We are constantly seeking collaborators that will build upon, enhance and exceed our original vision for Water Street Tampa, and we found that with Marriott International and Ian Schrager Company
– James Nozar, SPP CEO

Boutique hotelier Ian Schrager is bringing his Edition brand to Tampa, with a 173-room property set to open in then Florida city in 2021.

Real estate firm Strategic Property Partners (SPP) has struck a deal with Schrager and Marriott International, which owns the brand, to launch the Tampa Edition within a 26-story tower in the heart of the Water Street Tampa neighbourhood.

Designed by Morris Adjmi Architects and Nichols Brosch Wurst Wolfe & Associates, the hotel “will offer multiple social and amenity spaces for guests and residents to enjoy, including a rooftop pool with adjacent bar and restaurant as well as an expansive spa and fitness centre.”

Interiors design firm Roman and Williams are also working on the project, as are the Ian Schrager Company, who will anchor the ground floor with a selection of restaurant and retail spaces “that will activate the streetscape and draw visitors from surrounding neighbourhoods.”

"We are constantly seeking collaborators that will build upon, enhance and exceed our original vision for Water Street Tampa, and we found that with Marriott International and Ian Schrager Company,” said SPP CEO, James Nozar. “We knew Edition was the right brand that would create a truly unique hospitality experience in Tampa, which further elevates the neighborhood and community for visitors and city residents.”

Kevin Montano, senior vice president for global development of Edition, added: “This brand is known for timeless design, uncompromising quality and impeccable modern service, and the property is sure to become a significant cultural and hospitality hub in Water Street Tampa."

A separate JW Marriott hotel is also set to open in the tower in 2020, and SPP is also investing to fully renovate the existing, 727-room Marriott Waterside Hotel & Marina. These two properties alone will create the largest collection of hotel rooms and meeting space in the Tampa Bay area, with 1,246 rooms and 150,000sq ft (13,950sq m) of meeting and event space.

Once the Edition opens, the three hotels will play a key role in the Water Street Tampa neighborhood masterplan – one of the largest real estate developments in the US, with more than 9 million square feet of commercial, residential, hospitality, educational, entertainment, cultural and retail space planned.

The luxury Edition brand was unveiled in 2007 and its first hotel – designed by architects George Yabu and Glenn Pushelberg – was launched in November 2010 on Waikiki Beach in Hawaii. Schrager has since opened properties in New York, Miami, London and Sanya, with seven more scheduled to open this year, including ones in Shanghai, Bangkok, Bodrum and Abu Dhabi.

Schrager won the 2017 Pioneer Award for “his outstanding impact on the hospitality industry” and his long standing support for design-led hotels.

The jury, representing the International Society of Hospitality Consultants, said: “He has achieved international recognition for concepts such as ‘lobby socialising’, ‘the hotel as home away from home’, ‘the hotel as theatre’, ‘cheap chic’, ‘the indoor/outdoor lobby’, ‘the urban resort’, and ‘the urban spa,’ that have revolutionised the entertainment, residential and hospitality industries.”

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