TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Downtown Tampa is adding yet another five-star hotel, as leaders and dignitaries took their ceremonial shovels to the dirt and sand on Wednesday for the official groundbreaking of the Pendry Hotel — though crews have been on site since January.
“Where else would you want to be?” asked Michael Fuerstman, co-founder of Pendry Hotels & Resorts. “The sun’s shining, we’re on the water, the Riverwalk’s incredible. We are big believers in this city.”
The Pendry will feature both 220 hotel rooms and 207 condominiums, going 39 stories tall.
“We are so excited to be bringing our Pendry flag to Tampa,” said Alan J. Fuerstman of Montage International.
The hotel said there will be all-day restaurants and cafes, plus an open-air pool and terrace on the 12th floor.
“We’re honored to be contributing to the cultural fabric of Tampa,” Michael Fuerstman said. “To bring great design, to help create some jobs, to continue to elevate a city that’s on a really good path right now.”
The City of Tampa said the construction of the building will close the Riverwalk for four to six weeks, starting in the next 60 days. There will be a one block detour on Ashley St between Whiting and Brorein Streets while a protected walkway on the Riverwalk is built.
“We’re trying to keep the inconvenience to a minimum,” Mayor Jane Castor said. “I can say that the developer has been incredibly collaborative in that effort.”
Castor said the city needs the hotel rooms.
“We just had the annual meeting of Visit Tampa Bay yesterday,” Castor explained. “If you look at our hotel occupancy rate, it really is off the charts.”
The Pendry said condos will range from one to three bedrooms and start at $1.3 million — and many have already been spoken for.
