Two new hotels are planning grand openings -- Staybridge Suites in downtown St. Petersburg and The Hotel Zamora in St. Pete Beach.
Overlooking the Gulf of Mexico, The Hotel Zamora is bringing Spanish-Mediterranean charm to Gulf Boulevard along with a new dining destination -- the
Castile Restaurant.
Tatro Construction is nearing completion of what is the first hotel built in St. Pete Beach in more than two decades.
A June opening is planned for the hotel and the restaurant which will have a roof top lounge. The hotel is named for one of the oldest regions in Spain; the restaurant for a town in Zamora.
The upscale boutique hotel is the vision of developers and partners Henry Suarez and Kiran Patel. Once mired in bankruptcy, they salvaged what was initially a condominium project and won approval last year for the hotel from St. Pete Beach City Commission.
"It will bring a new vibe. It's very modern in design. It's South Beach trendy but in St. Pete Beach," says Tom Robertson, general manager for The Hotel Zamora.
Interior design is by Miami-based
Cuba-Fernandez Design, Inc.; the hotel's architecture is by Tampa-based
Design Styles Architecture.
While the real estate market collapse initially shut down the project,
The Hotel Zamora, at 3701 Gulf Blvd., now is a sign that an economic recovery is gaining traction.
"The nice thing about seeing new construction is that developers can feel confident about moving forward with their own projects," says Andy Dohmen, president of Design Styles. "It's when you see nothing going up that you get nervous."
Castile Restaurant will offer a seafood-based menu from fresh, local sources. There also will be steaks, tapas-style dishes, soups and salads under the direction of Ted Dorsey, former executive chef at Tampa's Boca Kitchen & Food Market.
The hotel sits on more than an acre of beach front property with the Gulf of Mexico on one side and the Intracoastal Waterway on the other side. There are 72 rooms total but guests can chose to combine adjoining rooms or stay in two-bedroom suites. Some "junior suites" have a separate living room with a sofa sleeper.
Most rooms offer water views with eight having full beach views on the Gulf side. There is a marina with boat slips. A fresh-water pool is half outside, half under the shade of the hotel's flooring. In Florida's hot climate it's "the best of both worlds", Robertson says.
In downtown St. Petersburg, developer Anthony Menna of
Menna Development & Management built
Staybridge Suites on what was once an overflow parking lot for Tampa Bay Rays' baseball games.
The extended-stay hotel opened earlier this year but plans to celebrate its grand opening May 1.
Located at 940 Fifth Ave., just off Interstate 175, Staybridge is nestled amid the medical district adjacent to All Children's Hospital and Bayfront Medical Center. But it also is within easy access of shopping and dining on Beach Drive, baseball at Tropicana Field, the University of South Florida's St. Petersburg (
USFSP) campus and art exhibits at the Dali and St. Petersburg Fine Arts museums.
Guests enjoy suites with large kitchenettes, a heated pool, fitness center and a sun deck with a fire pit and BBQ grill. There is more than 2,000 square feet of meeting space for conventions, business meetings or special events.
Writer:
Kathy Steele
Sources: Andy Dohmen, Design Styles; Tom Robertson, The Hotel Zamora
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