Best Tampa/St. Petersburg Hotels

In the early 1920s, a dapper fellow named Thomas Rowe stood on the empty beach in St. Petersburg. He was entranced with the waves gentling lapping onto shore and the terns prancing along the surf. Rowe believed that northerners fighting icy roads and blizzards would be equally affected by the scenery and warm breezes. His vision of a pink castle promised a PR buzz that would make the rich and well to do flock here like birds flying south for the winter. Rowe was right then and he’s right today. It’s still a popular refuge that’s referred to as “the pink hotel.” The Mediterranean architecture of red tile roofing, balconies and arched openings, the structure still stands out among the jumble of buildings along St. Pete Beach. As if that wasn’t enough of a European flare, Rowe named it the Don CeSar after the hero of the opera Maritana. Hence too the main restaurant’s name, Maritana Grille, which displays multiple saltwater fish tanks. The property has been renovated many times and is in need of it again—the saltwater environment is not kind to manmade stuff—but if you seek history, high-end comforts and of course a beach experience, choosing “the pink hotel” is still a buzz.

The Vinoy has it all—a golf course (you have to take a shuttle to it), a private marina and a tennis complex. Like the Don CeSar it’s a beautiful replica of Mediterranean architecture, and though Vinoy is not pink, it comes close with its salmon color. There’s also an adjacent area called Vinoy Park on the bay waterfront where all sorts of “tasting” events unfold, as well as outdoor concerts that have featured bands such as America and Huey Lewis and The News. It’s more luxurious than the Don CeSar, but to access St. Pete Beach from Vinoy you must take their shuttle. The gym is huge and the staff does well with the pampering, but the most remarkable attribute perhaps is occasional sightings of ghosts roaming the original building—maybe a former guest who got overcharged?

If staying in hotels that have been constantly renovated is less appealing to you than something built in the 21st century, check out the Sandpearl. One of the newest big resorts to be built on Clearwater Beach, Caretta on the Gulf, their signature dining room, delivers with tasty offerings and a choice of indoor or outdoor seating. Stretching 700 feet, the resort’s beachfront access gives the toes a lot of space to tuck under the sand. Room prices vary based on the size and view like anywhere else. Like all large resorts these days, they offer a spa with all kinds of high-priced therapies although our preference is a simple ol’ neck-and-shoulder massage without vegetables as blindfolds or being covered in seaweed.

Big lobby, a coffee lounge and a chain steakhouse near the Tampa airport render this 11-floor Intercontinental a busy place. Unfortunately it’s not a stand-alone hotel, with other floors serving as offices. If you’ve got to have a cardio fix you’ll find the small fitness center open 24 hours. A beauty salon and gift shop is available as well as the de rigueur business center and pool. Complimentary services include an airport shuttle, WiFi and seven floors of covered parking garage. Nearby is a mall if you get the urge to window shop. It’s a place understandably more slanted toward the airport business traveler than vacationers.

For a hotel in the moderate price range, this offers a lot of amenities. Innisbrook is at once a golf community and one-stop vacation magnet. You sense it’s something special upon entering the property. If driving you’ll need to really pay attention to the signs pointing to this facility and that. Small clusters of low-rise lodges are sprinkled over 900 wooded acres. Each unit is a mini-home with all the conveniences. You can give your best impression of Nadal on any of the 11 tennis courts or enjoy the waterslides at the Loch Ness Monster pool, but most come here for golf. And with good reason: It’s the site of the 18-hole jewel called the Copperhead, an ultra-challenging layout that’s given us fits on several occasions, not to mention the touring pros playing the annual LPGA and PGA Tour events here. As if that weren’t enough, three other golf courses are offered. The Copperhead remains in great condition despite periods of drought or downpours—great greenskeeping management.

This is what a beach stay should be all about—good eating, great drinking and the Gulf of Mexico. The rooms are decent, but not remarkable. The hotel itself isn’t ritzy. But the reason Shephard’s has such a fanatical repeat business is because it’s a vibrant, happening place. In the day it’s your typical beach access; at sunset the Tiki bar rocks better than anywhere else in the region; the two-floor Wave nightclub really jams weekend nights; and the Sunday Champagne brunch is worth staying an extra day to enjoy. The property provides beach rentals of chairs and umbrellas, water sports, dinner buffets and all that jazz, but the action centers on the Tiki bars and live entertainment. Plenty of bikinis and Speedos milling about the property, fortunately usually by those well under 40.

Rocky Point is a beautiful little area on one of the causeways spanning Tampa Bay. It’s close to the airport and somewhat of a midway point between the Tampa and St. Pete regions. This is an island atmosphere with a lot of families staying here with a sprinkling of business travelers, although most of the latter stay in somewhat high-priced hotels nearer the airport. The price of $70 or so a night for a one-bedroom suite is a good buy, which comes with a kitchen and balcony. There’s a beach area although it’s not competitive to the Gulf beaches six or seven miles farther to the west.

Convenient to the University of South Florida, it’s casual and does offer some upscale amenities in the way of flat-panel TVs, free high-speed Internet and WiFi, laundry facilities and non-smoking policy. It’s usually quiet since it’s far from the madding crowds of the saloon districts. The kitchenette is nice for in-room munching and keeping drinks cold. It’s in close proximity to Busch Gardens and restaurants of all sorts on Fowler Avenue. Marriott gets the job done with no bad surprises here and low rates.