Godfrey Hotel & Cabanas opens on Tampa

Oxford Hotels & Resorts has opened the Godfrey Hotel & Cabanas Tampa, the fourth Godfrey-branded property in the management company's portfolio.

The hotel was formerly known as the Bay Harbor Hotel & Conference Center and was once the property of New York Yankees' owner George Steinbrenner, serving as the team's spring training base for more than 30 years.

All existing guestrooms were completely renovated, and 15 rooms were added to the hotel, bringing the total to 276 total rooms, including 14 suites. Renovations to the lobby and waterfront restaurant and bar have refreshed the common spaces, and a cafe and wine bar were added to the lobby area. The lobby area features refreshments by local coffee roaster Buddy Brew Coffee.

Exterior refreshments include a reconstruction of a 3,200-square-foot pier, and other outdoor amenities include two heated pools and a beach.

The Godfrey Hotel & Cabanas will also offer the area additional nightlife, with weekly live music in the lobby and other entertainment options to be announced. The restaurant offers breakfast on the beach as well as a full menu of Latin- and Caribbean-influenced cuisine.

The Tampa property joins three existing Godfrey hotels, in Hollywood, Calif.; Chicago; and Boston.

John W. Rutledge, founder, president and CEO of Oxford Hotels & Resorts and its parent company, Oxford Capital Group, said in a statement, "We consider Tampa Bay and the greater Tampa Bay area to be one of the most dynamically growing areas in the country; thus, we felt this was a perfect choice for our first southern Godfrey."

A package to welcome the new hotel to the area, the Godfrey Passport, enables guests to earn a one-night, complimentary stay at any Godfrey property after completing stays at any other of the four Godfrey properties.