Sirata Beach Resort may add two hotels
The Sirata Beach Resort’s new owners plan to add two hotels at the St. Pete Beach property.
During a community meeting held earlier this month, Kentucky-based hotel management company Columbia Sussex revealed an expansion and renovation plan for the 13-acre Sirata at 5390 Gulf Blvd.
In documents obtained by the St. Pete Catalyst, a conceptual site plan of the expansion shows a future 10-story, 290-key luxury hotel with meeting space, a ballroom and a three-story parking garage north of the resort. There is a building there, which would be demolished.
The conceptual site plan for the two new hotels and renovation of the Sirata Beach Resort. Image provided by City of St. Pete Beach.
Additionally, a surface parking lot at the south end of the property would be redeveloped into a 130-key, eight-story select service hotel and feature another parking garage.
The proposed plans also indicate the ownership group would renovate the existing Sirata Beach Resort, which entails downsizing the number of rooms from 382 to 227 keys. The resort owners would also replace the pool and add a new 4,000-square-foot restaurant space.
Columbia Sussex has not submitted a formal application to the planning and zoning division for the proposed expansion, according to the City of St. Pete Beach; however, the group cannot submit an application until 30 days after a community meeting.
The next public meeting will be held today at 5:30 p.m. in the St. Pete Beach Community Center.
The building heights of the two new hotels and existing resort. Image provided by City of St. Pete Beach.
Columbia Sussex is working with engineering group Kimley-Horn and architect firm Pivot Studio.
The group acquired the beachfront property in a record-breaking $207 million deal last year from Fort Worth, Texas-based Crescent Real Estate. Columbia Sussex also owns the Marriott Tampa Westshore hotel in Tampa and the Hilton Clearwater Beach Resort and Spa.
If the plans move forward, this wouldn’t be the first time the Sirata Beach Resort has undergone a major overhaul.
The resort, which opened in the 1960s, had a $15 million facelift several years ago, with significant upgrades including new pools, renovated guest rooms and new amenities.
Other hotel projects are in the works for St. Pete Beach, including a planned expansion for the TradeWinds Islands Resort.
