The spirit of singer-songwriter and beloved Florida man Jimmy Buffett will live on in Sarasota County through a new waterfront resort bearing the name of his signature song.
Local restaurateur Mike Evanoff is teaming with Steven Mullen and Angus Rogers of Floridays Development Company to bring a 120-room Compass by Margaritaville hotel to Little Sarasota Bay, next to Evie’s at Spanish Point in Osprey.
“I like the Osprey area and the goal is to break ground very soon on the hotel,” said Evanoff, who will retain ownership of both The Point and The Tiki at Spanish Point and will be part owner of the Margaritaville-branded hotel.
Sarasota-based general contractor Stellar Development will handle the construction, with groundbreaking on the four-story hotel anticipated to occur in about 45 days.
“We had the luxury of doing the L-shaped building, so we have all these rooms that are overlooking the pool and also overlooking the bay with balconies and such, so it’s going to be a dynamic resort,” Mullen said.
Mullen and Rogers teamed to build and open a six-story, 123-room Compass by Margaritaville hotel on Anna Maria Sound in 2020.
The Anna Maria site features a resort hotel and a restaurant dubbed the Floridays Bar and Grill.
“It’s very similar to Mike’s property in that we’ve got the great vistas of the bay,” Mullen said.
What will the new Sarasota Margaritaville be like?
Compass Hotels by Margaritaville are an upscale boutique brand that focuses on the lifestyle modeled by the late Jimmy Buffett. They are intentionally a smaller scale than the larger Margaritaville resort hotels, such as the Margaritaville Hollywood Beach Resort in Hollywood Beach.
Mullen, who has developed a variety of local hotels ranging from Art Ovation Hotel in Sarasota to the Home2 Suites by Hilton hotel on Albee Road near Casey Key, is looking forward to building the new Margaritaville hotel in Osprey.
“It’s gorgeous,” Mullen said. “We’ve been working on this site with Mike for a number of years.
“We’re really excited about the potential of it and what it will add to the community.”
Fifteen of the 120 rooms will be two-room suites, while the existing restaurant facilities will allow it to be a wedding venue that can accommodate about 120 people.
The 40 boat slips already at Spanish Point means that guests could arrive by water and never leave.
In addition to renting boats and personal watercraft, the resort plans to offer shuttles across Sarasota Bay, so guests can visit and enjoy Midnight Pass, which was reopened by Hurricane Milton in 2024.
What’s special about a Margaritaville property?
There are currently three Compass by Margaritaville hotels in Florida, including Anna Maria Sound, Naples and Flagler Beach. A fourth is scheduled to open in late 2027.
“They’re just great folks to work with, they’re amazing at branding,” Mullen said of the company that has developed resorts, residential communities and oversees a cruise line.
The experience, he added, is foretold by a sign at the Anna Maria Sound property.
“Essentially you walk into the hotel and the entrance says adventure awaits,” Mullen said. “You’re coming into an amazing experience with this brand.”
What’s the story behind the Buffett song ‘Margaritaville’?
The laid-back, steel-drum-laced Parrothead anthem “Margaritaville” is the song most responsible for making longtime Floridian Jimmy Buffett — who died in 2023 — one of the richest entertainers in the world.
Released in 1977, the melancholy yet highly melodic and unapologetically boozy “Margaritaville” was Buffett’s lone Top 10 pop hit. More importantly, its lyrics about a man staying perpetually sauced during tourist season in an unnamed Key West — or almost any Florida beach community — struck an emotional chord with the public, helping Buffett build a massive business empire.
A Margaritaville store opened in Key West in 1985, followed by restaurants, resorts and hotels — including the Compass Hotel by Margaritaville, which will soon overlook the sun-washed waters of Little Sarasota Bay.
Earle Kimel primarily covers local governments in Sarasota County as well as land development and environmental issues for the Herald-Tribune. Follow him on Facebook, and X. He can be reached by email at earle.kimel@heraldtribune.com. Support local journalism by subscribing.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Jimmy Buffett-themed waterfront resort coming to Sarasota County
Reporting by Earle Kimel, Sarasota Herald-Tribune / Sarasota Herald-Tribune
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