Two developers: Angus Rogers

Floridays Development Co. CEO Angus Rogers is convinced the city he has called home for the past 19 years needs the type of hotel that can draw significant attention.

He already knows how to make a property stand out: His 432-room Floridays hotel in Orlando is ranked the No. 1 hotel destination in that area, despite the fact it is surrounded by a slew of franchise hotels. In Sarasota, Rogers wants to build a 180-room boutique hotel on Palm Avenue; his management firm would operate it independently.

“We have already designed one hotel that didn’t fit into the proverbial hotel-brand box, and it became a big success,” Rogers said, referring to the Orlando property. “It’s a testament to our team and how we take care of guests. It can be done here.”

Rogers and his partner, Marco Manzie, formed a company called Paramount Management that already is managing other hotels successfully.

In 1993, Rogers moved to Sarasota full-time, after living for years in Orlando. Locally, his company has built the Grande Riviera, where he lives on Golden Gate Point.

A couple of years ago, Rogers met with Sarasota architect Jonathan Parks, who had sought him out to discuss the Palm Avenue hotel site. Ever since that meeting, Rogers has thought of building a hotel in Sarasota.

“There is a synergy with team members, many of whom I worked with already,” said Rogers, who notes that team already has designed every detail of this new hotel project, where utilities need to be relocated.
Rogers added that when he moved to Sarasota, “you could shoot a cannon down Main Street after 5 p.m. without hitting anyone.”

The man who calls Sarasota “a hidden gem” wants to enhance its glimmer.

“Today, Sarasota has evolved, and the hotel I want to build involves the community, involves the arts community and is an economic driver for the area,” Rogers said. “We need a boutique hotel here that delivers a lifestyle our city wants.”

Rogers envisions not just tourists, but also city residents using his hotel and its first-floor restaurant.

“We are all about exposing Sarasota to everyone else,” Rogers said. “I’m compelled to do something here locally that’s noteworthy, and I believe the city will embrace it as part of the fabric of downtown.”

Angus Rogers
Age: 53
Occupation: CEO of Sarasota-based Floridays Development Co.
Birthplace: Bristol, Conn.
Hometown: San Juan, Puerto Rico
Current residence: Sarasota
Hobbies: Martial arts, travel and automotive racing
Sarasota Impact: Floridays built the Grande Riviera and Sarasota Bay Club communities