Fenway Hotel
Marriott Autograph Collection
Project Details
Project Location:
Dunedin, Florida
Project Scope:
Renovation of 2-story property on 5.4 acres
Project Components:
83 Guestrooms
10,000 SF of Indoor/Outdoor Event Space
Reception
Lobby
Restaurant
Bar
Rooftop Bar
Services Provided:
Interior Design
Architecture
The renovation of an historic property into a Marriott Autograph Collection hotel.
Built in 1927, Fenway Hotel was one of the first grand hotels on Florida’s west coast, attracting an exclusive group of visitors to Dunedin including politicians, artists, and explorers. Our goal in renovating this historic property into an 83 room Marriott Autograph Collection boutique hotel, was to maintain as much of the original building as possible while creating a functional and innovative guest experience. Fenway's rich history served as a bottomless source of inspiration for the design team, and it informed the design process from the outset.
Inspired by Fenway's history as home to the first radio station in Pinellas County, musical references are present throughout the hotel, including a stage in the lobby for live performances. Finishes and materials are true to the building’s original character, including wood plank floors, Spanish tiles, and beadboard ceilings. Amenities that appeal to tech-savvy guests were incorporated into the public areas and guestrooms, including abundant charging ports built into the lobby furniture, and in-room Amazon Echos, which respond to guests’ requests. The result is a wonderful blend of jazz-era elegance and modern convenience that respects the history of the Fenway while appealing to today’s travelers.
A popular amenity for hotel guests and locals is the new rooftop bar overlooking Saint Joseph Sound, which was added on top of an existing wing of guestrooms. Accommodating this additional load required a significant strengthening of the structural supports below as well as creating additional routes for egress.
One of the primary challenges early in the design process was space planning the guest room floors and maximizing the room count while creating rooms large enough to appeal to today’s travelers. This involved demolishing the existing interior walls within the building shell, as well as completely reworking the plumbing locations, in order to allow for more gracious guestrooms. These efforts resulted in a wide variety of guest room configurations, which required unique furniture solutions for each unit type. Throughout the hotel, structural supports were added or reinforced where the existing structure was insufficient.
Beautifully rejuvenated, vibrant and functional, Fenway Hotel serves as a source of pride for the owners, the designers, and the surrounding community.
Completed: October, 2018
