DOWNTOWN STUART
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The Old Colorado Inn, which was originally called the Coventry Hotel, was built by John Coventry.
His son, Frank, made a name for himself when he drove the getaway car for the Ashley Gang.
The wallpapered walls of the Old Colorado Inn in downtown Stuart are decorated with vintage
pictures that teach visitors about the area’s colorful history.
er, for his initial renovations. Like the
Post Office Arcade, he wanted to build
on what others had previously done
by enhancing with upscale finishes.
“For example, in all of the kitchens I
wanted to have the right tile, the right
cabinetry, the right appliances, the
right stone work,” he explains. “And in
the bathrooms, everything had to have
the right type of showers, glass and
stone work. So I started doing that type
of renovation, putting in the finishing
touches and making it first class.”
SANDRA THURLOW COLLECTION
TOM WINTER
During this time, more people were
using computers to plan their vacations.
One of Vitale’s clients, who
owned a bed and breakfast, advised
him to market his hotel on Tripadvisor.
“He taught me something about
hospitality,” he says. “It has to be an
experience for the guests and really
everything has to be perfect to build up
your reviews. We started getting good
reviews and we became the No. 1 lodging
on Tripadvisor in the whole area.”
Vitale’s business successfully grew
with the retail shops. The renovation
plan for the arcade was to keep the front
space as stores and open and increase
the size of the back area to accommodate
an upscale restaurant.
The Vitales created a vintage courtyard
in the arcade by bringing in select
terracotta tile, a historical fountain from
Palm Beach, handcrafted windows and
other upscale accents.
“We had a lot of fun doing that,”
Vitale says, remembering those days.
“Our goal was to build on what the
former owners, Joan Jefferson and
Annie MacMillan, had done by enhancing
some of the architectural elements,
opening up the courtyard and making it
into more of a vintage courtyard.”
They later sold the Post Office Arcade,
but the process had been so enjoyable
that it whet Vitale’s appetite. He purchased
more properties in the heart of
downtown along Colorado Avenue and
Seminole Street.
ECONOMY SLOWS
By 2008, the Great Recession had
tanked the economy and had significantly
impacted Vitale’s livelihood.
“That’s how I supported myself in a
successful real estate law practice and I
was starting to grow this large family,”
he recalls.
During this period, Vitale began to
brainstorm and discovered that history
provided new opportunities in the
midst of tough times. The apartment
complex he owned on Colorado Avenue
was once a hotel built in 1914 — the
same year that Stuart was incorporated.
Vitale’s idea was to turn the apartment
building into a vintage boutique hotel
and call it the Old Colorado Inn.
“That took it from a place that was
doing OK before the downturn to
something that could work and actually
be profitable,” he recalls. “It was a good
decision from many angles.”
Around 2010, Vitale says he summoned
the courage to fulfill his dream
and make the vintage hotel a reality. His
plan was to start small and renovate
only a handful of rooms at a time.
“I said to myself, ‘If this works, then
I’ll start with all of the other units next
door and the cottage behind that,’ and
lo and behold, it worked,” he says.
OLD MIXED WITH NEW
Eventually, Vitale created an inn that
has an Old World ambience mixed with
the convenience of modern upgrades.
He credits Mike Braid, the former own- >>