Exclusive: 87-room Marriott Tribute Portfolio hotel proposed for John’s Pass Village in Madeira Beach
/A rendering of the proposed hotel at the corner of Pelican Lane and bOARDWALK pLACE | Place Architecture
A new boutique hotel is in the works for Madeira Beach’s John’s Pass Village, offering visitors a new place to stay in the heart of the popular waterfront shopping and dining destination.
Prominent developer Bill Karns, who is also leading the Madeira Beach Town Center project, and Marcus Winters, owner of Caddy’s Restaurant Group, are proposing an 87-key Marriott Tribute hotel directly across from the iconic John’s Pass boardwalk.
The site, located on the southwest corner of 129th Avenue East and Pelican Lane, is owned by Karns and is currently being used as a 180-space surface parking lot.
The proposed hotel will be located at 129th Avenue and Pelican Lane in Madeira Beach | ST. PETE RISING
The proposed six-story hotel will be a “condo-hotel,” a hybrid model that blends hotel and condominium features. Individual units will be available both for purchase and for nightly rentals.
The hotel will be a member of Marriott’s Tribute Portfolio, a collection of independent boutique hotels designed to reflect the character and history of their locations.
The Tampa Bay area currently contains two Tribute Portfolio hotels: The Karol Hotel at 2675 Ulmerton Road near St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport, and The Westshore Grand at 4860 West Kennedy Boulevard in Tampa’s Westshore district.
According to plans shared exclusively with St. Pete Rising, the hotel will include 11,600 square feet of ground-floor retail and a 1,000-square-foot café connected to the lobby. A six-story 268-space parking garage will be concealed behind guest rooms. The design also includes a porte cochere with valet parking.
A rendering of the proposed hotel along Boardwalk Place East and East END LANE | Place Architecture
The sixth floor will feature a 12,000-square-foot outdoor rooftop terrace with a pool overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway. Indoor amenities on the top floor will total 26,000 square feet and include a restaurant and bar, event space, meeting space, a lounge, and a fitness center.
The restaurant and bar will be open to the public.
Most of the hotel rooms will range between 500 and 1,000 square feet. The sixth floor will include three penthouse suites, each measuring 1,350 square feet.
“At John’s Pass Village, there’s only a handful of rentals with the most being condos and older motels, but there’s really no other option for visitors,” Karns said in a conversation with St. Pete Rising.
Karns purchased the property in 2021 for $10 million and has since leased it to Florida Parking Co. for use as a surface parking lot.
“I’ve been holding onto this site, waiting for the city to do some rezoning. We finally have that Activity Center designation, and now we can move forward because of that land use change,” said Karns.
In 2024, Pinellas County commissioners and the City of Madeira Beach designated the 27 acres of John’s Pass Village as an Activity Center, allowing higher-density development with up to 60 residential and 100 lodging units per acre.
“The new parking garage will have 268 parking spaces to accommodate hotel guests and replace the previous parking used by employees and customers of the shops and restaurants,” Karns said. “On the south side of the property, we will have a park with a stage that can host events. The park will also allow us to seek a height bonus.”
A rendering of the proposed hotel along Boardwalk Place East | Place Architecture
The dedication of the 7,000-square-foot space space as a city park will be negotiated in the final development agreement.
The plan also calls for the extension of Pelican Lane leading up to the hotel entrance. Additionally, a portion of Fisherman’s Alley will need to be vacated to allow for the development.
Karns stated that he has reviewed the plans with city staff and is in the process of finalizing them. Once submitted, the proposal will be presented at neighborhood meetings and must be approved by the Madeira Beach Board of Commissioners.
A rendering of the proposed hotel at the corner of East End Lane and 129th Avenue North | Place Architecture
“The city isn’t a sleepy fisherman village, and progress is inevitable. We need more developments like these to generate more tax revenue for the city,” Karns said.
Although the unit density is allowed under the new Activity Center designation, the building’s design must remain compatible with the traditional Old Floridian fishing village aesthetic of John’s Pass Village.
Karns and Winters are working with St. Petersburg-based Place Architecture on the project. Jeff Beggins of Century 21 will handle sales for the condo-hotel units.
A rendering of the proposed hotel at the corner of Pelican Lane and 129th Avenue North | Place Architecture
Karns hopes to break ground on the hotel next summer with a planned opening in 2028.
This project will be the second Marriott-flagged hotel that Karns and Winters are developing together.
The partners are also behind The Beachmaker, a luxury condo-hotel resort at 1500 Madeira Way that will be part of the Marriott Autograph Collection. The 161-room resort will feature 10 residential penthouses, 30,000 square feet of retail space, two pools, and a skybridge that will connect residents and visitors to the sands of Madeira Beach.
The Beachmaker is expected to break ground in November and be completed by 2027.
A rendering of the proposed hotel at the corner of Pelican Lane and 129th Avenue North | Place Architecture
