Shortly after their wedding in 2006, Heather and Roland Martino knew their destiny.

Roland owned and administrated a large assisted living facility for seniors in Tampa.  Heather is also an established entrepreneur who built a successful mortgage business from a young age.  However, it was their mutual love of travel that would eventually lead them into the hospitality industry. 

Heather and Roland spent a lot of time traveling around Florida--and all over the world.  They had the opportunity to see a lot of great places and enjoyed making new friends across different cultures.  When the opportunity to purchase the famous Vinoy House in downtown St. Petersburg, Florida was presented to them, they knew it was fate.  The inn's rich history and its role in shaping downtown St. Pete's travel boom in the early 1900s sealed the deal.

"We felt we could really do something good for the community," said Roland.  "We knew we could bring her back."  The Martinos decided to take on a dramatic restoration of the home to revive it's past elegance--much to the delight of the area's smiling preservationists.  "It was clear we had done a good job," Heather noted--referring to the inn's grand re-opening.  "Even the management of the Renaissance Vinoy Resort was truly impressed."