A second tower may soon rise at the site of Embassy Suites by Hilton in Downtown Tampa. Located at 513 South Florida Avenue, adjacent to the Tampa Convention Center, the expansion will rise atop the existing tower’s parking structure. While this expansion will be the first for the property, the original tower, owned by RLJ Lodging Trust and a fixture in the area since opening in the 2000s, recently completed millions in renovations. The upgrades included improvements to both the tower’s interior and exterior. Now, this new expansion will almost double the number of hotel rooms on the property, bringing it from 360 to 575 with the addition of 215 new hotel rooms.
According to plans submitted to the City of Tampa, the new tower will be coined ‘Tampa Hotel’ and include 10 floors of hotel rooms, amenity spaces, and a check-in area, all built atop a 7-story parking podium. The amenity spaces will include a fitness center, meeting rooms, and a rooftop pool with a sun deck, which will be among the tallest rooftop pools in the city. The project will also yield 4,500 SF of new cafe and restaurant space, bringing the total across the property to 8,532 SF when combined with the existing hotel.
No additional parking is planned as part of the expansion. The existing parking structure, which contains 237 spaces, already exceeds the minimum required under Tampa’s zoning code. For lodging uses, the code requires just one parking space per 8 rooms, meaning only 72 spaces are needed to accommodate both the existing and proposed towers.
The planned expansion includes extensive renovations to the ground floor of the existing parking garage, transforming the current parking area into a dedicated drop-off zone and an elevator lobby designed to efficiently handle the anticipated increase in guest traffic. There will be 3 vehicular exits/entrances on the ground floor.
Designed by Allen + Philp Partners, the new tower will rise 17 stories, reaching a total height of approximately 217 FT: nearly matching the height of the original Embassy Suites building. The facade is planned to incorporate a blend of modern materials, including metal panels, granite coatings, glass, and stucco accents. As this is the initial design submission, the tower is expected to undergo multiple revisions throughout the planning and construction phases, meaning its final appearance may evolve.
Before construction can begin, the project must go through several approval steps, with the City of Tampa’s Design District Review being a key step. While a construction timeline hasn’t been shared as of now, it’s estimated construction won’t begin until 2027 or later.