OPENINGS
Moxy St . Pete in downtown St . Petersburg , Fla .
YOU GOT MOXIE ,
PTM PARTNERS , DOVEHILL OPEN MOXY ST . PETE , FLA .
ST . PETERSBURG
By KATHAKALI NANDI
Moxie , meaning courage and determination . Moxy , a hotel brand launched by Marriott International in 2013 and designed to capture the then “ rapidly ” emerging millennial traveler . Today , there are more than 130 Moxy hotels worldwide .
One of the most recent is Moxy St . Pete in downtown St . Petersburg , Fla ., which opened in August in one of the fastestgrowing markets in the U . S .
The 163-room hotel is full of amenities , including a rooftop destination with a swimming pool that is lined with cabanas and an open-air bar . Come fall , the rooftop will also be home to Sparrow , a bar and lounge with views of the city . The 4,000-square-foot space will draw inspiration from the 1950s and 1960s American Modernism and offer Asianinspired cuisine . It ’ s a lot to pack into a hotel with the budget traveler in mind .
The hotel is a joint venture between Fort Lauderdale-based PTM Partners and DoveHill Capital Management , the latter led by founder and CEO Jake Wurzak ,
Jake Wurzak , co-CEO of Wurzak Hotel Group and CEO of DoveHill whose Wurzak Hotel Group will manage the property . DoveHill also played a key role in shaping hospitality , design , programming and space planning .
The hotel ’ s goal is clear and simple : redefine the pulse of St . Petersburg and be a game changer in the neighborhood ’ s hospitality scene , Wurzak said .
Moxy St . Pete will be more than a place to stay , noted Wurzak . He calls it a “ multi-functional hub ,” a gathering place for the local community . His vision was to create a space that would draw people in , so , for example , every nook and cranny of the lobby is programmed to be lively and transforms from day to night activity .
70 hotelsmag . com September 2024