A new urban resort and two high-end restaurants are coming to Tampa’s Riverwalk in January, when the downtown waterfront hotel property that has stood along the Hillsborough River since 1968 reopens as Hotel Cala.
The seven-story, 281-room resort will bring two restaurants to Tampa for the first time through Tao Group Hospitality, the international restaurant and nightlife operator that will manage both concepts.
LAVO, a coastal Italian restaurant built around house-made pastas and whole-grain pizzas, will serve dishes including a meatball made with Wagyu, Italian sausage and veal, while BarOnda will open as the more casual of the two — a waterfront spot for cocktails and smaller bites.
Newbond Holdings, which owns the property, brought in New York-based Rockwell Group to redesign the longtime downtown hotel, adding a resort-style pool deck, 16 suites and 10,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space for as many as 450 guests. The design also reaches into Tampa’s history, including cognac-colored columns inspired by the hand-rolled cigar factories of nearby Ybor City.
“For more than half a century, this site has been part of the fabric of downtown Tampa, and Hotel Cala gives us the opportunity to reimagine it for a new generation,” Newbond Holdings founding partner Neil Luthra said. “We wanted to create something that feels distinctly Tampa — a new destination along the Riverwalk that brings together hospitality, dining and culture in a way that will give both visitors and locals a new reason to experience this part of the city.”
Hotel Cala will join Hilton’s Curio Collection, a portfolio of more than 200 independently branded hotels, while Schulte Hospitality Group will manage the property.