Property Overview

Villa Serena Inn is a 12-suite historic Inn currently permitted for non-transient rentals on nearly 1.5 acres across three parcels in Sarasota, Florida. It was built in 1926 for Clarke Douglas Williams, a New York stockbroker, and designed by local architect Clare Hosmer. The Mediterranean Revival building was known at the time as “the Italian Palace” for its period furnishings. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 29, 2000. Villa Serena is the longest surviving Inn in the Sarasota area and the only remaining original property from the 1920s.

Sarasota County received about 2.9 million visitors in fiscal year 2024 and generated $48.1 million in tourism development tax. Average hotel ADR in the county passed $200 in July 2025, up from $172 a year earlier, and summer occupancy exceeded 59%. The area’s draws include Siesta Key, The Ringling, and the Sarasota Opera, and it has a large winter seasonal market. Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport is minutes from the property, with nonstop service to Boston, New York, Chicago, and Washington, DC. Tampa International is an hour away.

The current owner bought the Inn in 2014 and completed a $1.5 million restoration and renovation by 2019. Each of the 12 suites in the main building has a full galley kitchen, breakfast nook, private bedroom, sitting room, and original oak floors. The penthouse hosted Babe Ruth, Dizzy Dean, and Bobby Jones. The grounds are shaded by banyan and live oak trees and include a swimming pool, seven pergolas, tropical gardens, and a FarmBot robotic organic garden. Murals and works by local artists are placed throughout. A purpose-built 1,000 square foot Carriage House seats up to 100 guests for weddings, private events, concerts, and art workshops. These significant and thoughtful updates reflect the quality of past nd ongoing improvements to the asset that position the property for profitable future operations.