NEW TOURIST HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS
Story by STEVE TRAIMAN
As we edge out of the Covid-19 pandemic, the busy tourist season has been extended by what some in the tourism business are calling a “Perfect Storm for Florida Tourism” – probably not the best choice of words with a “worse than usual storm season expected”.
The combination of cabin fever, cheap flights, warm weather, and the #1 U.S. Beach award, plus travel restrictions elsewhere and stimulus money, has led to a windfall for our local hoteliers and restauranteurs in St. Pete Beach, Treasure Island and Madeira Beach.
ST. PETE BEACH
The former Grand Plaza Hotel at 5250 Gulf Blvd. originally opened in 1975 as, and remains, the tallest structure on SPB featuring 156 spacious guest rooms and suites with magnificent views of the Gulf of Mexico, the city and Tampa Bay. It will reopen in mid-June as the new Bellwether Beach Resort, part of the Benchmark Resorts & Hotels Group.
In addition to featuring 156 spacious guest rooms and suites it will welcome guests from all across the globe. Features include a wide variety of resort amenities with four restaurants highlighted by a rooftop venue, four bars, a beachfront pool, beach services and more. Currently only Bongo’s Beach Bar is open to the public.
There will be no better place to host a big wedding day as The Bellwether’s expert and experienced wedding team – in keeping with Grand Plaza tradition – hosted hundreds of beachfront weddings on SPB every year and will be with couples every step of your way to make their fairytale a reality.
Under the conceptual plan presented to the City Commission the current Miramar facility at 4200 Gulf Blvd., a one- and two-story 27-room motel-type structure built in 1953, will be demolished to make way for a 6-story, 54-room luxury resort.The new Miramar Beach Resort includes 54 rooms and a rooftop lounge, which will be accessible to the public. The project still has a long way to go, though, and requires the city to first complete its sewer system upgrades, which are now on track for completion later this year. A certificate of occupancy could then be granted for the project.
Ronnie Galant, Miramar’s VP of operations, said the reimagined and recreated Miramar will include many in-house amenities, including a fitness center, indoor and outdoor dining on its main floor, and a rooftop pool and lounge. Along with resort guests, the public will be invited to enjoy the gulf-front restaurant or rooftop lounge and may be offered memberships to the new fitness center.
The lobby of the new Miramar resort will feature both a covered and open outdoor dining area with a lounge facing the gulf, along with a full-service indoor lobby restaurant and tavern. He noted the developers, including Kevin Bowden, recently opened their larger Cambria Hotel in Madeira Beach with a rooftop bar amenity that presents acoustic music at reasonable hours, and there have been no complaints.
The Titan Global Group of investor developers, a local family-owned company that did an amazing job rebuilding St. Pete Beach Suites just north of Upham Beach in the boutique hotel district, have hit a home run with their latest project: The Saint Hotel that opens in early May at 7201 Sunset Way. It’s adjacent to 82 Degrees, the full-service restaurant for breakfast, lunch and dinner, that opens later this month. The hotel’s key amenities include 19 suites, both efficiencies and 1-bedrooms, all with kitchenette and either Gulf, courtyard or pool views. There’s also a hot tub, several fun courtyard games, and a spa, with free use of the hotel’s (bikes, beach wagons, pool towels, and beach chairs.
The former Sloppy Pelican/Shark Tales was rebuilt and reopened as Buoys Waterfront Bar & Grill at 677 75th Avenue – one of the most coveted Gulf Beaches coastal areas. With boat docks soon to be repaired and more to come. Buoys is one of the unique places you can dock your boat and enjoy a great lunch or dinner with small town vibes while you mingle with the locals and enjoy chef-inspired fare with island inspired ingredients to hand crafted cocktails by our mixologists.
The passion to detail and freshness will bring you back time and time again. At Buoy’s the primary goal is to exceed every guest’s expectations for both quality and service. They strive to provide a relaxing, enjoyable dining experience in a friendly, fun and family oriented atmosphere. Buoy’s is open daily from 8:00 am to 11:00 pm with no reservations required.
Philthy Phil’s is now the Toasted Monkey, relocated from its former Howard Johnson’s site on Gulf Blvd. to 678 Corey Ave . on the west end of SPB. Their waterfront location is just a block south of Buoy’s and both restaurants are owned by Chris Graus, new SPB District 1 commissioner.
That Howard Johnson’s site was bought by OTO Development in December 2019. It re-opens May 10 as the new Hilton Garden Inn, with 136 rooms, a heated outdoor pool and beachfront bar and grill serving inspired cuisine all day.
Long-time breakfast/lunch landmark Beverly’s at 7401 Gulf Blvd was sold to a French couple and will reopen later this spring as Beverly’s La Croisette.
Commenting on the new hotel and restaurant activity, Mayor Al Johnson told Paradise News, “Resort re-construction on St. Pete Beach is taking off and, with it, improvements to supporting businesses like restaurants and bars. The surge in tourism activity has much to do with easing the restrictions caused by the Corona Virus but, for SPB, this activity is exaggerated. It is a response to the wastewater system capacity improvement project that began in October 2020. The maxed-out system resulted in a 2016 building moratorium on multi-unit projects until capacity is increased. With the sewer project currently underway construction permits can now be issued.
“Redevelopment of the tourism infrastructure in St. Pete Beach is very much needed. Various projects have been discussed with City staff who have educated developers to the limitations on unit density, building height, etc. contained in our Comprehensive Plan. No project discussed is allowed to exceed the plan’s limitations – it is the governing document. Once completed, the sewer project will support the full scope of that plan.
“It’s an exciting time in SPB! The City is executing and completing infrastructure projects and guiding private development that will renew our island paradise for the enjoyment of our residents and visitors alike. Being blessed to be named #1 US Beach doesn’t mean we can’t improve – I believe even the best can improve and we are doing exactly that!”
MADEIRA BEACH
Cambria Hotels, a Choice Hotels upscale brand, celebrated the grand opening of its third property in the Sunshine State with the opening of the Cambria Hotel St. Petersburg-Madeira Beach Marina last December. On hand were Madeira Beach Mayor John Hendricks and City Manager Robert Daniels, and Janis Cannon, senior VP for Choice upscale brands.
Located on the waterfront in MB Town Center at 15015 Madeira Way, the hotel offers stylish accommodations and amenities that include breathtaking ocean views, a rooftop infinity pool and rooftop bar, an elevated courtyard. and fitness center Some waterfront guest rooms include private balconies, and all offer free WiFi and Bluetooth connections
Town Center offers easy access to some of the waterfront’s best shopping, dining, beach activities and entertainment—all within walking distance. And the hotel is less than 2 miles from John’s Pass, home to shopping, attractions and one of the country’s largest annual seafood festivals, the John’s Pass Seafood & Music Festival.
The Schooner, a 42-unit hotel at 14500 Gulf Blvd., has been described as one of the last remaining “old school Florida hotels in Madeira Beach.” It would be redeveloped as The Schooner Resort, a seven-story building with a 56-room hotel, restaurant and resort services on the west side of Gulf Boulevard with a two-story parking garage above retail space on the east side. Kevin Bowden, a veteran hotel developer and one of the partners who operates the Schooner, said the project would cost between $25 to $28 million.
The MB Planning Commission unanimously approved rezoning needed for the planned redevelopment at a March meeting, and the City Board of Commissioners approved the rezoning plan on first reading at an April 14 meeting. If the project wins final approval in May, Bowden hopes to break ground later this year. Construction would take about 14 months with opening projected for February 2023. If there is a delay in winning final approval, the project likely would not break ground until later in 2022, so the development would not lose a full season of tourist business.
Bowden is partnering with real estate agents Jeff and Jim Beggins on the proposed redevelopment. They are operating the hotel under a three-year lease with the owner, Brian Selenski, and have an option to purchase the property. Bowden also owns the newly opened Cambria Hotel on Madeira Beach and is building the Miramar Resort on St. Pete Beach.
TREASURE ISLAND
Mayor Tyler Payne is excited to see the move of all city departments to the new City Hall Center, built in the transformed former Allied Insurance building at 10451 Gulf Blvd. Some of the cost is unseen, but necessary in a modern era where officials have to plan for the unforeseen and unthinkable. It is designed to define the city’s character, be ADA accessible, secure, welcoming and easy to navigate, Stacy Boyles, assistant public works director, told city commissioners in December 2019.
It will incorporate safety features that a small island city never had to imagine or budget for years ago. The building will have a number of security cameras and card readers at certain doors used by staff, but no metal detectors at public entrances. City Manager Gary Brumback, who is retiring June 30, said there is “a lot of staffing associated with (metal detectors); it’s much bigger than just detecting metals, and has no use unless there is somebody there to prevent something bad happening if the metal’s found.”
Boyles told commissioners planners are studying sustainability and have listed initiatives planned in both construction and operations. Some of the details involve “how we are going to procure the items like having requirements for recycled composite materials, engineered wood and things like that,” she said.
The third floor will it be renovated at the same time as the second and fifth floors. Partial renovation will be done on the fourth floor to bring it up to building code, with items such as installing a sprinkler system and removing the drop ceiling along with some of the walls and flooring.
The fifth floor will be utilized as a community space that can be rented for events, meetings and provide much-needed programming space for the recreation department. It boasts a beautiful view of the Gulf, the downtown corridor and Treasure Island Park, and features multiple-sized rooms for classes or meeting spaces for community groups and activities. It is also home to one larger premiere event space with a catering kitchen, making it an attractive venue for a variety of functions.
Entrance to the new City Hall Center will be on the east side of the building at Treasure Island Park. Visitors can take an elevator or stairs to the second-floor customer service lobby. “Beyond the lobby is the Commission Chamber that overlooks the beach, and the Community Development Department is to the other site of the lobby,” Boyles said. “The next floor up is the staff working floor, with a primarily open floor plan, designed to keep staff located in close proximity for efficiency and collaboration. The workspaces have been designed with flexibility, keeping in mind the potential needs of the future workforce,” she explained.
The design came to the City Commission when it approved the final bid in March 2019, and Boyles said the city staff hopes to move-in completely “by this time in 2022.”
In addition to the new City Hall Center, the ghost town on the south side of John’s Pass is coming back to life. The site of the former Gator’s Café, a vacant symbol of the coronavirus pandemic, is about to become the 11th restaurant on the Beachside Hospitality Group roster, opening in May l under the name Crabby’s on the Pass. “Everything came together on this, and we were able to work out a great deal. We’re so excited to be in Treasure Island,” said Julia Cassino, director of marketing and events at Beachside.
Gator’s, a three-decade legend among Gulf beach restaurants and watering holes, was an early victim of the COVID-19 contagion, closing its doors in March 2020. In October, owners announced the shutdown would be permanent. Known for its Florida Gators football watch parties, boisterous Sunday live-music events and stunning views of the Gulf, John’s Pass and the drawbridge, the facility took advantage of its surroundings with floor-to-ceiling windows and indoor-outdoor seating to become a favorite among locals and tourists. The boat-up docks will remain, and there will be a fish filleting station and indoor space for banquets, weddings and corporate events.
Beachside has been steadily expanding from its Clearwater stronghold, where it operates Crabby’s Bar & Grill, Crabby’s Dockside, Salty’s Island Bar & Grill and the Salty Crab North Beach. It also has restaurants in St. Cloud, New Smyrna Beach, Daytona Beach, Fort Pierce and Fort Myers Beach.
Editor’s Note: Special thanks to St. Pete Beach Mayor Al Johnson, Cambria Hotels spokesman Kevin Bowden, Madeira Beach Mayor Tyler Payne, City Manager Gary Brumback and Stacy Boyles, assistant public works director, The Saint Hotel spokesperson Lori Natkes, and earlier articles from the Tampa Bay Times, Tampa Bay Newspapers and St. Pete Catalyst.]
[Feature editor Steve Traiman is president of Creative Copy by Steve Traiman, providing professional business writing services since 1993. He can be reached via email to traimancreativecopy@gmail.com or by phone to 727-363-7531.]