Five-Star Fancy

Despite an abundance of investment and construction of new hotel rooms in the Tampa Bay area over the past four years, a key area lodging analyst believes the region could land a new five-star lodging property.

Lou Plasencia told a mid-April development forum hosted by the Westshore Alliance that there might even be an “announcement in the next 12 months” about a new luxury hotel being developed in the area.

Five-star hotels, as ranked by Forbes Travel Guide, are reserved for upscale brands such as Ritz-Carlton, Four Seasons, Mandarin Oriental, St. Regis, Waldorf-Astoria and InterContinental. Each features an array of amenities and services that command top average daily room rates within the hospitality industry.