Tampa's 1st 5-Star Hotel Named Among Best New Hotels In World

TAMPA, FL — The Tampa Edition, Tampa's first 5-star hotel, has been named one of the Best New Hotels in the World in 2023 by Travel + Leisure on its list of The 100 Best New Hotels in the World.

Located in the heart of Tampa’s bustling Water Street district, the 172-room property is near major sites and offers seven dining and drinking concepts, five of which feature menus created under the guidance of Michelin-starred chef John Fraser.

Accessible from Channelside Drive, the hotel’s main entrance at 500 Channelside Drive with its softly curved bougainvillea-covered canopy, leads to an open-flow lobby with soaring 20-foot-high ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows that bring natural light onto the elegant interiors anchored by a dramatic white marble sculptural staircase.

Here, a mixture of open-pore travertine, walnut wood and a jungle of live greenery comes together in the Lobby Bar to create a warm, natural backdrop for striking features such as a large-scale stainless steel Anish Kapoor-inspired lilac orb art piece, a custom-designed travertine pool table and intimately grouped furniture — from Christian Liaigre reading lights to Jean-Michel Frank-style chairs — that sit atop champagne-colored rugs. The Lobby Bar serves elevated classic cocktails with a Mediterranean twist, along with shareable small plates.

Related:

• Tampa's 1st 5-Star Hotel Opens With Lenny Kravitz Performance
• Tampa EDITION Offers Elevated Dining Experience

Flanking this space is a scalloped American Black Walnut bar with cognac leather stools, which then flows into Lilac, the signature fine dining Mediterranean restaurant helmed by Fraser. Open from Tuesday to Saturday, the dining room’s walnut flooring and the warm glow from the pendant globes create a convivial space focused around an eight-seat Christian Liaigre chef’s counter in sandblasted walnut and an open kitchen.

Taking its cues from Fraser’s Greek heritage, the cuisine at Lilac highlights locally sourced and seasonal ingredients showcasing unique flavors and techniques through an Eastern Mediterranean lens. Guests receive a prix fixe menu, beginning with hors d’oeuvres to share followed by three courses of their choice. Signature dishes include locally sourced grouper cooked in a cataplana, short rib cooked on a rotisserie and herbed pasta with a soft egg and sherry-braised chanterelle mushrooms.

Only the second Edition hotel to open in the state after Miami Beach, the Tampa Edition is the 15th in the world.

To see the complete list of hotels listed in Travel + Leisure, click here.