The Tampa hotel is the second to be developed in the alliance between Winston Hotels and Noble. Last July, Winston provided Noble with $1.1 million in mezzanine financing for a 122-room Hilton Garden Inn in Atlanta that is scheduled to open this spring. Noble will own and operate both hotels. In Atlanta, Winston is a co-developer with Noble, and in Tampa, Winston will receive fees for its development services.

The cost for both hotels is estimated at $26 million. Mezzanine financing is designed to fill the gap between senior financing and equity requirements. Noble is responsible for the remainder of the funding.

Based in Raleigh, about 100 miles northeast of Charlotte, Winston Hotels owns 49 operating hotels with 6,723 rooms in 12 states. Noble Investment Group is a private hotel management, ownership, and acquisition company that currently owns and operates 20 hotels throughout the eastern United States.