For locals who have been asleep the last ten months, the Wesley Chapel/New Tampa area’s first and only rooftop bar is serving food and drinks at the Residence Inn Tampa-Wesley Chapel, which is adjacent to the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus of Pasco County.

According to the company’s VP of Openings & Transitions Tom Haines, the Marriott-branded Residence Inn was designed by Mainsail Lodging & Development to be not only the perfect complement to the Sports Campus, but also to the explosive growth area known as Wesley Chapel.

“In addition to sports, Wesley Chapel has a lot of new businesses relocating people here and is becoming a health care medical mecca,” Haines says. “I live here, my kids go to school here and we love Wesley Chapel.”

Mainsail, which was founded by Joe Collier in 1998, now has 13 hotel properties in Georgia and the Tampa Bay area (including the Fenway Hotel in Dunedin and the Epicurean in South Tampa) and six more in development, with 1,100 total employees and more than $200 million in annual revenues. 

As for the local Residence Inn, Haines says Mainsail decided to build it because Collier was the chairman of the Hillsborough County Sports Authority, which made an attempt to get RADDSports (the private partner of Pasco County that manages the programs at the Sports Campus) to develop a Sports Campus-type facility there, “and RADD kept Mainsail involved here. This isn’t our usual build, but there was the draw of sports, which presented an opportunity we couldn’t pass up.” 

The hotel is the first-ever Residence Inn with a rooftop bar. It is a 128-room all-studio hotel with 65 studio king suites, 24 studio kings with conservation views, 19 studios with two queen beds, 8 one-bedroom king studios, 8 one-bedroom studios with two queen beds and 4 two-bedroom suites with one king and one queen bed. All of the suites feature a pull-out sofa sleeper, full-sized refrigerators, kitchens and all amenities for cooking.

Other on-site amenities include complimentary breakfast, an outdoor swimming pool (that is heated in the winter), a fitness center, 24/7 Market, on-site laundry with washers & dryers, rental bicycles (where the first hour is free) and outdoor grills, as well as on-site meeting space for up to 26 people.

The Wesley Chapel Residence Inn has a new general manager and director of sales, Rebecca “Becky” Hayes, who brings a lot of enthusiasm for the hotel and the community with her to her new jobs.

“I’m really looking forward to getting out in this community and meeting more people,” she says, “especially with the holiday party season coming up. This hotel is great for any kind of social event.” 

Plus, if you book your holiday party for up to 100 guests by Oct. 31 for any Sun.-Thur. (Nov. 14-Dec. 23), your venue rental (a $500 value) will be waived and you’ll receive a complimentary champagne toast.

Skybox — Food, Drinks & Fun!

Whether you or your out-of-town visitors stay at the Residence Inn or not, you should still check out our area’s only rooftop bar to have a few drinks and a little something to eat.

The Skybox’s appetizer “Bites” include Bavarian pretzel rolls with beer cheese, spinach & artichoke dip, shrimp, crab & parmesan dip and the current favorite — loaded kettle chips with pulled pork or chicken, nacho cheese, chili, jalapeños, pico de gallo, olives & sour cream.

There also are grilled southwest chicken, BBQ pulled pork and roasted veggie wrap sandwiches, salads and a reasonably priced kids’ menu, as well as a variety of desserts.

Skybox bartenders also serve a great selection of premium alcohol craft cocktails, fine wines and craft beers.

For more information about the Residence Inn Tampa-Wesley Chapel (2867 Lajuana Blvd.) and the Skybox Rooftop Bar, call (833) 214-9098 or visit Marriott.com or SkytopRooftopBar.com

Recommended Posts

No comment yet, add your voice below!


Add a Comment