Hotel Haya Ybor City

"Hotel Haya offers a rare opportunity to reflect on the deep layers and stories of one of America's most unique, historic neighborhoods and bring new life into its future evolution in a very meaningful and purposeful fashion," Kevin Robinson, Co-Founder, Aparium Hotel Group.

The hotel's name, Hotel Haya, was inspired by one of Ybor's founding fathers, Ignacio Haya. The development will embody Ybor City's eclectic flair and soul, incorporating an existing Mediterranean-style building at the corner of E Seventh Avenue and 15th Street that was the home of the Las Novedades restaurant for decades. Like many of Ybor's early buildings, the hotel will include expansive balconies overlooking the street, echoing Ybor City's architectural influences.

"The Ybor City market is growing tremendously, with a younger, vibrant demographic moving into the urban core," said Mario Tricoci, Co-founder, Aparium Hotel Group. "We are looking forward to delivering an experience that will complement Ybor's character, as well as offer something new to the city."

Aparium Hotel Group has partnered with Alfonso Architects to bring back a mid-century Havana design aesthetic to the structure. The lobby, complete with a 152-seat ground-floor restaurant and 42-seat cafe, will be designed as much for locals and walk-in traffic as guests. The hotel will also include an interior courtyard with a swimming pool and lounge area. Over the past century, the block has seen a colorful history and the hotel aims to showcase its charm, personality and heritage.

Aparium Hotel Group has long been recognized for its transformative work on adaptive reuse projects and for creating sought after destinations of up-and-coming secondary and tertiary cities across the country. The hospitality group currently operates nine boutique hotels, with six additional properties set to open in 2020 and others in various stages of development. Each Aparium hotel is independently branded, community-driven and unique to the area in which it is located.