Step inside The Tampa EDITION and you can feel a change in the air. The calm energy, precision and polish point to something bigger.
Tampa is no longer trying to catch up. It’s setting the pace.
Chris Southwick, General Manager of The Tampa EDITION, has watched that transformation firsthand. For him, the city’s luxury evolution reflects a broader shift across the Gulf Coast.
“I think what’s happening here mirrors what we saw in Austin about ten years ago,” he says. “Luxury isn’t being imported anymore. It’s being built right here.”
Chris Southwick, General Manager of The Tampa EDITION, has helped shape Tampa’s rise as a destination for global luxury. Photo courtesy of The Tampa EDITION.
The new geography of luxury
When developers behind Water Street first approached The Tampa EDITION almost a decade ago, Tampa was not an obvious choice. Southwick remembers those early talks clearly.
“There were many discussions eight or nine years ago when the Water Street plan was just an idea,” he says. “People reached out to Marriott looking for a luxury program that made sense.”
The Tampa EDITION looks for cities that are economically strong, culturally vibrant and poised for global attention. Tampa checked every box.
The partnership helped reshape Water Street into a hub for design, dining and high-end living. “Once we saw the city’s growth potential and cultural mix from Ybor to St. Pete, it became clear this was a gateway city in the making,” Southwick says.
That gateway mindset drives The Tampa EDITION’S global growth. Each property opens in a city on the verge of international recognition, from Reykjavik to Rome to Tampa. “We look at where a city will be in ten years,” Southwick says. “Tampa had the right ingredients to grow into that next-tier destination.”
From quiet wealth to cultural sophistication
“There was always money here,” he says. “It just lacked a sophisticated way to spend it. Fifteen years ago I’d come up for a baseball game and drive right back to Sarasota because nothing was happening.”
That has changed fast. Today’s Tampa consumer is younger, global and experience-driven. Corporate relocations, Michelin-starred restaurants and direct international flights have pushed Tampa into a new league.
Red Room within Arts Club at The Tampa EDITION. Photo courtesy of The Tampa EDITION.
“Luxury here still needs education,” Southwick says. “When I travel abroad, I spend more time talking about Tampa than the hotel. People know Miami and Orlando but not Tampa. That’s starting to change.”
He often finds himself acting as both hotelier and ambassador. “We travel to Europe, Mexico City and Cannes to educate travelers and tour operators,” he says. “Sometimes I still pull out a map to show where Tampa is. That tells you how much potential this city still has to define itself globally.”
Always locals first
The Tampa EDITION’S success depends on both visitors and locals. Southwick says the balance is essential.
“When we first opened, it was packed every night,” he says. “Locals filled every restaurant and guests couldn’t get tables. It was a good problem to have, but we had to adjust.”
Now, his team saves space for hotel guests while keeping locals at the center of the experience.
“You can’t run a great hotel with just room nights,” he says. “Locals keep us connected to the city’s rhythm. They’re our best ambassadors.”
Competition helps everyone
Southwick welcomes competition. He says more luxury brands make everyone better. “When the Four Seasons or St. Regis comes, it helps all of us,” he says. “It raises the standard.”
The expansion of international access is also helping. Direct flights from London on Virgin Atlantic and from Mexico City on Aeromexico are attracting a new type of traveler.
“Those routes have been a game changer,” Southwick says. “They connect us to the same global luxury network as Miami and New York.”
A guest room at The Tampa EDITION blends modern simplicity with panoramic views of downtown Tampa. Photo courtesy of The Tampa EDITION.
He views competition as a form of collaboration in disguise. “When you’re the only one doing something, it’s harder to teach people what luxury means,” he says. “When other major brands come in, it validates the market. It tells the world Tampa is ready.”
For him, true luxury is not about price. It’s about trust and service. “We have to show value,” he says. “Service is what earns that difference every day.”
What’s next for The Tampa EDITION
The The Tampa EDITION’S next chapter will center on adaptation. “We’re constantly evolving,” Southwick says. “We change and relaunch our concepts to stay relevant. What worked two years ago might not work now.”
Upcoming phases of Water Street will add more residential, retail and cultural elements, which Southwick believes will shape the next stage of Tampa’s luxury landscape. “You’ll see more brands like Dior and Saint Laurent,” he says.
He also hopes to see more soft retail across Water Street’s next phase. “We’ll shift from office-driven to lifestyle-driven,” he says. “That means more fashion, jewelry and art. The first phase was about structure. The next one is about experience.”
For Southwick, constant change is part of The Tampa EDITION’S DNA. “Adaptation is built into who we are,” he says. “If a concept isn’t relevant anymore we reimagine it. That’s what keeps the brand fresh. And that same mindset fits perfectly with Tampa right now.”
Cultivating not copying
For Southwick, Tampa’s rise is not about copying Miami or chasing trends. “What makes Tampa special is that it’s still grounded,” he says. “It has history, community and ambition. Our job is to build on that, not erase it.”
He believes luxury in Tampa is rooted in authenticity, not excess. “This city has both,” he says. “Luxury used to be something Tampa went to find. Now it’s something being built here.”
That shift, he says, changes everything.
It’s not just a new chapter for Tampa. It’s a new definition of what luxury means.
