Welcome To Tampa: Ian Shrager's Latest Hotel Project Makes Florida Cool Again
Ok sure, Tampa has culture. There's the Dali museum, the Cass gallery, the L.A.-feeling wellness brands on Water Street. But Tampa is also Florida; traditionally conservative, conflicted between its more liberal centre and right-leaning north. Its reputation has been focussed more recently on raging political war or retiring for a comfy life and not a huge amount in between. What it hasn't been hugely famous for in the last few years, is being cool. That is, until now...
If there's one institution that you can count on to push the barometer of chic way up to the top, its an Ian Schrager launch. The entrepreneur and hotelier is the celebrity of the hospitality world. He is most renowned, of course, for Studio 54, but The Hudson and PUBLIC both chart on the list of the world's coolest stays, and are also Schrager masterminded.
Tampa is undergoing a broad rejuvenation process, with the unveiling of Water Street Tampa, an astonishing £2.9 billion urban mixed use development expansion project led by Strategic Property Partners, a partnership between Cascade Investment LLC and Tampa Bay Lightning owner Jeff Vinik. And now, Schrager's most popular chain of EDITION hotels has opened another chapter - the Tampa EDITION, in collaboration with Marriott International.
The hotel is obviously beautiful, the ethos of the EDITION chain intact. The attention to detail under its high, lustrous ceilings is paramount, with shades upon shades of white making the hotel feel palatial. A castle of light. The stunning signature staircase is a beautiful showpiece, as is the custom designed marble pool table with yellow felt game-space.
For its launch, the team pulled out every single stop, shipping in just about every luxury travel editor, DJ, musician and member of the glitterati that they could dream of. Lenny Kravitz gave a private performance, Mark Ronson DJ'd in the hotel's uber boujie Punch Room. There were also sets by Q-Tip, Slick Rick, D-Nice, DJ Tokyo Rose, and more.
Guests of the star-studded opening weekend also included supermodel Joan Smalls, musician Ashlee Simpson-Ross, her husband Evan Ross, Ciarra Pardo, Jesse Williams, Laura Harrier, Rob Gronkowski, Ella Balinska, Jasmine Sanders, Draya Michele and many others. It was, for want of a better description, the place to be seen. And with any luck, will continue to be as it welcomes members of the public.
As well as drinking and dancing, there's plenty on offer for those looking to have a little chill time too. With three restaurants (and one Michelin-starred Chef in the form of John Fraser) and a rooftop pool to waft lazily between, rest and relaxation is plenty catered for and the giant, sleek rooms, offer ample opportunity to unwind privately.
A chain that has been redefining traditional luxury for years, bringing authenticity and personal touches to make each building feels lovingly unique, EDITION hotels bring hype and high-profile guests that could completely do a number on Florida's coastline.
For more information, and to book a stay, CLICK HERE
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