Redone Manatee hotel to reopen

MANATEE COUNTY — A makeover, including a new hotel flag, is nearly complete at one of the larger hotels in east Manatee County.

The hotel, formerly the Comfort Suites University Park, will be renamed the Courtyard by Marriott Sarasota/University Park by the end of the month, according to a release. The four-story, 134-room hotel, just west of Interstate 75 on University Parkway, is managed by Buffalo Lodging Associates, which runs several other hotels in the region.

Renovations include new paint and linens for guest rooms, and an expanded, redesigned and technologically enhanced lobby. The new lobby, according to the release, will have a large business center with several computer stations, in addition to a 55-inch HD TV with local weather and news. Free Wi-Fi is also available in the lobby, and guest rooms.

Officials with Buffalo Lodging did not immediately return calls for comment on what the renovation project costs.

This story has been updated to reflect that only the hotel's flag is new, not its parent company.