap up in October.

Crystal Rivera, the hotel’s general manager, says the end goal of the project is for the hotel to be a pillar that activates the northern area of downtown. South Florida-based hotel owner and manager 1754 Properties, which also owns the TrdeWinds on St. Pete Beach, purchased the aged Floridan in late 2021 and launched the renovation project in late 2022.

As work progressed, the Floridan Palace opened The Dan restaurant in May in the space formerly occupied by the Sapphire Lounge. The Dan combines the atmosphere of New Orleans and a Roaring Twenties speakeasy with a modern Gulf Coast dining menu. In mid-August, the Floridan added the Cass Street Coffee Company cafe and coffeehouse. The Cass Street Coffee Company is open for breakfast and lunch and serves fresh donuts from Tampa’s own Local Mini Donut Co., along with a variety of baked goods, oatmeal and yogurt parfaits.

The renovation includes all public areas of the hotel, with work on the ballrooms expected to finish by the end of August. The 212 guest rooms are being renovated, with 10 of the 15 floors of rooms currently closed for work. After the project finishes in October, the Floridan will become part of the Hilton brand’s Tapestry Collection.

Rivera says 1754 Properties has focused on giving back to the community during the project. The company donated furniture from several floors of rooms to charity to help families in need.

For more information, go to Floridan Palace.

Read more articles by Christopher Curry.

Chris Curry has been a writer for the 83 Degrees Media team since 2017. Chris also served as the development editor for a time before assuming the role of managing editor in May 2022. Chris lives in Clearwater. His professional career includes more than 15 years as a newspaper reporter, primarily in Ocala and Gainesville, before moving back home to the Tampa Bay Area. He enjoys the local music scene, the warm winters and Tampa Bay's abundance of outdoor festivals and events. When he's not working or spending time with family, he can frequently be found hoofing the trails at one of Pinellas County's nature parks.