The new ownership group of the former waterfront resort Magnuson Hotel Marina Cove, located on the southern tip of St. Petersburg, has brought new life to the beachfront oasis.

Since buying the 18-acre property at 6800 Sunshine Skyway Lane South in 2022 for over $17 million, investor Ben Willner and his team have been feverishly renovating the property that had fallen into disrepair and closed in 2020.

The resort, now named SkyBeach Hotel and Marina, contains 113 renovated guest rooms, a private beachfront, a rebuilt marina, a sports complex with pickleball courts, a two-story beachfront bar, a cafe, a food truck, and more.

"This is a legacy project and property," Willner said to St. Pete Rising during a one-on-one property tour.

Willner, who has lived in the area for over a decade and owns residential properties throughout Tampa and St. Pete, said the property had "strong bones" and great potential.

At the heart of the resort is the beloved two-story SkyBar, formerly known as the Nepa Hut Beach Bar, that has panoramic views of Tampa Bay and will serve fruity cocktails on the second level.

The group has removed the sliding glass doors, expanding the SkyBar, which overlooks the resort’s private beach area.

The first floor of the reimagined SkyBar will have open seating and can accommodate a pop-up bar during special events.

In addition to renovating the two-story bar, the team enhanced the waterfront by rebuilding the entire seawall and adding sand to the private beach, nearly doubling the previous size.

They've also resurfaced the pools, added a fire pit area and lighting.

Among the most substantial undertakings were the redevelopment of the marina and the construction of a new sports complex.

The team gutted and rebuilt the 29-slip marina, adding new lifts and dredging it deeper to accommodate larger vessels for resort guests and the public.

Near the marina, a parked red food truck, dubbed The Salty Pelican, will serve grouper sandwiches, salads, wings, and fish caught by hotel guests.

Additionally, a new Banyan Tree Cafe will offer breakfast and lunch.

The resort also added a fitness center and gift shop, which is operated by Atlas Body + Home, a retailer that has a storefront in the EDGE District of downtown St. Pete.

To bring more amenities to the resort, the group turned a vacant grassy lot into three Olympic-sized sand volleyball courts and converted tennis courts into 14 lighted pickleball courts, which can be reserved by the public during certain times. There's also a shuffleboard court.

Day passes will be available to the public for pool and beach access.

Over the two-year renovation process, Willner worked with architect firm J. Wilhelm Consulting, landscape architect GreenSpace Design and Consulting, Micro Innovation to install technology upgrades throughout the property, Thomas Sign and Image360 to install the new signage, and Bayside Dredging and Waterline to dredge the marine and rebuild the docks and seawall.

While the renovation of the resort is wrapping up, Willner said they will continue to improve the guest experience and become a social gathering place, appealing to every generation. 

"I hope my grandkids one day will own this and keep taking it to the next level year after year," Willner said.

SkyBeach Hotel and Resort is expected to begin welcoming guests this spring. Be sure to follow along on Instagram and Facebook to stay up to date on grand opening plans.