Developer opens $30 million hotel

ST. PETERSBURG — The Karol Hotel, a $30 million project developed by the Bullard Group, opened for business Feb. 6 in a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman.

Located at 2675 Ulmerton Road, in the Feather Sound neighborhood between Clearwater and St. Petersburg, the nine-story, 123-room Karol Hotel is the first Marriott Tribute Portfolio hotel to open in Pinellas County, according to a press release. It will be operated by Mainsail Lodging & Development, a Tampa-based hospitality management firm.

The Karol Hotel, the release states, is named for and inspired by Karol Kelly Bullard, wife of Bullard Group CEO Fred Bullard. The property features a rooftop bar that overlooks Tampa Bay, 7,340 square feet of event space, a ballroom, pool and fitness center, in addition to a bar and bistro called the K Club.

“Our vision for The Karol Hotel has become a reality, with a spectacular finished product that beautifully captures the spirit of hotel owners Fred and Karol Bullard,” Karol Hotel General Manager Adam Duffey states in the release. “We’re grateful for all the tremendous work and support behind the project, allowing us to introduce the crown jewel of Feather Sound.”