29 Jan 2018
Marriott signs deal for luxury hotel at US$3bn Water Street Tampa project
BY Tom Walker
Marriott International will operate a luxury hotel at Water Street Tampa – a US$3bn (€2.4bn, £2.1bn) mixed-use development currently under construction in downtown Tampa, Florida, US.
The 519-room, 26-storey hotel will be operated under the JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts brand and will be designed by Nichols Brosch Wurst Wolfe & Associates with interiors by Champalimaud Design.
Construction on the hotel is set to start in early 2018, with a grand opening planned for 2020.
Designed to be a “centre of activity”, JW Marriott Tampa will offer multiple social spaces and amenities across six levels.
The entrance will include a four-storey atrium, designed to act as an active public hub and a meeting place.
There will also be a focus on wellness, and the hotel’s sixth floor will house an expansive luxury spa, health club, outdoor pool, an 'event lawn' and a restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating.
At the top floor, a rooftop lounge and terrace will offer sweeping views of downtown Tampa and will be the highest rooftop bar in the city.
The hotel will play a key role in the Water Street Tampa neighbourhood – one of the largest urban mixed-use real-estate developments in the US. The project includes more than nine million sq ft of commercial, hospitality, educational, entertainment, cultural and retail space.
Water Street Tampa is being developed by Strategic Property Partners (SPP), a partnership between Cascade Investment and financier Jeff Vinik, who owns the NHL ice hockey franchise Tampa Bay Lightning.
James Nozar, SPP CEO, said: “We're creating a unique hospitality experience for everyone to enjoy, with dynamic outdoor amenities seamlessly connected to the Tampa Riverwalk and adjacent marina.”
One of SPP’s early development partners on the Water Street scheme has been green developer Delos, which has worked on a number of high-profile wellness schemes.
As part of its focus on “well-living”, Water Street Tampa has become one of the first large-scale projects to have shown interest in achieving the new WELL Community Standard, launched by The International Well Building Institute (IWBI) last year.
Based on the principles of the WELL Building Standard – which measures, certifies and monitors built environment and its impact on humans – the WELL Community Standard is designed to become the new global benchmark for healthy communities.
It aims to set a new precedent for planning, building and development by providing a “thorough understanding” of how communities can employ actionable strategies and interventions to support the health and wellbeing of residents across all aspects of community life.
Developed in consultation with physicians, scientists and public health professionals – as well as architects, city planners and engineers – it includes a rating system centred on human health and wellness, and takes into consideration evidence-based research.
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