A new boutique hotel on St. Augustine Beach is offering more than a stylish place to stay. With its cheerful pink exterior, carefully planned landscaping and playful coastal interiors, Hotel Vecina (Spanish for ‘neighbor’) represents the kind of thoughtful property investment that can help elevate the appearance of an entire neighborhood. The eight-suite hotel was developed by Lindsey and DJ DellaSala through Adira Capital, a real estate investment company they formed with other investors to purchase, improve and hold properties in Northeast Florida. The husband-and-wife team is also known locally as the owners of DJ & Lindsey Real Estate.
For the DellaSallas, the motivation behind Adira Capital extended beyond completing individual real estate projects. It created a way for friends, family members and other investors to participate in the long-term improvement of properties throughout St. Johns County.
“This is investing in St. Johns County, investing in the beach,” Lindsey DellaSala said. “This is where we live. This is what we want to make beautiful.”
That philosophy is visible throughout Hotel Vecina, where Lindsey approached the project with the goal of creating something that would enhance A1A Beach Boulevard for residents as well as visitors. More than $200,000 was invested in landscaping alone, she said, reflecting the importance placed on the hotel’s appearance from the street.
“I want it to be a beautiful addition to the boulevard,” DellaSala said. “I want people to drive by, walk by and be like, ‘Wow, this is really nice.”
The result is a property that feels distinctly different from a conventional roadside hotel. Inspired by memorable destinations the DellaSalas have encountered during their travels, Hotel Vecina embraces color, personality and a sense of fun. Lindsey designed the interiors herself, pairing a coordinated coastal aesthetic with spaces intended to feel immersive, welcoming and highly shareable.
The newly constructed hotel is located one block from the beach and includes eight individual suites. Each accommodation has two bedrooms, one bathroom, a kitchenette and a private front porch or balcony overlooking the pool. That configuration has made the property especially appealing to families and groups traveling together. Although guests can reserve individual suites, the entire hotel can also be booked for weddings, church retreats, birthday celebrations, retirement parties, bachelorette weekends and other gatherings.
With the capacity to accommodate as many as 32 guests, the hotel offers groups the unusual experience of having an intimate boutique property largely to themselves. On-site parking and outdoor areas also provide room for catered meals, tents and private events.
Hotel Vecina follows a contactless hospitality model. Guests can reserve accommodations online, receive their arrival instructions digitally and use an individual door code to check in without visiting a traditional front desk. The streamlined system offers flexibility while maintaining the privacy and independence of a vacation rental.
The project also represents a new chapter for Adira Capital. Before developing the hotel, the company completed two residential renovation projects. While those homes were ultimately sold, DellaSala said the broader vision for the investment fund is centered on acquiring properties that can be held and improved over time. Adira Capital’s stated focus includes short- and long-term rentals, boutique hotels, apartment buildings and other real estate opportunities throughout Northeast Florida.
Hotel Vecina itself will continue to evolve. DellaSala expects to add features and make improvements as the property’s needs become clearer, balancing creative ideas with responsible management of the investors’ funds.
For residents, however, its most immediate contribution may be the simplest: a previously underdeveloped property has become an attractive, carefully maintained destination that adds color and character to one of the beach community’s most visible corridors.
At a time when conversations about growth frequently focus on density, traffic and the number of new buildings being constructed, Hotel Vecina offers another measure by which development can be judged—whether a project contributes something beautiful, memorable and neighborly to the community around it.
