The historic Ambassador Hotel in Downtown Jacksonville is being renamed with plans to resurrect it as a Marriott brand hotel, developer Gateway Jax announced April 9.
In a news release, Gateway Jax said it had signed an agreement with Marriott International and The Indigo Road Hospitality Group to revitalize the building as Hotel Merrydelle, a 109-key Marriott Tribute Portfolio hotel.
Gateway Jax bought the 102-year-old hotel and surrounding property in February 2025 for $17 million with plans to restore the Ambassador, raze and replace the adjacent Central National Bank building and construct a parking garage to the west of the hotel.
The 1.48-acre property comprises the block of Duval, Julia, Church and Pearl streets.
Gateway Jax is a partnership between CEO Bryan Moll, JWB Real Estate Capital and DLP Capital.
The release said a $50 million renovation of the hotel will begin this spring, with Campo Architecture & Interior Design as the lead architect. Skiles Engineering and Avant Construction Group also have been selected for the project team.
According to the release, Marriott’s Tribute Portfolio brand “represents a collection of independent boutique hotels that showcase unique design, create spaces and experiences that connect guests to the surrounding community, and focus on unmatched, sincere service.”
Gateway Jax said The Indigo Road Hospitality Group will manage the hotel and its culinary program.
Indigo’s Steve Palmer will expand his Atlanta restaurant, Colletta, to the property. According to the release, the Italian restaurant will seat 120 with a menu that includes wood-fired pizzas, housemade pasta and antipasti.
In renaming the Ambassador, the developers honored Merrydelle Hoyt, a founder of the Jacksonville Fine Arts Society. That group’s efforts led to what is now the Museum of Contemporary Art.
“A ‘for the table’ chef-curated, family-style dining experience will also be available alongside a beverage menu of spritzes, Italian wines and seasonally-inspired cocktails,” the release states.
Moll said that in designing and renaming the Ambassador, he and his partners sought to pay tribute to “a true Jacksonville visionary” who “saw the opportunity to expand minds through art” when she moved from New York to the South.
“Hotel Merrydelle aims to capture that same spirit — a destination that will provide respite and inspiration in the heart of Pearl Square,” he said.
The property is Gateway Jax’s second with a name drawn from Jacksonville’s history. Across Church Street from the Ambassador property is Vandeveer, Gateway Jax’s first development in its Pearl Square district.
That seven-story mixed-use project at 515 N. Pearl St. honors Thomas Vandeveer Porter, whose historic Porter House Mansion immediately east of the building is part of Gateway Jax’s $750 million-plus Pearl Square district.
Among other plans for Hotel Merrydelle, Gateway Jax plans to relocate the main entrance of the building from Julia Street to its original Church Street location.
The Ambassador Hotel, which has been vacant and exposed to the elements for years, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
Gateway Jax plans to invest at least $750 million in its Pearl Square district, which includes nine properties in Downtown’s NorthCore district north and west of City Hall.
It is part of a larger development that encompasses 25 properties and, if fully built, would involve an investment of more than $2 billion.