Courtesy: Mia Taylor | News Source: travelpulse.com

WHY IT RATES: Located just off the coast of the bay, The Karol Hotel is just 15 minutes from Tampa’s Westshore Business District and Tampa International Airport, making it a perfect option for business and leisure travelers alike.—Mia Taylor, TravelPulse Senior Writer.

Tampa-based Mainsail Lodging & Development has announced a late fall opening for The Karol Hotel (2675 Ulmerton Road), the first Tribute Portfolio hotel in Pinellas County, Florida.

Centrally located in Feather Sound between Clearwater, St. Pete and Tampa, the new boutique hotel will feature 123 guest rooms and suites; a signature lobby bar and restaurant; a rooftop bar overlooking Tampa Bay; a combined 7,340 square feet of event space, including a ballroom and executive conference rooms; and a resort-style pool and fitness center.

Marketed by Mainsail Lodging & Development, the hotel is named for and inspired by Karol Kelly Bullard, “Miss Karol K,” wife of Fred Bullard, CEO of The Bullard Group, which is developing the property.

“The Karol Hotel is going to be a showcase property – in this market, in our collection, and in the Tribute Portfolio,” said Joe Collier, Mainsail Lodging & Development’s president. “The Karol will be a hideaway of classic, refined comforts, with a personality built on charm, generosity, and tasteful indulgence of the finer things – the same spirit embodied by its namesake.”

Part of Marriott International, Inc. the Tribute Portfolio is a family of independent boutique hotels, each with its own personality, but rooted in their local community and bound by a heart for connecting people and places. “That makes The Karol a perfect fit,” added Collier.

Fred and Karol Bullard are two of Feather Sound’s, and Florida’s, most notable duos, known for living lives full of adventure, business, philanthropy, family, love, and dinners with presidents. When presented the opportunity to build a hotel, as chairman and CEO of The Bullard Group, Fred knew it would be an homage to Karol.

“With her personality and drive, Karol was destined for greatness, whether as a radio DJ, finishing school founder or Florida’s first weather woman,” said Bullard. “Now she devotes herself to various charities and philanthropies, generously working to support the arts, families and children in need. It’s just who she is.”

Celebrating the serendipity that first brought Karol and Fred together, The Karol will be the ornament of Feather Sound, where their timeless personality and style, Florida roots, and unique story combine to create a perfect backdrop for wonderful things to come.

The new boutique hotel will feature 123 guest rooms and suites dressed in a rich and pleasing palette of white marble, tawny beige, gray, and bold accents of clear Florida sky blue carpet with an abstracted feather motif. Guests of The Karol Hotel will also have ample options to explore their culinary curiosity, from the signature K Club Bar & Bistro to the Vantage Rooftop Bar overlooking Tampa Bay.

Located just off the coast of the bay, The Karol Hotel is 15 minutes from Tampa’s Westshore Business District and Tampa International Airport, making it a perfect option for business and leisure travelers alike.

For more information on The Karol Hotel, visit TheKarolHotel.com.