Downtown St. Petersburg Hotel Will Add 65 Rooms and Rooftop Bar in February

The Cordova Inn will open a five-story expansion next month in downtown St. Petersburg that more than triples the hotel's room count from 32 to 97. Co-owner Tommy Del Zoppo said the ownership team is aiming for a February 15 opening for the addition at 253 2nd Avenue North.

"We can see the light at the end of the tunnel," Del Zoppo said, according to St. Pete Rising. "We've been laser-focused on getting this done, and we'd like to open by Feb. 15th. At this point it's furniture, final finishes, and waiting on a few inspections."

The expansion will include three luxury suites on the top floor with panoramic views of downtown. A fifth-floor rooftop bar and ground-floor restaurant will both be open to the public.

The ownership team closed on the property in December 2019. Construction by St. Pete-based Reno Boyd Building Co. started in 2023, with the building topping out in mid-2024.

The new accommodations are around 400 square feet on average. Two-bedroom units approach 900 square feet.

"These aren't traditional hotel rooms — they're big," Del Zoppo told St. Pete Rising. "Some of them are essentially mini-apartments."

The rooms will have full-size fridges and spacious bathrooms. Del Zoppo said the design works for guests staying one night, families, and longer stays.

"We want our price point to stay reasonable so families can enjoy St. Pete," he said.

The ground-floor restaurant will take up 3,000 square feet with an 800-square-foot kitchen. Outdoor seating is planned for the front porch, a second-floor terrace, and a garden patio between the historic hotel and new addition. The restaurant operator hasn't been selected yet.

"We're not in a race to get the next celebrity chef in St. Petersburg," Del Zoppo said. "It's better to wait than to shove something in."

A barbershop and salon run by Billy's Corner Barbershop will take up first-floor space. The second-floor terrace will host weddings, brunches, and cocktail hours.

The rooftop bar will have cabana-style seating and views of the downtown skyline, including the St. Pete Pier. Wellness programming will include rooftop yoga, personal training, and massage services.

The project budget is around $30 million. Place Architecture designed the expansion, and Tampa Bay artist Aaron Tullo painted a five-story mural of a white peacock during last year's SHINE Mural Festival.

After the expansion opens, the ownership team plans to gut the original 105-year-old building and rebuild its interior while keeping the same number of rooms.