'Marvelous' Floridan restoration nearly complete

Elvis once slept there, and very soon, you can too. It's a hotel with a lot of history: The Floridan opened in downtown Tampa back in 1926 and the King was among its most famous guests.

Workers are now putting the final touches on a huge renovation project and you may be able to get a look inside within a couple weeks.

The hotel's owner, Angelo Markopoulos, graciously invited us inside, but not our cameras -- not yet. They don't want to do a big reveal, because they're still hauling all the new furniture inside.

Still, we can report, it will most definitely live up to its glamorous past, and then some.

The chandeliers are burning brightly, once again, inside the historic gem gleaming at the corner of Florida and Cass streets.

Photos from USF's Special Collections Library show the Floridan was a spectacular place to stay, from its beautiful art deco stylings in the dining rooms, to its breathtaking lobby. Everything's been hand-painted and restored back to it's mid-1920's luster, thanks to the vision of Angelo's father, Antonios Markopoulos.

They've been so meticulous in their restoration, they've even removed the worn marble stair treads from the lobby staircases, flipped them over, polished them and put them back, saving millions in new marble, while preserving the past.

"Mr. Markopoulos owned a hotel over in Clearwater, fell in love with the Floridan here, and has re-done that thing for the last two to three years he's been working on it," said former Tampa mayor Dick Greco. "I've had the pleasure of seeing it several times."

Greco said Markopoulos has done everything right.

"I commend him for it," continued Greco. "He fell in love with the project and he's done a marvelous, marvelous job. The Floridan's gonna be something to behold. He's already got it all booked for the convention."

Yes, the Floridan is 100-percent sold-out for the Republican National Convention, it first foray back into business, at one of the biggest events Tampa has ever hosted.

"Oh, he loves it," said Greco. "And that's good for Tampa."

One change you will notice on the front door, the letters "F" and "P". It's now being called the Floridan Palace.

"The entire family has been devoted to this since the first day they walked in and it's going to show," added Greco.

Just a few years ago, the place was a wreck. Today, pictures we found online don't do it justice.

"Did you ever think you'd see it looking like it's looking now?" we asked Greco. "No, I didn't," he replied. "Most people would never spend the money this man has spent in there."

We're told Markopoulos plans to run the hotel and its restaurant himself; he's a real hands-on owner and hopefully we'll be able to take our cameras in soon to give you a complete look inside.

Meanwhile, they're taking applications for all sorts of positions.