Historic hotel property names general manager

DUNEDIN — Mainsail Lodging & Development LLC has named Michael “Mickey” Melendez to be the general manager of its historic Fenway Hotel in Dunedin.

In that capacity, Melendez will oversee all hiring and day-to-day operations at the 83-room hotel, which originally opened in 1927.

“Michael’s diverse experience and positive leadership style make him a welcome addition at Fenway and the larger Mainsail family,” says Joe Collier, Mainsail Lodging’s president, in a statement.

“This is a challenging time in the travel industry and having a clear vision and familiarity with managing an Autograph property will enable him to play a vital role in the continued success of our Grand Lady.”

Melendez has more than 17 years of hospitality experience, with Columbia Sussex and the Shaner Hotel Group, where he worked as the general manager in Jacksonville Beach, Durham, N.C., and elsewhere. Most recently, he was the general manager at The Daytona, a Marriott International Inc. Autograph Collection hotel on Florida’s East Coast, the release states. 

In addition to its rooms and suites, the Fenway Hotel contains the HEW Parlor & Chophouse, the Hi-Fi Rooftop Bar overlooking St. Joseph Sound; and 10,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space, including the Caladesi Ballroom.

Melendez’s hiring comes amid a flurry of personnel moves at Mainsail Lodging’s Gulf Coast properties.

In March, the Tampa-based company announced that Shawn Routten had been named general manager of the 137-room Epicurean Hotel in the Hyde Park section of South Tampa, another Autograph Collection property.

Additionally, Adam Hyatt was named executive chef at the culinary-themed hotel and its Elevage SoHo Kitchen & Bar, Edge Rooftop Cocktail Lounge and 5,200 square feet of function and event space.

Both Routten and Hyatt also had ties to the Fenway Hotel. Routten joined the Epicurean from the Fenway Hotel, where he was general manager, while Hyatt in 2018 helped open the Fenway Hotel as executive chef at HEW Parlor & Chophouse.