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Venue Additions & Renovations in Tampa
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.
A dual-branded Hyatt property will open in downtown Tampa in fall 2020. The 17-story project includes a 230-room Hyatt Place and a 115-room Hyatt House; they will share 4,000 square feet of meeting space, 3,200 square feet of retail space and a 220-space parking garage. The hotels will be located 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.
Hilton's
first dual-branded Tampa Bay property is set to open in the city's Downtown Channel District in 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.
Event Venues
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.
Tampa Area Recent Hotel & Venue Additions
The new Current Hotel,
a part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection, will open this summer on
Tampa Bay’s Rocky Point. The 180-room boutique property has been
designed to offer guests sweeping views of the bay from every room. The
hotel will offer a 2,300-square-foot ballroom as well as the Julian
restaurant and Rox rooftop lounge. Also look for a fitness center, an
infinity-style pool, and a private beach with complimentary water-sports
equipment and fire pits.
Attendees at the Tampa Convention Center now can crack some claws next door at the new Harpoon Harry’s Crab House Tampa. The relaxed seafood spot serves king crab, blue crab, snow crab and stone crab claws, as well as grouper, sea scallops, lobster, calamari and more. The 10,000-square-foot venue has both an indoor and outdoor bar, an open-air mezzanine and a balcony overlooking the downtown area. Private events are accommodated.
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.
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.
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 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 slated for a summer completion. The property, which has been renamed Tampa Marriott Water Street has a new dining spot by acclaimed chef and restaurateur Richard Sandoval [https://www.richardsandoval.com/], the Garrison Tavern. The craft kitchen and social house features American fare created to complement the 20 locally crafted delights on tap, including Garrison Kolsch, a signature brew created in partnership with Tampa’s Coppertail Brewing Co. The 265-seat tavern is a sports fan’s dream: Two large media walls with nine screens each and more than 35 individual TVs are spread throughout the venue, all broadcasting sporting events around the clock, and there’s an on-site Topgolf Swing Suite with two bays.
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.