David Fischer has a lot of work ahead of him transforming a 96-year-old building in the 2300 block of Central Avenue into the newest, and he hopes, hottest new gay resort in the state.


What You Need To Know

  • David Fischer is giving the Mari Jean Hotel a major facelift

  • The building first opened in 1926

  • Fischer said he plans to make the new resort LGBTQ friendly

“There will be a total of 54 rooms,” Fischer told Spectrum News. “After we make some changes and laundry room adjustments.”

Opened in 1926, the building was originally called the Mari Jean Hotel. Over the years it became a boarding house, then a nursing home, then a boarding house again before Fischer opened up Cocktail on the first floor of the building last year and the Saint Speakeasy a year before that on the first floor around the corner.

“We teetered on do we keep the historic name of the building, The Mari Jean, or do we change and do something different and new," Fischer said. "And we kinda wanted to preserve the history of the building."

All of the rooms are colorful and cozy, and Fischer plans to give each a fresh, modern facelift.

“I think it’s needed" he said. "I think there’s enough of an LGBTQ market in St. Pete that’s under-tapped from an amenities perspective."

He plans to get the rooms on the second floor completed in time for St. Pete Pride next month, with plans of having the Mari Jean Hotel back in full business by July.