OCALA, FL (352today.com) – Ocala Main Street (OMS) has announced details to restore the nearly 100-year-old Marion Hotel into a Tapestry by Hilton.
According to the Hilton website, Tapestry is a “collection of original hotels that offer guests unique style and vibrant personality, encouraging them to connect to their destination and enjoy authentic, off-the-beaten-path experiences.”
The dilapidated property sits at 108 N Magnolia Ave.
The restored Marion Hotel will feature 55 brand new rooms, as well as state-of-the-art bars and restaurants including a breakfast cafe with a bakery and a wine tasting room.
OMS, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to revitalize downtown, discussed the details of the project at the Ocala Metro Chamber & Economic Partnership (CEP) monthly breakfast on Wednesday morning at the Reilly Arts Center.
With renovation plans talked about for years, OMS Executive Director Jessica Fieldhouse is elated with the amount of progress now being made.
“It was difficult to get facade grants to try and renovate it,” said Fieldhouse. “So, with the local developer being able to acquire all of the property, they’ve been able to do something remarkable.”
The Ocala real estate developer is David Midgett. He first introduced the proposition of a renovation back in 2022 when he was granted full ownership of every unit at the hotel.
Fieldhouse feels having a local developer control the restoration is important because she believes a resident will understand the potential for midtown, the area just north of Ocala’s downtown.
Fieldhouse says the restored hotel will “nod to the original history” of the city and describes the hotel as “boutique-y.”
OMS says the price tag for the renovation will total around $23 million.
The hotel is slated to open in the third quarter of 2025.