Vantage point: Developer sees big opportunity in boutique property

Marriott International Inc. gives developers of its Tribute Portfolio, a line of boutique hotels, quite a bit of design leeway — so much so that casual observers might not even know they’ve set foot in a Marriott property.

Apparently that leeway extends to many other facets of the brand. How much space? Fred Bullard, CEO of the Bullard Group, a Clearwater-based property development and management company, has named a Tribute Portfolio hotel in honor of his wife, Karol, who, among other feats, is known for being Florida’s first female weather forecaster, a radio DJ and the founder of a finishing school for young women.