New Hotels and Convention Space Add Exciting Options for Meetings in Tampa Bay

The waterfront Tampa Convention Center will debut 18 new meeting rooms with views of Tampa Bay in mid-2023.

Tampa Bay keeps finding new ways to roll out the red carpet for meetings and events.

At the waterfront Tampa Convention Center, 18 new meeting rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows and views of Tampa Bay will debut in mid-2023. The two-story addition—part of the convention center’s $38 million capital improvement project—will span 18,000 square feet and include a terrace and outdoor space.

Conveniently, more than 3,000 hotel rooms are within five blocks of the convention center—including the luxury 26-story JW Marriott Tampa Water Street, which opened in 2021 with an elegant midcentury modern design, sprawling waterfront views and the highest rooftop bar in Tampa Bay.

“The addition of the JW Marriott has really been transformational,” says Adam DePiro, vice president of convention sales for Visit Tampa Bay (VTB). The JW Marriott is connected to the recently renovated Tampa Marriott Water Street. Combined, the properties offer 1,250 rooms and more than 125,000 square feet of meeting space—including the largest ballroom on the Gulf Coast.

“With the new inventory, and the expansion and renovation of the convention center, we can attract larger events,” adds DePiro.

Another Water Street hotel is expected to open in September—the Tampa EDITION, the city’s first five-star hotel, with 172 rooms and suites, meeting space, and a rooftop bar and terrace.

In addition to being home to exciting new hotel properties, the new 56-acre Water Street Tampa downtown development demonstrates the city’s commitment to sustainability. It’s the first WELL Certified Neighborhood in the world, a designation awarded to communities designed to protect the health and well-being of residents and visitors.

Tampa’s dining scene is also hot. Nineteen Tampa restaurants have recently been included in the prestigious MICHELIN Guide to Florida.

To learn more about all the options available for meetings in Tampa Bay, contact a VTB representative.