The Tampa Edition has opened as part of Water Street Tampa, a $3.5 billion urban mixed-use development expansion project led by Strategic Property Partners, a partnership between Cascade Investment and Tampa Bay Lightning owner Jeff Vinik.
The hotel and residences were created by Ian Schrager in collaboration with Marriott International.
“Not often have I had the opportunity to work on a project that will completely transform the very center and heartbeat of a great city like Tampa, and make it even greater,” Schrager said in a statement. “I call it urban expansion, rather than urban renewal, and it serves as a model for how cities will transform and evolve the future. The scale of it is mind-boggling and we’re very happy to be right here and a part of it.”
Reminiscent of Stockholm and other European and Scandinavian harbor cities, when complete, the Water Street Tampa neighborhood will double the footprint of downtown Tampa, covering 9 million square feet. It will include publicly accessible green space, dining and shopping, cultural attractions, entertainment venues, residences and offices.
Designed, concepted and programmed by ISC Design Studio—in partnership with Morris Adjmi Architects, Nichols Architects, Bonetti Kozerski Architects and Roman and Williams—the hotel and its residences cover 26 stories of the development. It has 172 rooms and 38 private residences, a rooftop terrace with a pool, a spa and wellness facility, a fitness center and seven bars and restaurants including a Lilac, overseen by chef John Fraser.
Defined by a vertical tower which houses the residences, with wrap-around balconies, the Tampa Edition is anchored by the lower nine floors, which comprises the hotel’s guestrooms and public spaces.
The hotel’s main entrance leads to an open-flow lobby with 20-foot-high ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows. The Lobby Bar has a large-scale stainless steel Anish Kapoor-inspired lilac orb art piece, a custom-designed travertine pool table and intimately grouped furniture.
“It is always an honor to collaborate with the Edition," Fraser said. "We share a similar culture and are both keen on offering modern luxury and high quality. Ian Schrager is a genius at providing the stage and setting the spirit and tone. We are grateful to him and the hotel's ownership for continuously investing in the best. Through great hospitality, architecture, and design, we strive for our guests to feel as if they have arrived at a sanctuary where they never have to leave. We look forward to being a part of Ian’s vision through our food and beverage offerings—with something for everyone during all parts of the day."
Fraser is also behind the concepts of the hotel’s other food and beverage outlets, including Market at Edition. Located on the opposite side of the lobby to Lilac, Market at Edition has a streetside corner spot.
The second floor, accessed via the sculptural staircase, include the Punch Room and the Arts Club, a lounge, a bar and the Arts Club Cabaret. Also on the second floor and the mezzanine level above is the 250-guest private event space and a series of meeting rooms. The wellness facility is also located on level two.
Located on level nine, just below the residences, the Rooftop includes Azure at Edition—another restaurant overseen by Fraser —and a pool club with cabanas for day and night, open to hotel guests and residents only, and accessible either via the restaurant or its own entrance.
The Tampa Edition will open in preview on Sept. 20 with a global launch slated for October.