$30M luxury hotel in the works for Anna Maria

Mainsail Lodging & Development, with properties that include a spa and marina in the British Virgin Islands and the Epicurean Hotel in South Tampa, is moving ahead on a $30 million hotel on Anna Maria Island.

The project, the Waterline Marina Resort & Beach Club, includes a partnership with the Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium in Sarasota, according to a statement. A groundbreaking is scheduled for Oct. 15, the statement adds. The event, not open to the public, is scheduled to include comments from several area officials, including restaurateur Ed Chiles, a partner in the project who owns the Beach House on Bradenton Beach, among other eateries; Mote President and CEO Michael Crosby; and Mainsail President Joe Collier.

The project, according to the statement, will be the island's only full-service hotel. Features include two-bedroom suites with gourmet kitchens, a 50-slip marina, a restaurant and a resort-style swimming pool with oversized sun deck and separate beach club. The partnership with Mote, the developers add, will “offer a variety of unique eco-experiences for guests and locals.”

Mainsail's properties include Scrub Island Resort, a $110 million spa and marina on a private isle in the British Virgin Islands; the Epicurean, a new luxury hotel in South Tampa; the Mainsail Suites Hotel and Conference Center, near Tampa International Airport; and the Mainsail Beach Inn, a luxury condo and marina project on Anna Maria.