Tim Aten Knows: Carnelian hotel, Sterling’s club break ground in North Naples

Preliminary site work began this week on The Carnelian hotel and its Sterling’s ultra-exclusive private club across U.S. 41 from Waterside Shops in North Naples.  

The official groundbreaking ceremony for the luxurious six-story hotel will be Jan. 28 at 5400 Trail Blvd., the site of the former longtime Bowland Beacon bowling alley, which was permanently closed and razed in late 2024 just north of Pine Ridge Road. The construction start for the hotel was Jan. 19, according to plans filed with Collier County government. 

Featuring all club-level suites and a large public restaurant, the new 70-key hotel and private club will be developed and owned by McCabe & Sons Hospitality LLC. The landmark project, projected to be a five-star destination, was conceptualized by longtime local entrepreneur Phil McCabe and his two sons, Joseph and Philip, who are the CEO, vice president of development and director of operations, respectively, of Naples-based Gulf Coast Commercial Corp.  

It would be an understatement to say that Phil McCabe has experience launching independent boutique hotels in Naples. He opened Inn of Naples and Inn at Pelican Bay and added the Club Level Suites to the iconic Inn on Fifth, which he owned from 1998 to 2022. He since has sold those local hotels, so his new hospitality venture with his sons charters a fresh course for the family. 

Sterling’s more than 100 founding members, design team representatives and other dignitaries have been invited to the groundbreaking next week at the hotel’s more than 3-acre site. Keynote speeches are planned by its global development team, including architect Smallwood, general contractor DeAngelis Diamond and the McCabe family. The hotel and club are expected to be completed and ready to open in late November 2027.  

“Our goal would be to open before Dec. 1,” said Philip J. McCabe, Phil’s youngest son. 

A team from Ithaka Hospitality Partners will provide critical support for the local project from talent acquisition to program refinement and operating systems development. Ithaka’s mission is to create unique experiences for guests in independent boutique concepts, particularly five-star properties. Five-star hotels provide globally recognized hospitality excellence with exceptional luxury, first-class amenities and personalized service. 

“We’re positioning [The Carnelian and Sterling’s] to service at a five-star level, and we anticipate getting five stars,” McCabe said. 

The McCabes extensively studied clubs around the world to create Sterling’s, the pinnacle of the local hotel project. One of the reasons it’s called Sterling’s is that it’s taking inspiration from the pound sterling in the United Kingdom and bringing glamorous hospitality here from London, McCabe said. 

“The type of members club that we’re opening is very much like a London Annabel’s type of global, international social club,” he said. 

While it already has capped its founding memberships, Sterling’s still is accepting applications for pre-construction individual and dual memberships, which are expected to close with an anticipated waitlist ahead of the hotel’s launch. The Sterling’s app is already live, providing members with more than 40 complimentary events throughout the season — from intimate gatherings with renowned artists to exclusive showcases with luxury partners such as Bentley, Gulfstream Aerospace and Marissa Collections. 

Design has continued to progress on the club’s five globally influenced food-and-beverage concepts, a world-class rooftop experience and a leading-edge wellness center. 

“We have 70,000 square feet of amenities,” McCabe said. “Through our member app, you’ll be able to directly book five different restaurant venues, food-and-beverage venues. Then we have wellness, of course, which is 24,000 square feet. It’s well oversized for all of our needs.” 

Wellness amenities include a fitness center with the latest Technogym equipment, studio rooms for Pilates and yoga and a fully-serviced sports suite with a billiards table, golf simulator and an honor bar. 

“We also have a wellness café that will have fresh-pressed juices, healthy snacks, protein shakes, sort of a grab-and-go that will be attached to the fitness center,” he said. 

The club also includes recovery amenities such as hydrotherapy with multiple hot and cold plunge pools and experience showers, a steam room, aromatherapy, an infrared salt sauna and a traditional Swedish sauna, McCabe said.  

“Next to the hydrotherapy room is a spa which also has a pretty significant lounge that our members can use for other holistic types of treatments,” he said, noting amenities such as IV therapy, Theragun massages, compression booths and a hyperbaric chamber. 

“It’s built on activation, recovery and relaxation — all meant for longevity-focused wellness,” he said. 

The McCabes still intend to attract a high-quality restaurant operator on a national level to the hotel’s large, first-floor dining spot. The restaurant will be the only feature open to the public.   

“Otherwise, to get into the building, you have to be a hotel guest or a club member,” McCabe said, noting that hotel guests have access to the wellness and one of two rooftop pools, but the sixth floor is completely private. 

The 23,000-square-foot private sixth floor will have the club’s entertainment and food-and-beverage options. “It has a speakeasy, a champagne and sushi bar, a fine-dining restaurant, a private jazz club called The Club Room, a library, a cigar lounge and terraces — all of which look right at the Gulf,” McCabe said. 

Riva, a Mediterranean restaurant with an open-fire grill, will be on the hotel’s roof with two swimming pools and a view of Gulf sunsets. Riva also will service the pool cabanas, as well as breakfast and lunch for club members. 

Each food-and-beverage venue will have its own menu. The Club Room offers full dinners and light bites throughout the day. A fine-dining restaurant will offer many tableside service options such as prime rib carving and flambé demonstrations, as well as carts for cheese and after-dinner drinks. Jet Lag, an aviation-themed speakeasy bar, also will service the cigar lounge. 

“On that sixth floor, members can come whenever they want, and wherever they sit down — 

whether it’s in the library or in the fine-dining or the cigar lounge — they’re going to get service,” McCabe said.  

As the McCabes build a top-notch destination, expect the attention to detail to start with a stellar first impression.  

“So, the type of restaurant we’re going to lease the space to on the ground floor will be a destination type of restaurant that will be globally influenced. It will not be your run-of-the-mill Italian restaurant,” McCabe said. 

The Tim Aten Knows weekly column answers local questions from readers. Email Tim at Tim.Aten@NaplesPress.com.