Hundreds of hotel rooms to be built in Manatee County over next two years

MANATEE -- New hotels are finally being constructed throughout Manatee County, and area hoteliers are starting to collaborate and share ideas about keeping their rates steady when the competition heats up.

"The best thing that happened in downtown Bradenton when the Hampton Inn opened was the Courtyard Marriott maintained its business," said Elliott Falcione, executive director of the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. "It was the perfect scenario, but we can't wait and see. We have to figure it out now together."

Up to 700 more hotel rooms are expected to be built in the next two years, Falcione said. Right now, a 125-room Hyatt Place is under construction in Lakewood Ranch. A 133-room Homewood Suites behind The Mall at University Town Center began construction this summer, and the 37-room Waterline project on Anna Maria Island broke ground a few weeks ago.

Proposals for the Bradenton Area Convention Center hotel are due this Friday.

"That hotel will stimulate more small conferences and conventions, and mainland hotels will get a lead from that," Falcione said.

Space for roughly 2,700 hotel rooms in Manatee County, stretching from north of the Manatee River to South County, has development entitlements, or pre-approvals that waive the need for public hearings or zoning requests. The spaces just need to be developed or marketed for development, according to John Osborne, Manatee County planning official.

Osborne stressed that development entitlements can expire or change depending on how long ago the entitlement was approved, and developers often face upfront costs such as building roads or addressing other infrastructure issues before breaking ground.

"That's why with a lot of these projects, if you drive out to Parrish and North County, there's still cows out there," Osborne said. "There's a development entitlement, but there's cows out there today."

When the cows are replaced by hotel rooms, Falcione hopes collaboration between short-term rental general managers and owners can help absorb any extra rooms. It was Falcione's idea to call Tuesday's meeting for owners and general managers to network, and one he's wanted to put into action for a while.

"What if we plateau in visitation?" Falcione asked the group gathered at the Powell Crosley Estate. "Are we going to compromise your average daily rate? Are we going to compromise your occupancy rates? What if we tail off in business and you have that added bed stock?"

Dale Sconyers, Manatee County Tourist Development Council member and general manager of Holiday Inn and Fairfield Inn hotels in Lakewood Ranch, said he thinks continued meetings between owners and general managers of short-term rentals can answer some of the questions posed by Falcione.

"A lot of people in this room don't know each other," Sconyers said. "And when any hotel room opens in town, it affects all of us and affects our occupancy. If you decide to rent out a room in your house, it affects our occupancy."

Sconyers has faith the economy will support additional lodging in Manatee County.

"A lot of hotel rooms will come online," he said. "The rates will dip slightly, but then marketing will take over."

Though the hoteliers at Tuesday's meetings are spread across Manatee County, many of them have similar concerns.

"In University Parkway, we don't share the same type of clientele, like who is coming for the beach," said Jan Stanek, general manager for Buffalo Lodging hotels the Courtyard Marriott and Hampton Inn. "But we still want to know what's going on in the community."

Buffalo Lodging, a company affiliated with Benderson Development Co., will also manage the Homewood Suites behind The Mall at University Town Center.

Janelle O'Dea, Herald business reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7095 or follow her on Twitter@jayohday.

This story was originally published October 27, 2015 at 5:57 PM with the headline "Hundreds of hotel rooms to be built in Manatee County over next two years ."