New & Coming Soon to Tampa
• The Tampa Convention Center is in the process of expanding its waterfront meeting space with a $38 million capital improvement plan. The project, scheduled to wrap in 2023, will renovate existing meeting rooms, including new carpet, paint and lighting, as well as construct a new two-level addition spanning 16,000 square feet, with 18 new meeting rooms overlooking the Hillsborough River.
• Visit Tampa Bay has partnered with AirEssentials to launch Tampa Bay Sunrise, a new signature scent selected for its sweet blend of afternoon tea, rose petals and sweet vanilla, combined with subtle notes of golden sandalwood supported by creamy amber
and a musk base note. This new scent will create a multisensory experience at conventions and events.
• Coming this fall is Palihouse, a chic boutique hotel in the heart
of Tampa’s historic Hyde Park Village, an exclusive shopping enclave founded
over a century ago. The property will offer 36 oversized guest rooms and a
European-style lobby bar.
• In the heart of the Water Street district, the new five-star, 173-room Tampa Edition offers boutique amenities, a high-end restaurant and 11,287
square feet of meeting space among 11 rooms, the largest of which spans 3,257 square feet. Outdoor event space totals 7,000 square feet.
• At Sparkman Wharf, an outdoor food hall, beer garden and creative space, several new restaurants in the shipping container dining area include the Lunch Lady sandwich shop
and JoDog craft hot dogs, along with the Hampton Chocolate Factory. The wharf is part of the mixed-use riverfront Water Street Tampa district, which has continued its new development with the openings of Boulon
Brasserie, Wine on Water,
The Pearl, Small Giant and
Predalina.
• At Busch Gardens Tampa, an exciting new attraction is being readied for a 2023 debut. Dubbed the Serengeti Flyer, this roller coaster will let visitors
experience “multiple negative-G moments” as they soar to 135 feet over the theme park’s 65-acre Serengeti Plain in twin gondolas, reaching speeds of 68 mph before plunging back toward Earth.
• The Michelin Guide Florida has announced that this year three Tampa Bay restaurants — Lilac,
Rocca and Koya — received their first Michelin star. In addition, Psomi and Gorkhali
Kitchen received Bib Gourmand designations, joining Rooster and the Till, while Noble
Rice and Ponte have made the list of Michelin-recommended restaurants.
• Mast Capital recently bought the Saddlebrook Resort in Wesley Chapel. With 500 rooms,
45 tennis courts, two Arnold Palmer-designed golf courses and 100,000 square feet of meeting space, Saddlebrook will become an oasis for those visiting the Tampa Bay Area. The resort also comes equipped with several cafes, restaurant, a pool, shops
and a driving range.
• The Floridan Palace Hotel
has joined the Hilton brand’s
Tapestry Collection and announced a $25 million renovation plan. As part of a
program to curate boutique-style retailers and restaurants to breathe new life
into the historic property, a new restaurant, The Dan, has opened, inspired by
the Roaring Twenties and the hotel’s original Sapphire Lounge. Visitors can
feast on Gulf Coast cuisine accompanied by jazz music to enjoy a sophisticated
ambience.
• The new Lona restaurant has opened at the Tampa Marriott
Water Street. The renowned Fort Lauderdale-based eatery, a collaboration
between esteemed chefs Richard Sandoval and Pablo Salas, brings authentic
Mexican fare with a twist to the city's booming culinary scene.
• Utilizing cutting-edge game technology, Visit Tampa Bay offers an interactive
map featuring custom stylized 3-D models of the city’s downtown. The platform, designed by the Tampa Bay-based Imerza, allows users to navigate through 360-degree views of nearly 1,700 buildings and popular sites. The tool primarily was developed
for meeting planners and includes landmarks like the Tampa Convention Center, Tampa Riverwalk, Sparkman Wharf and the Tampa Museum of Art.
• In the heart of the Water Street district, the new five-star, 173-room Tampa Edition offers boutique amenities, a high-end restaurant and 11,287 square feet of meeting space among 11 rooms, the largest of which spans 3,257 square feet. Outdoor event space totals 7,000 square feet.
• The new 180-room Current Hotel, Autograph Collection, overlooks
Tampa Bay and has a private beach, along with easy access to the 16.2-mile walkable/bikeable Courtney Campbell Causeway West Trail. For gatherings, the hotel offers eight event rooms. On-site dining takes place at Julien Restaurant, featuring international
small bites inspired by local flavors, while libations flow at the Rex Rooftop Bar.
• The burgeoning Midtown Tampa development recently opened new culinary experiences including Walk-Ons, Colony Grill and True Food Kitchen. Recent retail additions include Casper, Buff City Soap, William Dean Chocolates, Whole Foods and REI.
• The 519-room JW Marriott Tampa Water Street debuted
in February 2021. The five-star hotel features a four-story atrium lobby lounge with hanging art and a floating conference room dubbed the Skybox. Guest rooms are open and spacious, featuring soft, natural color palettes and materials inspired by
the surrounding waterfront. Located next door to both the Tampa Convention Center and Amalie Arena, the property has 100,000 square feet of meeting and event space.
• A dual-branded Hyatt property has opened. The 17-story project includes a 230-room Hyatt Place and a 115-room Hyatt House. Planners can choose from five A/V-equipped event spaces, including an outdoor terrace, for a total of 3,603 square feet of flexible space. Also on-site are 3,200 square feet of retail space and
a 220-space parking garage. The hotels are across from Tampa City Hall with easy access to the downtown area, the Tampa Convention Center and neighboring Riverwalk attractions, such as the Florida Aquarium and Amalie Arena.
• The 178-room Hotel Haya has debuted in Ybor City. The boutique property offers 7,300 square feet of meeting space, including 6,000 square feet of indoor meeting space and 1,300 square feet of
outdoor space. The hotel has two restaurants, a bar and lounge.
Plannning an event in the Southeast?
Join us at
Destination Southeast, the leading hosted-buyer event for top-level, pre-qualified meetings and
incentive professionals looking to book business in the region.
• Castlerock Asset Management has acquired the 244-room Westin Tampa Bay. The property has 10,101 square feet of conference space spread among nine rooms, the largest of which can accommodate up to 250 attendees.
• 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.
• The Westin Harbour Island underwent an $18 million renovation and is now 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 $50 million
renovation to downtown’s largest hotel, the 727-room Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel & Marina, is complete. The property, which has been renamed
Tampa Marriott Water Street, has 89,909 square
feet of total event space spread among 45 rooms, the largest of which spans 6,815 square feet.
• 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 Florida Aquarium has implemented new health and safety initiatives have been implemented at the
attraction, including attendance limits that support physical distancing, touchless transactions, and enhanced cleaning protocols. Staff wear masks at all times, and tickets to enter the aquarium must be purchased in advance. Situated near Tampa Bay’s
Convention District, the aquarium can host groups of 250 to 4,000 people for off-site events. Individual event spaces include the Coral Reef Gallery, which can accommodate up to 200 attendees, the Mosaic Center & Rooftop, which can host up to 650
attendees and the Vinik Channelside room, for up to 125 guests.
• Cigar City Brewing Taproom has opened in a prime spot between Amalie Arena, home of the Tampa Bay Lightning NHL hockey team,
and the soon-to-open JW Marriott Tampa Water Street.
More Tampa Bay Meetings and Event Venues
• The Hotel Alba Tampa, part of the Tapestry Collection by Hilton,
has 222 guest rooms. Even spaces include a ballroom that accommodates up to 600 people, as well as multiple outdoor spaces.
• In the heart of Tampa’s Downtown Arts District, The Vault is an elegant and versatile event venue, originally built in 1919 as the Exchange National Bank. The
neoclassical main room is impressive from top (35-foot-tall ornately decorated ceilings) to bottom (polished marble floors), including floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Tampa Bay skyline. In addition to more than 6,000 square feet of interior
rental space, The Vault has a charming private park perfect for a cocktail party. The place can host receptions for up to 300 people and seated dinners for up to 200.
• Hyde House Public Studio is a curated, gallery-style meeting and event venue set within the vibrant shopping and dining complex called Hyde
Park Village. Guests can gather in a variety of spaces, including a lobby that can host up to 100 people for a cocktail reception, an airy event area for up to 300 featuring the stylish 360 Bar, a 120-person auditorium with state-of-the-art A/V, and
a covered veranda that can seat up to 180 for a sunset dinner overlooking the colorful array of shops and restaurants below.
• The 115-room Element Tampa Midtown is centrally located,
just minutes from Tampa International Airport, Raymond Jones Stadium and International Plaza. The property has 3,764 square feet of event space across six rooms, the largest of which spans 2,305 square feet and can hold up to 256 people for a reception.
• Armature Works, a mixed-use commercial building, offers six event spaces with views of the Hillsborough River, as well as restaurants and bar
• 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.
• The 137-room boutique Epicurean Hotel, a member of Marriott’s
Autograph Collection, began an expansion in late 2021 that will add 43 guest rooms, eight suites, a private lobby, new meetings rooms and a fourth-floor terrace space. The property currently has 4,885-square-feet of event space, including the Grand
Cru Ballroom, which can accommodate up to 200 people.
• 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.