Downtown Pensacola soon will have a new inn — one that the owner hopes will be a gathering spot for locals as well as visitors and a prime location for watching parades.

The Solé Inn and Suites will replace the Harbor Inn at the corner of Palafox and Gregory streets.

Crews are gutting the existing building, and reconstruction should begin next month on the new inn characterized as 1950s retro-modern.

"It's going to be a boutique-style hotel for downtown with about 45 rooms and suites," said Alan Williams, the sole member of Gulf Breeze Hotel Group that owns Solé.

The frame of the building will remain the same, but fresh paint, new windows and doors and a second-floor balcony perfect for watching parades will change its look.

"The intent is to rehabilitate that building and make it something that is more of a complement to the downtown area rather than an eyesore," said Keith Branch, an intern architect at Bay Design Associates.

Plans for the upscale inn include:

- Flat-screen TVs, platform beds, free Wi-Fi connections and large towels.

- Beach cruiser bicycles for sightseeing.

- An upscale continental breakfast and a wine and hors d'oeuvres meet-and-greet from 5 to 7 p.m.

- A saltwater pool with pool-side cabanas and a privacy fence.

- An outdoor deck on the roof of the lobby for happy hour, meals, watching parades or just looking down Palafox to Garden Street.

Kim Kimbrough, executive director of the Downtown Improvement Board, said he thinks Solé will be a great addition.

"It will add additional rooms at an affordable rate," he said. "We know there is a significant need for lodging in the downtown area."

Most of the rooms in the building will remain the same, but two suites also will be created.

Designers will use a neutral palette and create a minimalist look, said John Griffin, interior designer from McAlpin Woodcock Design Group.

The exterior of the building will be a dark khaki color with black accents and the windows will be a reflective glass, he said.

"The look is going to be a real clean, sleek, sophisticated look with a modern edge," Griffin said. "We're trying to attract a different kind of clientele."

Williams said he anticipates young business professionals working in Pensacola as well as those visiting the area will stay at the inn.

The Pensacola Architectural Review Board has not yet approved the plans.

Branch said the board asked that the inn plans consider including historically accurate handrails with a curved design instead of the proposed handrails with a geometric design to fit the retro-modern theme.

Branch said the suggestion is being considered and might be implemented if it is financially plausible.

Williams hopes to begin accepting reservations in early 2008.
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