Bob Martinez at Center Stage in the Governors Inn

The Governors Inn, a historic hotel in downtown Tallahassee, held a re-opening tonight and honored four living former governors by naming rooms after them. With Gov. Charlie Crist and former Gov. Bob Martinez in attendance, the inn unveiled rooms in honor of Martinez, Reubin Askew, Bob Graham and Claude Kirk.

This was a home away from home, said Martinez, as he reflected on his years as mayor of Tampa and his many trips coming to Tallahassee since 1993, when his service in George H. W. Bushs administration ended.

Martinez went out of his way to praise the inns staff, singling out the college students who have worked there.

Later on, Martinez, accompanied by his wife Mary Jane, headed upstairs to see the room that was named in his honor and was impressed, even noting that he may want to reserve the room for January 2-4, 2011, when the next governor is inaugurated.

Twenty years after his failed bid for a second term, Martinez has re-emerged the past year. Besides serving as one of the honorary co-chairs of Pam Bondis attorney general campaign, Martinez has been one of the leaders in luring the 2012 Republican convention to Tampa Bay and even met with Attorney General Bill McCollum on Tuesday to talk energy issues.

Gov. Martinez is a wonderful man and a dear friend, said Crist who named Martinez as a Great Floridian in 2009.