Julius Manger, Jr., conducted an intensive statewide search for the perfect place for his Manger Motor Inn. When he saw the site on the banks of the Hillsborough River in downtown, where guests could look over the water, and people coming into the city over the Lafayette Bridge (now the Kennedy Bridge) would see his inn first, he knew it was the right place. He managed five other Manger properties around the country and had developed an eye for picking the right site.

Opening in 1968, The Manger offered modern accommodations in its 285 rooms.  Guests entered through a lime green lobby furnished with paisley furniture and floral-print carpeting, a salute to 1960s pop culture. Advertisements bragged about the private balconies, remote-controlled televisions, AM/FM radios, and two touchtone phones in every room (one in the bathroom). The Purple Tree Lounge was a two-level circular room with arched glass walls surrounding a green-and-purple palm tree sculpture in the center. Waitresses in hot-pink miniskirts and white boots served cocktails. The Hearth and Embers restaurant featured cypress walls, an open-hearth grill, and high-end meals. It was an immediate success.

A string of owners over the next few decades failed to keep up the property or reinvest in modernizing the rooms, and quality and popularity dwindled. In 1987, the property was foreclosed on and auctioned off on the courthouse steps for $9 million.

By the 1990s, the once-fashionable hotel had become badly run down. Local tourism officials publicly advised visitors against staying there. In 1996, Tampa brothers James and Christopher Lewis purchased the property for $7 million and invested another $7 million in a comprehensive renovation. Rebranded as the Radisson Riverwalk Hotel, the revitalized property regained its standing as one of downtown's premier hotels. The transformation was so successful that in 1997, Vice President Al Gore stayed there while attending the Florida Democratic Party convention.

Over the course of its life, the hotel has had several different names and, under the umbrella of Radisson, Sheraton, and Hilton, has undergone several major renovations. Names include: The Manger Inn (1968), Riverside Hilton (1974), Tampa Downtown Hilton (1980), Riverside Hotel (1990), Quality Riverside Hotel (1995), Radisson Riverwalk Hotel (1997), Tampa Riverwalk Hotel (2005), Sheraton Riverwalk Hotel (2005), Hotel Tampa Riverwalk, Hotel Cala.

According to Hillsborough County property records, Newbound Holdings and Apollo Global Real Estate Management purchased the property in 2022 for $45 million and rebranded it as Hotel Cala. In 2026, the owners refinanced the property for $94.36 million and launched another major renovation, updating the guest rooms, redesigning the pool area, and completely overhauling the hotel's food and beverage operations. Scheduled to open in late 2026, it will be part of the Curio Collection by Hilton.

© Chip Weiner. All rights reserved