Holiday Inn on Lido undergoing major facelift

The Holiday Inn on Lido, a landmark site on the drive between Lido Beach and downtown Sarasota, is getting a major facelift. And when done the property will have a new name: Cirque St. Armands Beachside. 

The target for opening is this fall, according to the website from Opal Collection, which handles marketing for the hotel's ownership group. Opal officials declined to comment on the renovation, including cost. A spokesperson instead referred to information on its website for details. 

Visit Sarasota President and CEO Erin Duggan has noted the project, saying in a statement to the Business Observer that the hotel is undergoing an “amazing update and renovation."

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The site of the former Holiday Inn is currently a hard hat zone, with wooden planks in the place of some balconies and the first floor totally gutted.

Photo by Elizabeth King

Ownership of the hotel is under Lido Hotel LLC, which is based out of Delray Beach. That LLC's address matches the address of Ocean Properties Hotels and Resorts, which, according to its website is a "trade name used to market a group of independently owned and operated hotels and properties. These hotels include properties branded by Marriott, Hilton, Starwood and IHG and independent hotels and resorts marketed as the Opal Collection."

In January, Lido Hotel LLC gave notice to Sarasota County it would be starting roof work. The company reported to the county in September 2023 that it was planning renovations.

Photo by Elizabeth King

Once the renovations and roof work are complete, Cirque St. Armands will pay tribute to Sarasota’s history as a circus town 

“Picture something that blends a 1920s art deco vibe with whimsical Big Top touches,” Opal Collection says on its website. “The Great Gatsby meets Moulin Rouge with grandiose billowing drapery, geometric and stripe patterns, ornate ostrich feather chandeliers, golden wall sconces and pin-striped columns.”

A restaurant called Ringside, a pool bar called Ringmaster and a lobby bar known as Midway will add to the offerings.

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Floor-to-ceiling windows and murals with trapeze artists will greet diners at Ringside, where five booths will be set behind velvet drapery and cuisine will feature “bold flavors and Gulf seafood favorites,” according to the website. 

The Lido property is one of three hotels coming to the Gulf Coast in the Opal Collection’s portfolio over the next year, according to its website. Opal Sol on Clearwater Beach and Olde Naples Hotel in Naples are expected to open in 2025.

Opal Collection encompasses more than 25 hotels on the East Coast, including a few in the Sarasota area: Lido Beach Resort, The Resort at Longboat Key Club and Zota Beach Resort on Longboat Key.

Bookings at the Cirque St. Armands Beachside are available Oct. 2. Rooms start at $254 a night for a bay view, $322 a night for a gulf view and $534 a night for the penthouse one bedroom king suite.

Cirque St. Armands Beachside is at 233 Benjamin Franklin Dr.

Photo by Elizabeth King