Multi-million dollar improvements begin at Tampa Marriott Waterside
By Frances McMorris
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: Jul 5, 2016

The Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel & Marina is in the throes of making key improvements designed to update the property.

A $2 million modernization of the hotel's elevators is beginning this week although the engineering plans began months ago, said the hotel's General Manager, Ron McAnaugh.

"There's a lot infrastructure work,” he said. But, it won't be projects that are necessarily visible to guests. For instance, the hotel will be installing a new roof at a cost of approximately $1 million.

But new Marriott signs on the outside of the building – signs that are black in the daytime but white at night – will be noticeable later this week.

The hotel is also finalizing bids for maintenance on its marina, McAnaugh said. The hotel is planning to renovate the rooms and other areas next year, he said. Built in 2000, the Tampa Marriott Waterside is the city's convention hotel with more than 43,000 square feet of meeting space.

The hotel is owned by Strategic Property Partners, which is a joint venture of Cascade Investment, LLC and Tampa Bay Lightning owner Jeff Vinik. The 719-room property was purchased back in October 2014 for $150 million as part of the ownership group's overall vision to develop the waterfront district. In addition to the Marriott, Vinik owns more than 40 acres between downtown Tampa and Channelside. The $2 billion mixed-use district SPP is planning between downtown Tampa and the Channel district is slated to include residential, retail, hospitality and office space.

The Tampa Marriott will be complementary to the new hotel Vinik plans to build at Old Water Street and Florida Avenue, which could include up to 400 rooms in as many as 25 stories, residential units, and 100,000 square feet of meeting space.

Frances covers transportation and hospitality for the Tampa Bay Business Journal.