New six-story hotel planned on Manatee River near Bradenton as county gives OK
A second waterfront hotel on the Manatee River is coming to Ellenton.
After approving a similar development in February, the Manatee County Commission last week cleared the way for an 85,000-square-foot SpringHill Suites hotel. The chain, which is owned by Marriott, also has hotels in downtown Bradenton and near the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport.
Manatee County’s latest SpringHill Suites is set to offer scenic views of the river at 6115 18th St. E., Ellenton, according to Kara Koenig, a planner with ZNS Engineering.
The six-story hotel, planned for a vacant 2.1-acre site, will have 119 hotel rooms and 124 parking spaces.
Building design renderings show five stories of the hotel positioned over the ground-level parking area. The SpringHill Suites, located south of U.S. 301 and east of 60th Avenue East, will also have a pool area, according to the rendering.
Commissioners approved the preliminary site plan for the hotel with little discussion during the recent Land Use meeting. During February’s hearing for a Holiday Inn Express down the street, Commissioner George Kruse expressed support for both planned hotels.
“This is a great opportunity to use that land for what it should be used for,” Kruse said at the time. “I think it’s going to be very successful and I thank you for bringing it to us.”
Board members voted 6-0 to approve the hotel. Commissioner Jason Bearden was absent and did not vote.
Construction on the SpringHill Suites is expected to begin in about 10 months. An expected opening date for the hotel has not been announced.
