Plaza Beach Hotel on St Pete Beach Goes Retro

Plaza Beach Hotel on St. Pete Beach is a boutique “1950’s midcentury modern” resort, one of three virtually adjacent properties in the Czyszczon (pronounced Say-zon) family’s collection. Born in 1951, the postwar boom-era resort is the kind of accommodation that has made a name for vacationing on the Suncoast. While many properties have merged or sold and are currently under corporate control, Plaza Beach is blessed to have steadily had dedicated family ownership since 1988 and management flexible enough to change as needed. Brothers Chris and Victor Czyszczon had been vacationing from Chicago with their families and fell in love with the beaches. In 1988 Chris and Maria, together with Victor and Lena, bought the Plaza Beach Hotel. Many family members were involved in running the business, from Chris and Victor’s mom as housekeeper to the older kids who had roles in groundskeeping.

All 39 units are spacious suites with full kitchens; great for families, couples or business travelers who want all the amenities of home. In 2015, the Czyszczon family had floated an ambitious plan to replace the 1950’s two-story vintage hotel with a high-rise modern glass structure, but luckily progress was held up until the city fixed its sewer system. “In the meantime, enough people told us how much they loved the Old Florida feel of the place that we finally decided to embrace it,” says Robert Czyszczon, General Manager. “We threw out the idea of leveling the resort, and instead, we decided to turn it into a memorable 1950’s experience.”

In 2000, Robert graduated with a bachelor’s degree in hospitality management from Lynn University. He had gained valuable experience as well, working for renowned resorts on Florida’s east coast, including The Boca Raton Resort and Club, a Waldorf Astoria Resort, and the Ritz Carlton in Palm Beach. He was just 21 when his dad suggested they buy Victor and his wife Lena’s share. Robert brought many fresh ideas to the property and was able to market and produce business even during difficult times such as after September 11, 2001. In 2002, they acquired the Islander Inn and renamed it the Bayview Plaza Waterfront Resort.

Robert’s wife since 2003, Mari, is both the resort’s Director of Operations and a realtor. Their daughter, Victoria, 15, who is now studying in Colombia, South America, and son Robby,14, have both grown up at the resort. Robby claims to be a “teenage stripper,” referring to his part time job on weekends and holidays stripping the dirty sheets from the beds and taking care of guest laundry after checkout.  Robert says, “I started in the business the same way when I was his age.”

In 2008, Robert and Mari bought the Bay Palms Waterfront Resort. In 2015, both the Bayview and the Bay Palms were renovated, and a new façade was added. In 2019-2020, the Plaza Beach Hotel was transformed back into its glory days of 1950’s splendor. 

A 1960 Cadillac Fleetwood Limo, one of only 832 ever made, greets you at the front of the resort, and the retro theme continues into the lobby, which boasts desks and a sofa made from a 1956 Chevy Belair and 1957 Ford Fairlane by the Car Furniture division of Hospitality Furniture of Safety Harbor.

The lobby also features North America’s first automated and music playing cotton candy machine, which can make you a cone full of beautiful spun cane sugar that has only 78 calories. The newly enlarged lobby also incorporates guest seating areas and a large Marilyn Monroe and Elvis decorated aquarium. Whether you happen to need to use it or not, open the unassuming door and peek inside the recently redecorated lobby restroom. Pennies were used to entirely cover the floor, walls and ceiling, every square inch. This has not been done anywhere in the world, not in Las Vegas, not in Dubai. Plaza Beach in St. Pete Beach will always be known for having the first “Penny Bathroom” in the world. “Penny floors have been done, penny kitchen backsplashes too, but never an entire bathroom full of pennies,” said Robert Czyszczon, General Manager, and Sheldon Blake, Assistant General Manager, who jointly came up with the idea.  Hotel guests, residents, and visitors from other hotels are welcome to come by and guess how many pennies are in the bathroom and win $1,000. A runner-up prize will be a 7-night stay at any of the three resorts. Stop by Plaza Beach for more details.

Just outside the lobby on the north side is a miniature golf course, and on the south is a weatherproof game room including pool, ping pong and foosball tables supplied by John at Elite Home Game Rooms in Tampa, who also supplied the jukebox in the lobby.

Pass-a-Grille resident Kim Pabor of Pabor Designs helped to design and decorate the rooms. Robert also worked with the Gulf Beaches Historical Museum in Pass-a-Grille and the St. Petersburg Museum of History to get inspiration and original pictures of St. Pete Beach from the 1950s that are used in the rooms and throughout the property. Family-owned and operated since 1988, the family is still very active in the day-to-day operations and you will definitely see them on property.

If you find yourself recommending a place for friends or family to stay on the Suncoast, or you are hankering to repeat a magical stay you once had on Tampa Bay’s beaches, be sure to check for a vacancy at the Plaza Beach Resort or one of its sister properties.

White Glove Award Winners from the Superior Small Lodging Association and approved by AAA for quality and standards, this resort group is one of only a handful of resorts in Florida that has received the Green Lodging Seal from the state of Florida for their efforts in conserving and recycling. 

St. Pete Beach is a 6-mile long island and the Plaza Beach Resort is directly in the center of the island. Everything is in walking distance – the grocery store, restaurants – and shopping is just across the street. 

So is deep sea fishing, parasailing, jet skiing, dolphin watch cruises, sunset cruises and many different cruises visiting nearby islands. Only 30 minutes from Busch Gardens and 90 minutes from Disney and all the Orlando parks. Come explore nearby Fort De Soto and Caladesi Island state parks while staying centrally located at the Plaza Beach Resort. See for yourself why many people return to the award-winning Plaza Beach Resorts collection of boutique resorts.

Amenities include:

• Heated Beachside and Bayside Pools
• Sugar White Private Beach filled with colorful Adirondack chairs.
• Free Morning Coffee in the lobby
• Daily Social Hour from 4-5pm with free beer and wine 
• Mini-Golf, Ping Pong table, Pool table
• Shuffleboard, 1950’s styled Cornhole boards
• Foosball Table, large size Connect Four
• Human Size Chess / Checkers Field
• Two world-class Beach Volleyball courts
• Chris’s Beach Bar (a local’s beach bar favorite)
• Beachside and Bayside BBQ grills 
• Private Fishing Pier (at sister property)
• Fishing Poles available
• Paddleboards available 
• Washer and Dryer on site 
• Beach Cabanas available
• Parking for each hotel guest with Tesla and EV charging available
• Fitness Room Usage 
• Wireless High-Speed Internet Access 
• Completely renovated in 2019 
• Blazing Fast 5ghz Wi-Fi
• Full kitchens 
• Nonsmoking rooms 
• 42-inch LED Smart TV’s

A true family friendly resort, “it’s our family providing other families a genuine and memorable family vacation, where there is something for everyone amongst our properties,” says Robert Czyszczon.

Step outside your private guest room and onto the sandy shores of St. Pete Beach. Enjoy a perfect Florida day laying on a beach side cabana with the sound of the waves rolling in and the cool tropical breeze refreshing your skin. When you want to explore the area surrounding the hotel, gift shops, restaurants, and excursions are all just minutes away. 

All three award-winning, boutique resorts, including the Plaza Beach Hotel – Beachfront Resort, Bayview Plaza Waterfront Resort and Bay Palms Waterfront Resort, Hotel & Marina are committed to protecting the environment and being “green hotels.” They understand the environmental issues associated with all their operations and incorporate environmentally friendly management into everyday business practices. They believe that as a business they have a responsibility to minimize their impact in order to protect and sustain the local, national and global environment for future generations.

As part of their green initiatives, they do not provide daily housekeeping service. They provide a fresh clean room at check-in and offer a “Housekeeping Service Menu” based on guest needs and wishes. These housekeeping practices have saved hundreds of thousands of gallons of water from being contaminated with laundry detergents. Together all are making a huge impact for tomorrow’s future.

Stop by and let them know you read about them in Paradise NEWS, enter a guess how many pennies were used in the lobby bathroom and make yourself some fresh cotton candy.

A dedication is being planned to include a ribbon-cutting ceremony and a barefoot dance on the beach, so keep your eye on tampabaybeaches.com and the electronic sign in front of the chamber of commerce’s building for the date and time.

Plaza Beach Hotel – Beachfront Resort
4506 Gulf Blvd St. Pete Beach, FL 33706 (727) 367-2791

Feel free to shop on any travel site, but for the guaranteed best rates visit PlazaBeachResorts.com. PN