Sheraton hotel planned for Sarasota

The growing hotel market in downtown Sarasota could be beginning to creep south. 

Sherman Oaks, Calif.-based developer Daus Investments has filed plans to redevelop a midtown hotel property into a five-story Four Points by Sheraton.

Daus Investments bought the two-story hotel at 1425 S. Tamiami Trail, formerly a Best Western, for $6.5 million in March. Just three months after the previous owner rebranded the hotel as the Inn at Midtown, Daus has already turned the property into a Baymont Inn & Suites. Now, the firm is working with Starwood Hotels & Resorts to secure the Sheraton brand for the site.

According to an application filed with the city Monday, Daus would keep the current number of rooms at 99 but expand the overall footprint to accommodate new guest room layouts and add meeting space. The changes wouldn’t have any impact on traffic, wrote Daus Forward Planning Manager Vic Wenner in the application.

The hotel sits south of a Winn-Dixie in a plaza that also includes Michael’s On East restaurant between Prospect and Floyd streets. It also sits across U.S. 41 from Sarasota Memorial Hospital.

Daniel Singh, representative for Daus Investments, said planning is still in its early stages. The developer is waiting on planned code changes from the city, and Starwood is still considering Daus’ application to use its flag.

Still, the company is determined to refresh its hotel property and present a higher quality product.

“The main thing is there’s a need for a hotel there — you’re right across from the hospital,” Singh said. “It’s a great location, and we’re just looking at different options for how to redevelop the property.”

SMH staff affirmed the need for better hotel options in close proximity to the hospital. Mary Ann Deabenderfer, who works in the hospital’s concierge office, said SMH has seen a growing number of patients from out of town.

“There is a need for a nice hotel that is close by — and also for extended-stay rooms,” Deabenderfer said.

Daus isn’t the first group to take note of that demand. In 2014, Cabana Inn owner Rodney Dessberg shared plans to revamp his motel property with an Element Hotels flag, an extended-stay Starwood Hotels brand.

John Balliet, CEO of previous property owner Charter One, agreed with Singh’s assessment of the site’s suitability for a hotel.

“I had looked at opportunities to redevelop and take the property upscale, but for me, the numbers just didn’t work out,” Balliet said.

Instead, Charter One invested more than $700,000 in renovations, including LED lighting and a resurfaced pool and parking lot. After dropping the Best Western flag, Balliet thought a boutique concept could compete with the more than 1,000 hotel rooms planned for the city of Sarasota.

“There’s a lot of new product coming into Sarasota, and that’s certainly going to impact the property,” Balliet said. “But Sheraton is a brand that isn’t represented right now in Sarasota, so it may work out.”

Deputy Managing Editor David Conway contributed to this report.