The Hotelier
Phil McCabe
Photographer by Vanessa Rogers at McCabe's Irish Pub & Grill
The Inn on Fifth’s $15 million expansion project is far from the first strategic gamble taken by Phil McCabe. He has earned his reputation from the success of the previous ones. Crediting a keen sense of foresight, McCabe has built and operated three hotels in Naples, including the Inn on Fifth, which he deems “the anchor to downtown Naples.” The now-bustling avenue represents a stark contrast to what it was when McCabe broke ground on the hotel 17 years ago, during a period, he says, when 30 percent of Fifth Avenue’s office and retail space was vacant. The inn and his family-named pub, McCabe’s, were large contributors to the Fifth Avenue South turnaround. Two years ago, after the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill crisis receded and the community was beginning to recover, McCabe confidently pulled the trigger on what is the largest redevelopment effort on Fifth Avenue since 2008. The project should be completed by the start of 2013, and it involves the construction of a luxury building across the street from the original hotel with 32 club level suites and 12,000 square feet of retail space on the ground floor. “I am definitely out there as far as my risk-taking. I would never consider going into another career just because it would be looked upon by the banks as less of a risk,” McCabe says.
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