Hotel Cala is scheduled to open on Tampa’s Riverwalk in January 2027, bringing a 281-room Curio Collection by Hilton property to a waterfront building that first welcomed guests in 1968.
The opening timetable was announced in a hotel-issued release on 7 October. Newbond Holdings owns the property, Schulte Hospitality will manage it, and Rockwell Group is leading its redesign.
Dining and events at Hotel Cala
Tao Group Hospitality will operate two dining venues. LAVO will make its Tampa debut with coastal Italian food, while BarOnda is planned as a more informal waterfront venue for cocktails and small plates.
The hotel’s Visit Tampa Bay listing places it at 200 North Ashley Drive, with direct Riverwalk access and connections to the Tampa Convention Center, Water Street Tampa, the University of Tampa and the city’s museums and entertainment venues.
Its accommodation includes 16 suites. The tourism listing also identifies a riverfront pool deck, fitness facilities and around 10,000 square feet of meeting and event space, positioning the property for overnight stays, business gatherings and social occasions. The listing puts Tampa International Airport seven miles away and the convention centre one mile from the property.
Refinancing supports the conversion
The launch follows a financing milestone earlier this year. In an announcement dated 24 April, Bain Capital and Smith Hill Capital said they had completed a $94 million refinancing to support the hotel’s renovation and rebranding.
The lenders described the project as the repositioning of the former Sheraton into Hotel Cala. Their announcement said the ownership group was also investing new capital in the scheme, with work covering redesigned guestrooms, meeting spaces, waterfront public areas, the façade and a destination pool deck.
The financing came through a Bain Capital and Smith Hill joint venture focused on US hospitality assets. Smith Hill identified the property’s location as serving business and leisure travellers.
The $94 million figure is refinancing, not a construction budget, and should not be presented as the refurbishment cost. The April release established financing and conversion plans; the October announcement added the opening timetable.
January 2027 remains a planned opening window rather than a confirmed first trading day. The announcements reviewed do not specify an exact date within that month.
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