St. Petersburg has been on the upswing for nearly two decades, thanks to a growing and much-acclaimed shopping, restaurant, and bar scene, beautiful weather, and a favorable tax climate. That renaissance has now permeated throughout the entire city.

As Downtown St. Pete continues to go from God’s waiting room to “the next Austin, TX”, demand for hotels continues to rise. Despite the growing demand, and thanks in part to the COVID-19 pandemic, the downtown area hasn’t seen much hotel development over the past few years.

But more hotels are on the way. 

Leading the charge is the new AC Hotel by Marriott St. Petersburg Downtown, which checked in its first guests on Tuesday, at 110 2nd Street North.

The new 8-story AC Hotel contains 172 guest rooms — a dozen of them suites — along with a 2,500-square-foot lobby, 1,800 square feet of meeting and event space, a well-equipped fitness center, and an outdoor pool.

The lobby includes the brand’s AC Kitchen for European-inspired breakfasts and an AC Lounge for craft cocktails, local brews, and sharable plates in the evenings.

Cane & Barrel, the hotel’s signature rooftop terrace bar, is located on the 8th floor of the hotel. The bar is inspired by Cuban heritage and designed with the flora and fauna of Florida in mind.

“This AC Hotel is the perfect complement to St. Pete’s lively downtown vibe,” says General Manager Ben Walters. “The overall design balances form and function, while small details provide an authentic sense of place. Whether you’re in town to work or play or a bit of both, we’re an easy walk to everywhere — but with our lively AC Lounge in the lobby and our rum- drenched restaurant on the roof, you might not want to go anywhere else!”

The 172-key AC Hotel is part of Ascent St. Pete, a 36-story $117 million hotel and apartment tower being developed and constructed by Greystar Real Estate Partners and Concord Hospitality.

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.

In addition to welcoming its first guests on Tuesday, the hotel was also sold to OTO Development, which will also be managing the property.

“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.”

OTO Development, part of The Johnson Group, is an award-winning, fast-growing hotel development and hospitality management company. The company currently owns and/or operates around 70 hotels comprising approximately 9,600 room keys.