A resort-style hotel is making its way to Anna Maria Island. The hotel is set to open next month and it’s a first for the island.
- Resort-style hotel to open on Anna Maria Island
- The full-service hotel a first on the island
- Waterline Marina Resort & Beach Club set for soft open in August
The Waterline Marina Resort & Beach Club has been in the works for eight years and is now in its final stages of construction.
“It’s very different! Anna Maria Island is definitely old Florida charm,” Sandy Zinck, Waterline Resort General Manager, said.
Anna Maria Island, known for its island-vibes, is filled with bed and breakfast style lodging and locally owned shops.
“Just that beach feel. The little small restaurants and family-owned restaurants,” vacationer Noah Clayton said.
However, the Waterline Resort is different. The full service resort, right at the entrance to Holmes Beach, includes 37 two-bedroom suites, a ballroom, and restaurant.
It’s not only the largest hotel, but the first of its kind on the island.
“Not everyone is looking for something that’s a little bit smaller. They want full service, they want valet, and a full-service restaurant. They want to order room service,” Zinck said.
Employees at the island’s visitor center said they field a lot of calls for people asking for a mainstream hotel experience.
“We get a lot of people who contact us asking about…’Do you have full service? Is there a restaurant on site?’” Terri Kinder, with the Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce, said.
Waterline, partnered with Marriott, is also the first hotel on the island to accommodate rewards members from larger chains.
“I am actually for that, with the exception of course of the traffic, because it keeps the taxes down,” Holmes Beach resident Hank Nehilla said.
The hotel will be staffed 24/7, bringing about 50 jobs to the island.
Waterline Resort is set for a soft opening in the middle of August and will be fully operational by the fall.