ST. PETERSBURG, Florida—AC Hotels by Marriott has opened a new property in downtown St. Petersburg, Florida. AC Hotel by Marriott St. Petersburg Downtown has commissioned artwork, technology, and personal amenities.
“This AC Hotel is the perfect complement to St. Pete’s lively downtown vibe,” said General Manager Ben Walters. “The overall design balances form and function, while small details provide an authentic sense of place.”
The AC Hotel has 172 guestrooms—a dozen of them suites—along with 2,500 square feet of shared space, 1,800 square feet of meeting and event space, a fitness center, and an outdoor pool. The lobby includes the brand’s AC Kitchen for breakfasts and an AC Lounge for cocktails, local brews, and sharable plates in the evenings. The eighth-floor rooftop has Cane & Barrel, which is a Cuban-inspired restaurant and bar with an emphasis on rum.
“The food at Cane & Barrel promises to be fun and flavorful while the cocktail menu, heavy on rum, will pack a punch with a signature drink that’s communal in spirit and in fact,” said Food and Beverage Director Edelmira Delgado. “Whether done with bourbon, rum, tequila, or vodka—and at Cane & Barrel, we’ll do it all these ways and possibly more—a proper punch brings sweet, sour, strong, and weak into balance. It also brings people together. From its first pour in the 1600s to the fresh batches we’ll be making here every day, punch is a communal drink designed to be shared heartily amongst friends.”
Located in the waterfront arts district, AC Hotel St. Petersburg Downtown is near more than 100 restaurants, breweries, recreation sites, and cultural venues. It’s the hospitality portion of Ascent St. Petersburg, a mixed-use project developed by Greystar Real Estate Partners and Concord Hospitality that also comprises a 36-story luxury apartment tower and 5,500 square feet of retail space. With Greystar serving as general contractor, hotel project partners include R2L:Architects, architecture; DLR Group, hotel interior design; and Ellis Adams Group, Cane & Barrel concept and interior design. OTO Development, which is part of The Johnson Group, has purchased and will operate the hotel.
“Travelers love the AC Hotels brand, and our company does, too,” says Todd Turner, CEO of OTO Development. “Greystar and Concord have developed a fantastic property and OTO is privileged to add it to our portfolio.”
With this purchase that was brokered by Preston Reid, formerly with Berkadia, AC Hotel St. Petersburg Downtown becomes the seventh AC Hotel in OTO Development’s owned portfolio. The others are in Bethesda, Maryland; South San Francisco, California; Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Spartanburg, South Carolina; Times Square, New York; and Washington, D.C.; and, in addition, the company has AC Hotels currently under development in Naples and Jacksonville, Florida. OTO also manages AC Hotel Scottsdale North, which is owned by Host Hotels & Resorts.
