Hotel Margot reopening continues a larger vision of investment and revitalization led by two local entrepreneurs, Rafael Simpson and Graham Guirl.
PENSACOLA, FL, UNITED STATES, October 9, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Hotel Margot has reopened its doors in the heart of downtown Pensacola, bringing a new boutique hospitality experience while continuing a larger vision of investment and revitalization led by two local entrepreneurs, Rafael Simpson and Graham Guirl.
Located at 200 N. Palafox Street, Hotel Margot features 45 uniquely designed guest rooms, a courtyard pool, on-site dining and a location that puts visitors within walking distance of downtown Pensacola’s restaurants, shops, entertainment and nightlife. The hotel has been created as a destination that reflects the character and energy of the city while offering visitors a distinctly local place to stay.
For Simpson and Guirl, Hotel Margot is about much more than opening another hotel. It represents another chapter in their ongoing commitment to investing in Pensacola and helping preserve and strengthen the historic core of the city.
The two Pensacola entrepreneurs have become increasingly active in the local business and development community, with a growing portfolio of properties and businesses that bring new life and activity to downtown.
Simpson and Guirl also own the Artisan Building and 17 West Main, two downtown properties that are part of their broader investment in Pensacola’s historic and evolving urban center.
Their entrepreneurial portfolio extends well beyond real estate. Through their investment firm Dean Street, they are also behind Colette Café, a locally focused coffee and bakery concept, and Harry’s Proper Burger, a Pensacola-born burger concept that has developed a following for its straightforward menu and emphasis on quality. Hotel Margot itself features Colette Café, which serves hotel guests and the public with coffee, fresh sourdough, pastries and other food offerings.
“We believe in Pensacola and believe in the future of downtown,” said Rafael Simpson. “We want to be part of preserving what makes this city special while also helping create the next generation of places where people want to live, work, visit and spend time.”
Guirl and Simpson have also taken their entrepreneurial vision beyond Pensacola with PRÉS, a high-protein coffee brand they co-founded. What began as a local entrepreneurial venture has grown into a nationally distributed consumer brand, with PRÉS being sold in Sprouts and Target stores with many more national retailers coming online in 2027.
That combination of real estate, hospitality, food and consumer products reflects the partners’ approach to entrepreneurship: build businesses that can succeed commercially while also contributing to the communities where they operate.
Hotel Margot is designed to complement that vision. The hotel describes its experience as relaxed, design-driven and connected to the surrounding downtown neighborhood. For Simpson and Guirl, investing in downtown is also about protecting Pensacola’s sense of place.
As more development and new businesses come to Pensacola, the partners say they see an opportunity to preserve the character, buildings and neighborhoods that helped make the city attractive in the first place—while giving those places new uses and new economic life.
“Downtown Pensacola has an incredible history and a tremendous future,” said Graham Guirl. “We want to help make sure those two things can exist together. You can preserve the character of a place while still creating something new, exciting and relevant.”
Hotel Margot’s reopening adds another piece to that vision, giving both visitors and locals a new reason to experience downtown Pensacola.
A grand-opening ribbon cutting with the Greater Pensacola Chamber is scheduled for October 28.
For more information about Hotel Margot, visit HotelMargot.com.
About Dean Street
Co-founded by Rafael Simpson and Graham Guirl, Dean Street is a private investment and operating firm with interests in real estate, hospitality and consumer businesses. The firm invests its own capital and actively operates businesses and properties across its portfolio. Learn more at deanstreet.co.
Maya Brown
Catalyst Communications Group
maya@catalystcg.com
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