The Cordova Inn, a historic 32-room hotel has announced that a 67-room vertical addition opening has been pushed back to open by September 30, 2024. The original estimate put an opening date by January 1^st. Economic and supply-chain problems have put the opening further down according to Tommy Del Zoppo, CEO & Co-Founder of St. Pete-based New Hotel Collection – the owner of Cordova Inn.

New Hotel Collection purchased the Cordova Inn in late 2020 for $3 million ($93,750 per room). They also own the New Hotel at the Harbourside Resort at Indian Rocks Beach; the New Hotel at Indian Shores; and the Central Hotel at Sevierville, Tennessee. Del Zoppo told the Business Observer that 2024 could bring two new Florida additions to the hotel company but did not name the potential locations.

Del Zoppo aims to offer guests a unique boutique experience when they stay at a New Hotel location and aims the brand will go above and beyond corporate standards. According to Del Zoppo, guests come first, and their word of mouth is vital to the brand. The company has been able to remain profitable without pricing out middle-income customers when increasing room rates. The company has rebounded from the pandemic, bringing in a 2022 revenue of $18 million, a near 40% increase from 2021’s $13 million revenue.

Del Zoppo spent 30 years on Wall Street and came to St. Petersburg in 2015 when his wife received a job offer with HSN. In 2017, Del Zoppo co-founded the New Hotel Collection and took on the task to raise the capital the company needed to purchase the Cordova Inn and the adjacent property for a total price tag of $6.5 million. That price has allowed the company to spend a bit more on construction of the new addition to the Cordova.

The Cordova Inn expansion began in April of this year, adding 65 new guests rooms, a roof top bar, and ground floor restaurant that will be tucked inside the wrap around veranda. A lush new garden will be between the existing structure and the new wing on the inn. A fifth-floor rooftop bar will invite guests to enjoy views of downtown St. Petersburg and Williams Park.

Reno Boyd Building Co. is leading construction on the project, following design created by Place Architecture. The design stays true to the original Cordova while fitting in with neighborhood aesthetics. The new wing could have been taller, but Del Zoppo and his team kept the expansion at just five stories to better fit in with the neighborhood. The new rooms will be larger with modern amenities. There will be more family-friendly rooms, with slide-away walls connecting adjoining rooms versus a door to creating one large space for friends and family to enjoy – versus two separate but connected areas. The goal remains to provide a 5-star hotel and a 3-star price.