While Clearwater Beach has been enjoying a multitude of new hotels in recent years, the barrier islands to the south have appeared to stagnate. When you look closely, however, you can see signs of progress and hope for the future.
In the past 18 months alone, a first class boutique hotel, The Zamora, has opened on the east side of Gulf Boulevard at 37th Avenue in St. Pete Beach. With it came The Castile, a nice addition to the local eatery scene. The TradeWinds Resorts finished the rebranding of the old Sandpiper into the new Guy Harvey Outpost with the RumFish Grille and Guy Harvey gift shop. The company recently acquired the Coral Reef Hotel & Timeshare site just north of its TW Island Grand property, initially for parking and later for redevelopment. The Sirata Resort opened a completely renovated Compass Grille with a spectacular new menu. St. Pete Beach also has had some recent successes in the commercial arena with the beautiful expansion of Casa Del Pane, the new Sherwin Williams, recently opened Crowder Brothers Hardware, and the soon to open Verducci Italian Market. There’s also a Dunkin Donuts and Bressler’s Ice Cream in the works.
Also on St. Pete Beach, renovation crews have been busy at the Bayview Plaza and Bay Palms Waterfront Resorts and have just started work at the Plaza Beach Resort. Renovations are expected to be completed in late March or early April, according to General Manager for this St. Pete Beach hotel family- Robert Czyszczon (pronounced Say-Zon). The current legal challenges to the City’s new comprehensive plan have placed all plans for a new hotel at the Plaza Beach Resort’s location on hold until the challenges have been resolved.
A new 90-room Courtyard by Marriott will open February 17th. It is located behind the new Publix Supermarket in Madeira Beach. The hotel features a Bistro Café, pool & outdoor spa, and small group meeting space.
In Treasure Island, it appears one of the lots on the west side of Gulf Boulevard may soon break ground for a new hotel, five stories above parking. In both communities, owners of some of the small motels are investing and upgrading their facilities. Also in Treasure Island, the Beach House Hotel, formerly The Cabanas, at 12035 Gulf Boulevard, is an example of what can be done on a budget to totally transform a tired older property.
TradeWinds Resorts ‘Rebranding’
“Our conversion of the former TradeWinds Sandpiper Suites into the new Guy Harvey Outpost was prompted by the need to revitalize an older property to compete with our TradeWinds Island Grand and other area properties,” Group President & COO Keith Overton (pictured below with Guy Harvey) tells Paradise NEWS.
“It was done in three phases starting in late 2011: First, to change the imagery and décor of all rooms for a tropical Guy Harvey imprint. Next were beachfront improvements including a new Sandbox beach lounge with private VIP Cabanas, open firepit tables, and new furniture. Finally came the build-out of former conference space into the new RumFish Grille with an outdoor deck and the largest Guy Harvey merchandise store anywhere.”
Group CEO Tim Bogott adds, “The rebranding of the property has been well received, with average daily rates up immensely and overall occupancy up slightly since the new GHO opening in September 2012.
‘As a partner, Guy Harvey himself has been very supportive, bringing his environmental and ocean conservation events to the hotel and our local area. His Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Symposium was held twice and he’s the chair of our annual fishing tournament. He comes frequently for Florida lottery winner giveaways of local tournament participation, and joint promotions with his partner Bealls stores. His retail store has done very well and RumFish business has far exceeded expectations.”
RumFish opened last May, coinciding with Animal Planet’s show “Tanked,” featuring the three massive fish tanks the company installed. The main dining room tank is 11,000 square feet, with 33,500 gallons of water, the largest ever built by the team. Overton notes, ‘Having Guy here to fish with us for most of the tank specimens was a great experience. He also inspired our September 6-7 Lionfish Spearfishing Tournament, Weigh-In & Family Fun Day.”
Commenting on the acquisition of the Coral Reef property from the Fleeting Family and other interests, Bogott says, “We needed parking for our employees and didn’t want to lose the strategic site next to our Island Grand. Initially we plan to demolish everything except the two successful Timeshare buildings for parking. We’re as frustrated as everybody else on the legal delays to the City’s comprehensive plan but when there’s clarity we have major redevelopment plans.”
The Hotel Zamora & Castile
The first new hotel built in St. Pete Beach in over 30 years, The Hotel Zamora is a white-washed Mediterranean palace that though breathtakingly modern feels anchored in a bygone era. Inspired by the architecture of its namesake Spanish province, the hotel’s striking Romanesque façade is the framework for 50 expansive luxury suites including 22 with two bedrooms, balconies overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway and Gulf of Mexico, stylish dining and the laid-back leisure of Florida’s fashionable Tampa Bay.
“Our grand opening was a June 13, 2014, Tampa Bay Beaches Chamber ribbon cutting after many construction delays,” General Manager Tom Anderson tells Paradise NEWS. “The Castile opened a week earlier with our joint hotel-restaurant pre-opening promotion mainly focused on the big summer Florida drive market. Diamond PR in Miami did a great job, with Florida residents reached mainly by blast emails through our website and social media including Facebook, Twitter, 4Square & Yelp, among others.
“One other big change since opening is that we’re now managed by Marcus Hotels in Milwaukee, a group of more than 20 properties. We’re the first in Florida in their program to expand the portfolio in the South. We get the extra advantage of corporate marketing and their reservation process. It’s been extremely helpful in getting the word out on both the hotel and restaurant. It also lets us partner with other Marcus hotels in upcoming trade shows with Visit St Pete/Clearwater, among other events.
“One of the big things was partnering with BitPay, the Bitcoin processor, as one of the host hotels for the December 27 Bitcoin Bowl at Tropicana Field. ESPN did a rooftop event and we hosted most of their game staff. We’re also one of the few area hotels accepting Bitcoins – I even have a Bitcoin ‘wallet’ on my phone. Coming up is a really cool ‘month of romance’ promotion during February.
“The Castile, with a staff headed by Executive Chef Ted Dorsey, serves contemporary cuisine influenced by the culinary traditions of Spain, Mexico and the Mediterranean. It’s gotten excellent reviews and was recently named Number 6 on the Tampa Bay Times Top 50 List of area restaurants
“Our 360 Rooftop, offering a front row seat with 360-degree views for a spectacular sunset, is currently closed as we complete the final stages of construction. We’ve submitted final drawings to City Inspector Bruce Cooper on the required awning structure, with a goal of mid-February completion. Meanwhile, a section of the rooftop is still available for private receptions and catering events.
“We have found membership in the Tampa Bay Beaches Chamber very rewarding and look forward to hosting a February 11 Mixer on the 360 Rooftop Lounge.”
Madeira Beach Courtyard by Marriott
Opening February 17, the $10 million, 90-room Courtyard by Marriott Hotel of Madeira Beach, the city’s first new hotel in decades, became official when the City Commission gave its final approval in October 2012 to rezone the 1.5-acre site on American Legion Drive and to a special development agreement. This allowed the city to approve a site plan that did not conform exactly to city building and zoning codes. The plan was approved both by the city’s Planning Commission and a unanimous City Commission.
The hotel includes a resort-style swimming pool, Jacuzzi and outdoor spa, a restaurant and bar primarily for guests, and four large boat slips that will allow area boaters and water taxis to dock at the hotel. A 1,400-square-foot meeting room can be used for conferences and seminars, both by hotel guests, community and business groups. “The hotel will bring a tremendous amount of tourism to the city,” said Bob Lyons, a member of the ownership group, Santa Madeira Investment Partners.
Highlights include a new lobby experience offering engaging technology coupled with inviting flexible spaces to work and relax, free high-speed Internet, and a fitness center. Every guestroom offers an Intracoastal water view, including 46 with private balconies.
Jessica Respondek, Director of Sales, tells Paradise NEWS, “Our 1,400 square feet of meeting event space can handle up to 100 theater-style, 50 in a classroom set-up, and 75 banquet style. We’re doing very well with bookings through new community partnerships and reaching out to the North and Midwest for national sales meetings.
“Our overall promotion plan launched in mid-January included an email blast to individuals and outlets, building up anticipation and releasing details on the property. Now that the official opening is set, working with Marriott corporate we sent a national press release, using various electronic means, across the digital marketplace. We have our own Facebook page and the Marriott.com/TPAMB website.
“We’re active members of the Tampa Bay Beaches, Madeira Beach/Treasure Island, St Pete Area and Clearwater Regional Chambers of Commerce. We’ve already reached out with a postcard mailing to all respective memberships. Another important part of our marketing is being one of the Allegiant Airlines partner hotels as the newest member to the collection. Allegiant will bundle our hotel with airfare from all their markets to St. Pete/Clearwater International Airport.”
These are just a few examples of the vibrant new and redeveloped hotel and restaurant scene on the lower Gulf Beaches. Stay tuned via Paradise NEWS for many anticipated future developments.
Story by Steve Traiman
Photos by Jim Tizzano unless otherwise noted
[Editor’s Note: Special thanks for their excellent comments to Tim Bogott and Keith Overton, TradeWinds Resorts; Tom Anderson, The Hotel Zamora; and Jessica Respondek, Madeira Beach Courtyard by Marriott.]
[Steve Traiman is President of Creative Copy by Steve Traiman in St. Pete Beach, offering freelance business writing services. He can be reached via his NEW email at traimancreativecopy@gmail.com.]