Coming Soon
The new $4.1 million Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Center has opened at the Florida Aquarium in Apollo Beach. The two-story, 8,300-square-foot facility features five different rehabilitation pools, including the state’s first sea-turtle dive pool with an observation window.
Hilton's first dual-branded Tampa Bay property is set to open in the city's Downtown Channel District in June 2019. The 213-room hotel will be near the Tampa Convention Center, as well as businesses such as TECO, Bank of America, Sykes Enterprises and PNC. Amenities will include an on-site, full-service Starbucks and a 24-hour convenience shop. The studios and one-bedroom suites are designed for extended stays. For business-minded guests, there will be 2,000 square feet of meeting space and a 24-hour business center. For relaxing, there will be an outdoor rooftop pool with fire pits and a terrace that will overlook Downtown.
Coming in 2020, the 519-room JW Marriott Tampa will add greatly to the room product available
across the street from the Tampa Convention Center. The five-star property will include 126,000 square feet of meeting space and the city’s highest rooftop bar, with dramatic views of downtown and Tampa Bay.
The five-star, 173-room Tampa Edition will be co-located with the JW Marriott as part of the massive Water Street Tampa project’s 26-story tower. It will open in 2021 across the street from Amelie Arena, home of the Tampa Bay Lightning ice-hockey team.
Chicago’s Aparium Hotel Group is planning a 176-room, $52 million boutique hotel at the corner of E Seventh Avenue at 15th Street in Ybor City.
Venues
Over the next three years the Tampa Convention Center will roll out a series of upgrades and improvements as part of a $20 million capital improvement program. In May 2020, 18 new waterfront meeting rooms totaling 16,000 square feet will be unveiled overlooking the Hillsborough River, as well as an expansive terrace. Then in February 2021, the convention center's existing meeting rooms will be renovated with new paint, carpets and upgraded lighting. Other work in the project includes a series of new and modernized dining outlets, renovated restrooms and energy efficient infrastructure upgrades. Read more about the improvements here.
The Tampa Museum of Art's eclectic permanent collection leans toward modern and contemporary works, including sculpture, painting, photography and installation art.
The museum, which bills itself as the only such institution in the country accessible by boat, hosts private events for groups of up to 800 people. (813) 274-8130
For a venue with a raw, industrial vibe, consider CL Space. The versatile 2,088-square-foot industrial loft in the heart of Ybor City can accommodate up to 200 guests and features brick walls, floor-to-ceiling windows, skylights and exposed beams. Dining tables,
chairs and cocktail tables are included in the rental price. The venue has a kitchen, and outside caterers are welcome.
Sparkman Wharf, an outdoor food hall, beer garden and creative space, is set to open this fall as part of the mixed-use riverfront development Water Street Tampa. The wharf's dining area will feature 10 food-and-beverage outlets; each will be housed in a repurposed shipping container decorated with murals by a local art-and-design firm. To read more about Sparkman Wharf's offerings, head here.
Recent Additions
Top Chef alum Fabio Viviani's Italian ristorante has debuted in Tampa. The Osteria Italian Bar & Kitchen
is best described as an amalgam of rustic Italian market, fine-dining
eatery and elegant late-night bar. Menu highlights includes fresh
homemade pastas, slow-roasted meats, wild fish and seafood, a generous
pizza selection and a hearty wine and craft-cocktail collection. Private
dining for up to 20 is accommodated on the second floor, overlooking
the main dining room, where guests can relax in luxe, oversized seating.
Osteria also offers a 1,500-square-foot outdoor patio.
Marriott’s new 175-room AC Hotel Tampa Airport is in the West Shore District, near International Plaza’s upscale shopping and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Raymond James Stadium and, of course, Tampa International Airport. The hotel has four flexible meeting rooms with a total of 2,400 square
feet of space.
Featuring expansive bay views, an easy walk to Ben T. Davis Beach and a private dock for water sports from paddleboarding to boating, the Godfrey Hotel & Cabanas Tampa has 276 guest rooms with private balconies. It offers 20,000 square feet of flexible meeting and event space, as well as a pool deck for receptions.
The
325-room Westshore Grand, a Marriott Tribute Portfolio property — reflagged from InterContinental — is right next to Westshore Plaza’s high-end shopping, and a short drive from downtown and Hyde Park. The property has 17,000
square feet of flexible event space and can handle groups of up to 700.
The Westin Harbour Island underwent an $18 million renovation in November 2017 and emerged as the 309-room Westin Tampa Waterside with a new waterfront restaurant, Blue Harbour, and 18,032 square feet of flexible meeting space, all just a few blocks from the Tampa Convention Center.
A $40 million
renovation has left downtown’s largest hotel, the 727-room Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel & Marina, with a new look and a floor of new Stay Well rooms with amenities including air purifiers and vitamin-infused showers. Adjacent to the Tampa Convention Center, the hotel has 43,229 square
feet of event space, including 13 meeting rooms, two boardrooms and two divisible ballrooms, the largest being the 17,169-square-foot Grand Ballroom.
The newly renovated 277-room Sheraton Tampa Riverwalk Hotel features 12,500 square feet of meeting and event space, as well as an ideal location on the Riverwalk and just a few blocks from the Tampa Convention Center.
The Tampa Bay History Center has unveiled a new permanent exhibit that traces the destination’s links to piracy and the high seas. The Riverwalk venue accommodates
private-group tours and events.