First Moxy Hotel in St Petersburg Opens with EDGE District’s Only Rooftop Pool

Post Published February 7, 2025

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First Moxy Hotel in St Petersburg Opens with EDGE District's Only Rooftop Pool - Marriott's Millennial Brand Opens Second Florida Location in Downtown St Petersburg





The Moxy brand, a Marriott offshoot targeting millennials, has debuted its first St. Petersburg location and second in Florida. Nestled in the EDGE District, this hotel distinguishes itself with a feature not commonly found in this particular area: a rooftop pool. It's a design move likely intended to draw in both hotel guests and the city’s residents. The hotel's design ethos leans towards a lively, connected feel, prioritizing social spaces alongside accommodation. The ambition seems to be providing a different kind of hotel experience, though whether that translates into actual value for money remains to be seen.

Marriott's Moxy has expanded within Florida, establishing a second outpost in downtown St. Petersburg. Strategically positioned in the EDGE District, this hotel is the first of its kind within the city. The brand is undeniably angled towards a younger demographic, providing affordable lodgings equipped with modern technology and amenities.

The hotel aims for a modern design that should offer some local flavor. The rooftop pool in the EDGE District is a welcome addition as many smaller cities often lack such amenities.

Moxy’s presence reflects the growing effort of major chains to attract travelers who increasingly prioritize design, connectivity, and competitive pricing. This property offers both social spaces and practical features designed to appeal to younger lifestyles.

What else is in this post?

  1. First Moxy Hotel in St Petersburg Opens with EDGE District's Only Rooftop Pool - Marriott's Millennial Brand Opens Second Florida Location in Downtown St Petersburg
  2. First Moxy Hotel in St Petersburg Opens with EDGE District's Only Rooftop Pool - EDGE District Gains First Elevated Pool Bar Serving Craft Cocktails at 150 Feet
  3. First Moxy Hotel in St Petersburg Opens with EDGE District's Only Rooftop Pool - Hotel Features 161 Minimalist Rooms Starting at $159 per Night
  4. First Moxy Hotel in St Petersburg Opens with EDGE District's Only Rooftop Pool - Direct Access to Beach Drive Shopping and St Pete Pier Within Walking Distance
  5. First Moxy Hotel in St Petersburg Opens with EDGE District's Only Rooftop Pool - Bar Works Double Duty as Check-in Counter and Happy Hour Spot
  6. First Moxy Hotel in St Petersburg Opens with EDGE District's Only Rooftop Pool - New Property Adds First Dedicated Coworking Space to Growing Arts District

First Moxy Hotel in St Petersburg Opens with EDGE District's Only Rooftop Pool - EDGE District Gains First Elevated Pool Bar Serving Craft Cocktails at 150 Feet





St. Petersburg's EDGE District now features its first elevated pool bar, perched 150 feet in the air. This new amenity, part of the recently launched Moxy Hotel, offers craft cocktails with panoramic city views. It seems the plan is to create a lively social hub, hoping to attract both guests and locals alike. Whether it enhances the local nightlife remains to be seen, but this addition may become a key gathering spot for events in the area. The Moxy aims to cater to a demographic that appreciates modern amenities coupled with a vibrant, connected setting.

This new addition to the EDGE District offers the area's first elevated pool bar, perched 150 feet above street level. More than just a place to grab a drink, the elevated position likely required some creative engineering. Maintaining structural integrity at that height, considering the weight of water and potential occupancy, likely required detailed load distribution calculations. It also affects how flavors are perceived; atmospheric pressure shifts subtly at this altitude and it will be interesting to see how this impacts the cocktails on offer. This height also affects temperature control – the variations can necessitate elaborate climate management solutions. Further, rooftop structures are especially vulnerable to higher wind loads. I imagine the architectural blueprints included wind tunnel simulations to ensure the structure remains stable. Managing water quality presents a challenge too; factors like evaporation rates change at this height. Moreover, and rather surprisingly, consuming alcohol at 150 feet may have a slightly enhanced effect, and engineers surely have taken it into account. In addition, sound from an elevated structure, with all the glass and hardscape, requires some advanced sound dampening and noise reducing strategies. Overall, this elevated location surely involved more than just moving some chairs and a bar to the roof.



First Moxy Hotel in St Petersburg Opens with EDGE District's Only Rooftop Pool - Hotel Features 161 Minimalist Rooms Starting at $159 per Night





The newly opened Moxy Hotel in St. Petersburg offers 161 minimalist rooms starting at $159 a night. The hotel is positioned within the EDGE District. While the accommodations are presented as "minimalist," such claims often conceal corners cut on space and amenities, particularly when the nightly rate is relatively modest.

Beyond the bare bones of the accommodations, the hotel prominently features the area's only rooftop pool, a clear attempt to provide something beyond the typical limited-service hotel. Whether the pool can effectively absorb the noise generated by hotel guests is still open for debate. The hotel also highlights a restaurant, gym, and meeting spaces. Meeting spaces are particularly noteworthy. Their functionality in such space constrained areas remains untested, and the gym may leave professional athletes with more expectations.

Guests might find the modern decor and fast WiFi appealing, but these features have become standard offerings, hardly setting this property apart.

The Moxy Hotel’s design incorporates minimalist rooms. Efficient use of space isn't just for style, but also about maximizing comfort in less square footage. Studies suggest minimalist spaces can cut stress. At $159 per night, Moxy aims for a generation looking to trade luxury for affordability.

Each Moxy room has tech, like mobile check-in, fitting a pattern where tech-savvy travelers value efficiency. Reducing staff interactions means streamlining operations.

The rooftop pool is a leisure area, but also impacts heating and cooling. Buildings with rooftop pools might perform thermally better as they absorb and release heat, potentially lowering costs.

Moxy’s EDGE District location was probably picked based on walkability urban plans. Being close to amenities boosts the guest experience, reducing the need for transit.

The hotel design factors in sound engineering, addressing acoustics. Research shows sound quality matters for comfort, and Moxy's design may cut noise from the street and social spots within the hotel.

Communal spaces are socializing hubs rooted in the design to promote guest interaction, potentially leading to greater customer satisfaction.

The rooftop pool bar demands cantilever designs to optimize space without sacrificing safety. This provides broader views, as supported by architectural physics.

Each room uses materials to boost acoustics and thermal insulation for guest comfort. Good material selection cuts sound transmission and increases energy efficiency.

Moxy’s focus on design and connectivity mirrors a trend where visual appeal is tied to customer loyalty. Visually pleasing environments may lead to more satisfaction and repeat visits, which seems consistent with Moxy’s branding plan.



First Moxy Hotel in St Petersburg Opens with EDGE District's Only Rooftop Pool - Direct Access to Beach Drive Shopping and St Pete Pier Within Walking Distance





The Moxy Hotel in St. Petersburg places guests just steps away from Beach Drive's shops and the St. Pete Pier. This is a convenient arrangement for visitors hoping to quickly access what the city offers without relying on cars. Positioned as a social hub with a modern design aesthetic, the hotel emphasizes its communal spaces as points of connection for visitors. The accessibility to popular sites could enhance the Moxy experience, contrasting the area's rooftop pool and social zones with the city's offerings. Given St. Petersburg's rising profile as a destination, the Moxy's location emphasizes a blend of accessibility with a contemporary vibe. Whether this convenience translates to tangible value for guests remains to be seen.

Its location offers access to Beach Drive. Beyond offering waterfront views, this thoroughfare seems designed to encourage pedestrian activity, potentially improving guest health.

The nearby St. Pete Pier offers entertainment but also features a "Discover Florida" exhibit, a potentially useful opportunity to learn about local marine life. Reducing reliance on rental cars or taxis, this encourages a mode of urban living where people are more likely to explore their surroundings, however this effect remains untested and is likely difficult to measure.

Beach Drive boasts a variety of dining establishments, serving everything from seafood to international fare. The food preparations probably consider sourcing from the local agricultural practices. This location might prove convenient for those wishing to sample the local cuisine.

It's worth noting that the Florida climate, with its temperature swings, could potentially require greater efficiency when the hotel is designed for energy efficiency in terms of insulation. The Pier's construction involved engineering solutions to withstand severe weather, technology that could perhaps be deployed for a roof top. The Moxy Hotel location likely considered sound dampening because close proximity to restaurants can increase noise from the street.



First Moxy Hotel in St Petersburg Opens with EDGE District's Only Rooftop Pool - Bar Works Double Duty as Check-in Counter and Happy Hour Spot





At the newly opened Moxy Hotel in St. Petersburg, the bar doubles as a check-in desk and a happy hour hangout. This attempt to combine practical functions with socializing suggests the hotel is trying to create an informal and welcoming first impression. The Moxy clearly intends to position itself as a trendy spot in the EDGE District, a hub for both travelers and those seeking a quick drink. Whether the reality matches the concept remains to be seen, but the blended space definitely encourages a communal vibe. The real test will be how smoothly the bar handles check-in during peak hours and how effectively it transitions to an evening social space.
The Moxy Hotel takes a different approach at check-in by combining it with the hotel bar. Guests can order a drink upon arrival. The aim, supposedly, is a friendlier beginning to one's stay, yet merging these functions into a single service point might just as easily lead to bottlenecks depending on the number of arriving guests at any particular moment.

Research suggests that communal designs like Moxy's can enhance experiences. Whether they truly lead to more satisfaction or just appear as attempts to extract more value remains to be verified.

Operating a bar up on a roof, where high winds are expected, presents challenges beyond just moving glasses. Detailed material analyses and complex structural load calculations are necessary to withstand these additional environmental stressors and provide a safe experience.

Effective sound design will be crucial to maintaining order with a lively bar placed next to the reception. Reducing unwanted sound is beneficial, although not particularly noteworthy if managed well.

Minimalism is implemented with compact rooms. Efficiency of the space and a trendy look can contribute to a calming state that can then be conducive to relaxing.

The hotel's location and walkability around the immediate areas is a benefit. Urban planning shows, the need for transit is reduced when essential amenities and shopping is within steps of locations.

The rooftop bar offers drinks at an altitude that may subtly influence the flavor of cocktails, adding a unique nuance compared to drinks prepared at sea level, something the patrons would need to evaluate.

Moxy incorporates energy-efficient technologies, especially for cooling. Utilizing smart, up-to-date climate control, which may reduce overall hotel utility expenses over time in the long run.

The rooftop pool required an interesting structural construction to properly spread the water and guests across the space, thus enabling an incredible aesthetic.

Access to the area's local spots will allow hotels to provide opportunities for immersion that would encourage positive rates.



First Moxy Hotel in St Petersburg Opens with EDGE District's Only Rooftop Pool - New Property Adds First Dedicated Coworking Space to Growing Arts District





The newly opened property in St. Petersburg's Arts District is introducing the area's first dedicated coworking space. This move seeks to provide support for freelancers and local entrepreneurs. This complements the Moxy Hotel, already noted for its vibrant atmosphere and rooftop pool. The coworking space is presented as a place to encourage collaboration, with the goal to enhance the cultural life of the area. As the EDGE District evolves, this suggests a trend of blending workspaces with hotels, seemingly meeting the needs of modern professionals. Whether the outcome lives up to the design remains to be seen.

The addition of a coworking space to the Moxy property represents more than just a trendy amenity. The EDGE District is seeing this development as a potential new model for urban integration. The aim is not merely to offer a place to plug in a laptop, but to establish a functional hub within a hotel setting, and whether this blend benefits travelers or if such close proximity will reduce productivity from external sounds and other factors is too early to tell.

Studies suggest some real advantages, and this experiment could yield useful data on workflow in hybrid spaces. It has become obvious that natural lighting impacts cognitive processing, so the space's design probably maximized sunlight exposure. Similarly, they should incorporate adjustable desks and ergonomic seating. A crucial factor will be the implementation of robust soundproofing to mitigate distractions from nearby activity in the rest of the hotel and in the bar above the facilities. And also the implementation of privacy, so that external personnel can work efficiently.

The hotel management would also benefit from gathering and utilizing information from user reviews to make appropriate upgrades. The integration of an open coworking facility is a risky experiment to measure, and if it is successful, hotel chains everywhere could take note.

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