Recommend Beach in Tampa Area
 

I will be taking my two girls, ages 9 and 13, to the Tampa area for a week in June. Our absolute favorite beach is Siesta Key. However, we want to do something different. We are looking for the same kind of atmosphere, beach,etc. We want to be near attractions, but really prefer quieter areas to heavily populated beaches. I have been looking at the Treasure Island or Indian Shores area. What would you recommend and why? Also, can you suggest condos in the areas. We prefer condos to hotels. Thanks so much!

Well, like you, our absolute favorite beach is Siesta Key. We went back to the gulf this year, but decided to try a different place, so we went a little farther south (Venice, Manasota & Englewood Beaches). Can tell you that these beaches don't compare to Siesta in any way, shape or form. Now, they are a little further south, and being as you are considering staying farther north, don't know what Treasure or Indian Shores will be like. Someone else here surely will be able to help with that. But, I will say, that we were homesick for Siesta and actually ventured up there to spend two days on their beach because it is so nice. And with that said, we've learned our lesson not to change!

Best beach in the area is Pass A Grille
located at the southern tip of
St. Pete beach. You could not ask for a nicer beach in all of the West Coast including Siesta Key.

There is more to do in this area for 9-13 year olds than in Siesta Key. A lot of families go to Treasure Island because it's a lot of fun -- goofy golf, ice cream shops, loads of shopping. Siesta Key is beautiful but sometimes all that beauty can be lost on teens. If you prefer quieter areas to heavily populated beaches then I'd suggest either Pass-a-Grille which has been mentioned; Sunset Beach on the south end of Treasure Island; or Ft. DeSoto for day trips (it's a park, only campground there). In the summer people from Tampa head to the beaches, especially families with kids.

And if you want to stay at a condo, I don't think there are any at Passe-a-Grille. There is one in the middle of Sunset Beach, called the Sunset Chateau. There is a nicer one with more amenities at the southern tip of Sunset Beach, I can try to drum up the name if you're interested.

What are you looking for in a condo? There are many but TI is mostly hotels. The next island north, Madiera Beach, is all condos. Do you want to stay at a beach that is all condos?

Give me some feedback about what you are looking for in a place to stay, and what it is you like about condos. Then I can over a rec.

Land's End=south tip of TI.

Thanks, OO. Lands End is the condo at the southern tip of Sunset Beach, which is at the Southern end of Treasure Island.

This web site offers some phone numbers and hotel and condo links on Treasure Island:
www.treasure-island-hotels-hotels.bdir.com

Thanks for all the info! We don't have to have a condo. I prefer the extra space and having a kitchen. We usually eat breakfast and lunch in the room and have dinner out. We could still do a hotel though. Please recommend any lodging you think we might be interested in. We are looking for something gulf front with a balcony. Also, we must have a pool. That is about all the requirements we have. Thanks again.

Melanie

Based on info people gave you above, I also started looking into Pass-a-grill, and if you go to Loews Hotels website, there is a nice looking and historic hotel in this area (St. Pete beach)--the Don Cesar Resort Hotel which also has a separate unit with beach suites, I believe. You can also get info on the resort at www.doncesar.com. Anyone ever stayed here???

I've stayed there...a busman's holiday for our anniversary last January. It is my favorite hotel on the beach, and the most upscale of them all from Pass-a-Grille to CWB.

We had a suite, rooms are small but VERY very nicely done. Tropical decor can be overdone...this isn't. It was recently renovated and they did a terrific job. Our balcony overlooked the pool area (also redone) and beach. Unfortunately it turned out to be a frigid weekend, one of the few we get occasionally, so we couldn't make good use of the facilities. The evening of our 34th anniversary we watched from our balcony as two couples were married at sunset on the beach, (brrr) and from afar, wished them the same terrific times we've had...thinking back to our own wedding (warmer than this one although ours was in Virginia Beach) and all that has transpired for us since, and will for them as well. I hope...

Back to the Don, as stated, their pool area is recently redone and quite nice. There are small dunes separating that from the beach, which like most beaches in this area, is lovely.

If I hear complaints about the hotel, it is usually about the size of the bathrooms, but you must keep in mind, it IS a historic hotel, and that is reflected in room dimensions. Your room will not be huge, and the bathrooms certainly are not. That is no problem for me as the rest more than makes up for that and they certainly weren't so small as to be in the least uncomfortable or unpleasant. This is <i>not</i> a modern box--it <i>is</i> full of character. It has a fascinating history--was saved from destruction to come back to what it is now. We have friends who grew up in the area and who remember it when it was boarded up, close to being taken down. Thank goodness it was saved because it surely is a beauty now! The other really outstanding hotel in St Pete, the Vinoy, (not on the beach, but downtown, such as it is) has a similar history and same wonderful recovery.

The Don was bought by Loews this year and I feel certain they will continue the same level of service as was enjoyed under previous management. They have a beautiful property!

We were just down in St. Petersburg Beach, so we looked at Don Cesar and Tradewinds, and setteld on the latter. The Don was nice, with smallish rooms, but taken care of. But the crowd in the lobby was a bit older for what we had in mind, and Tradewinds seem livelier. But honestly, either venue is nice, and we did love Tradewinds, and would stay there again. This was our first time in the area, but our views about the two places seemed to match others who go each year. But youd need to get the view of someone who really knows whats available along there. But no matter, the beach is the absolute best.

We love Anna Maria Island, between Tampa &amp; Siesta Key, might be a bit quiet but very 'untouristy'! Runaway Bay condo's brilliant.

Actually, &quot;EudoraS&quot;, the Don attracts virtually all ages, enough so that they also have a kids program. The weekend we were there, as has been the case anytime we've stopped off at their poolside cafe, there were numerous families with very young children, plus those of &quot;marrying age&quot;, on up to us and beyond...gasp...older folks who might enjoy a <i>tango</i> even. lol It is a more expensive hotel than the others, however, which translates to a more affluent crowd, and tends toward the older side of the equation, rather than younger, but we are talking the preponderance of guests being families with a pretty fair discretionary income. Drop by their pool on one of your walks and take a look poolside.

The Don Cesar simply cannot be beat! We loved our romantic getaway package, which included complimentary breakfast by the pool at their patio by the beach entry. The service was top-notch and the food delightful.

But make no mistake this is an expensive hotel, and deservedly so. It has been refurbished over the years, and maintains itsdlf very nicely. The restaurant inside is the best place to eat in that part of the Gulf. The clientelle is well off, this is not debatable, thus it does seem to be on the older, if not elderly side. We saw some kids, but very few.

we recommend the Don very highly, and if you're over 55 or that environs, I think you'll fit in better and feel more like the other inhabitrants. Have a good time, by all means.

I think your girls will love the Tradewinds on St. Pete Beach (and make sure you book the correct Tradewinds because there are a few). And you will like it too -- the rooms are HUGE. Complete kitchens, big living rooms, balconies, and they're not too bad on the budget. They have this funky little lazy river with swans that winds around this very large complex. This is a resort. There are lots of families that stay here. And that stretch of St. Pete Beach has my favorite beach bar, the Swigwam.

And I think your girls will love Treasure Island, especially the part of the island where there are many activities (not Sunset Beach). There will be many other families there, and there's always something going on in Treasure Island. Loads of shopping just across the street. Bring a kite, there's a million kites flying on this super-wide beach.

But I think they will be bored at the Don.

Hark...the tap tap tap of the tango dancer!

Hugglynn...It's Freaky Friday, so you might want to take a look at other posts by eudora and ginger, &quot;both&quot; of whom were created just for the occasion this afternoon, have popped up on a couple of threads, and now both have erased &quot;their&quot; identities. The games people play...not very well I might add, monsier! This is ongoing, and unfortunately as with the San Jose/SF problem, it detracts from information available.

OK...I assure you Hugglynn, should you decide on the Don, you will not be surrounded by doddering old tango dancers, nor will you feel out of place if you come with your family. It's a terrific place with a beautiful beach--great ambience. It does boast 350 something weddings a year, which in itself should lead you away from Tango's, assertion that it's the over the hill crowd. It's costly but lovely. Costly is not a deterrent for all families, as evidenced not just by this crowd, but the Ritz in Naples and Amelia Island, Hyatt Coconut Point etc, it's a new day and age with dual income families.

I'm sure those girls of yours will be just thrilled to death to hear they will be spending a week at the wedding capital of St. Pete Beach. The Don is elegance and romance. The pool is wonderful but no water slides. The daquiris are terrific but no slurpies.

OO, maybe you need to take a spot poolside at the Don for about a week so you can get this out of your system. I know there's almost no place better in the whole world than the Don but those girls are not going to think like you or me. A pink hotel is a pink hotel to them.

No?

Tandoori Girl, I was addressing Hugglynn, not UGA, but I'll guarantee they can make anything the girls would like, and lack of waterslides haven't kept families from any of the resorts mentioned above. If you have been poolside you realize that this is far from the over 55 crowd, that families also love it.

Actually, my issue is with eudora/ginger, who, unfortunately, has an agenda which has virtually nothing to do with this thread and one which will zip right over most posters heads--yours included as you are relatively new on these boards. He is not...

OO, what is E/Gs agenda?

Do you have a hotmail address?

Give me yours.

lol <i>I</i> don't have one! Hmmm...not sure how to get around this, are you? Click on both names for starters and see what you find.

well, i did that but couldn't quite figure it out. why they were no more.

geez. it's tuff 2B nu kid on blck.

I'll meet you at the Don, we'll discuss it over those yummy daquiris, OO. Don't you just love that place?!? Have you been to the Clearwater Beach Hotel, another old historic spot?

Now maybe that would be a good place for ugadog99...

Right, clicking on anyone's name gives a history of their posts. You can unregister your name however, and there is no longer anything that leads back to you...including anything that can lead Fodors back to you. You can immediately re-register with another name then, and post as someone else. Let's just say several of us were friends, something went amuck and the remainder now deal with the sniping..and it is always in this manner. A post, unregister, come back as a new person to agree with the former person, then unregister that name etc. This is the internet, the good, the bad, and the very ugly. Fortunately, his participation is very cyclical.

You'd think people would have better things to do...like us!

Back to the bar! Actually, your idea is a good one. If this weren't such a nasty weekend I'd take you up on it.

That is so unfortunate.

I'll chime in on the Don Csar. The first time I ever stayed there was in 1990 and I was 24 so that dispels the older crowd myth. It was lovely. It was the first time I had ever splurged with friends and stayed in an expensive hotel. We were treated so well and I was so impressed.

Fast forward to 2000 and it was as gorgeous as ever. I went with a good friend who is a big time meeting planner so they rolled out the red carpet for us.

Rooms were great, staff fantastic, everything was super.

The only weird thing was living on the east coast, laying out on the beach with my back to the ocean as opposed to facing the ocean.

I grew up on the east coast too so it took me some time to get used to it too, GoTravel. Away from the water here means heading east...an uncomfortable concept initially.

You need to come back. I believe their latest renovation has been since your last trip. It was beginning to look a bit down at the heels, especially the lobby area, but they did a great job--I've heard the cost, my husband may remember, but those figures don't stick with me. Whatever, they put a tremendous sum of money into it.

GoT, you should do what I do when I go to the east coast -- turn your chair around. Silly you.

The Sunday brunch is great at the Don. Last time I went it was $15. I'll bet it's double that now, or more. We booked a suite a couple of years ago on our anniversary - -my husband and I were both working and couldn't travel anywhere so we just lived it up for a night. Breakfast in bed. Had dinner at their wonderful restaurant.

I went to a sunset wedding there on the very top -- the bride and groom had rented out the 2-story penthouse suite with the winding staircase for the reception and for their honeymoon night. It was just gorgeous -- but the groom was a psycho. He had his best man introduced to play a saxophone solo like he was going to be some grand entertainer -- but when he played it was just awful -- on purpose! -- and it was an awful rendition of the theme from MASH (&quot;suicide is painless). That marriage didn't last, needless to say. Later he tried to run her over on the front lawn of their Hyde Park home in his jeep. What a maniac. Her name was -- get this -- Bianca.

But glad I got to go to the wedding!

Actually, we just follow the sun and rotate our chairs.

If we end up facing away from the ocean, we've been on the beach too long! That means too many beers and too much sun because the sun is getting low in the sky!

OO, I swear our paths have crossed at some point!

Y'all I'm paying for that practice. The good Dr. Fenske has become my friend for life. :( sniff

Well, I have not only learned a lot about Don Cesar, but also about checking these doggone screen names to see the authenticity of someone's opinion before taking it to the bank. But as long as I'm invited to join in on the daquiris, I'll get over my naivete!

Hi OliveOyl! You're right on the money about the DonCesar, as are you, GoTravel. Some very good friends of ours bought a beach-front house last year, about 7-8 door south of the hotel. It's a typical '80s house, desperately in need of an update. They spent several weeks down there renovating, with the help of their four kids, ages 13-20. And what do you think the little devils did (before their mother got wind of it and put a kabosh on it) after they were done with painting &amp; sanding each day? They walked down the beach, ate lunch at the DonCesar and then swam at the pool on the sly! They had a great time down there because there were plenty of interesting people at the pool--families, famous people, etc. So based on that little tidbit, I couldn't exactly say two 9 and 13 year old girls would be bored at the DonCesar.

We stayed with our friends in July and enjoyed the Sunday buffet. I wouldn't say it was 5* dining, but it was lots of fun and the food was good. Strolling musicians came around table to table and played whatever you requested. They were so sweet! So were the endless Mimosas we downed...more than four hours flew by without us realizing it! We noticed people of all ages in the dining room, too.

I believe they just passed a rule at the Don Cesar that children 9 and 13 are not allowed. And that you have to be a member of AARP to get a room. And fodorites get charged double.

OO, sorry to hear about you and the Doc. I can't tell you the many times I've wanted to tell people sunning themselves on the beach that they were ruining their precious skin -- and of course I did it too.

Ya'll take a listen now. Remember your sunscreen, your hats, your shirts. A little sun goes a long way.

Ok, if there are a few Tradewinds in the St. Pete area, how will I know it is the right one? Anyone have a website for Tradewinds? We are leaning toward Indian Shores. Can anyone recommend a condo/hotel in that area?

Thanks!

I don't know condos in Indian Shores at all -- but the Tides in Redington (next island south) is right around the corner. It is really fabulous. Check it out:

http://vacationrentaladvertising.com...age.asp?ID=242

there's probably another site for it, that's the first one I found. I thought it had a good description of its history before it turned high-rise condo. Some of the old parts are still there.

As for the Tradewinds:
www.tradewindsresort.com

I went to their website and looked up the floor plans. They did not have the huge 2-bdrm sketched out -- the one I saw where my friends were staying.

Indian Shores is nice. You'll enjoy it. You can walk the beach to the fishing pier at Redington -- and to the Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary. Go during feeding time -- it's really funny to see those pelicans all diving in unison for their food. It almost looks orchestrated. Indian Rocks has good restaurants. Crabby Tom's is fun. My friends like Slammers, a crab place. And I think the Beach Bistro is around there, gourmet food. Guppies is good for either lunch or dinner. If you decide to treat yourself, head up to Clearwater to the Island Way Grill, a wonderful new EXP. restaurant.

Good luck.

ugadog, there's really only one Tradewinds Resort. It's comprised of several hotels in a row, all combined under one name. I imagine some are better (newer) than others. I think I've seen discussion about that here. You could do a search. Tradewinds is in a busy area though, smack in the middle of St. Pete Beach's main drag.

Also, I live on Treasure Island, and Land's End really is quite nice! They have a nice pool area, and it would have the quiet you're looking for, but with everything nearby. Be sure to ask for Gulf front, not just waterfront. Some of their units look east over the intracoastal, and there's some happy noisy beach bars just a stone's throw across the water. The gulf side has a beautiful beach there.

Have fun whatever you choose!

Hi Joan...but did you see it said that those happy noises are coming from a tough blue collar bar? Geez louise! Anyway, Lands End has a terrific location on the point and the beach is very, very pretty. Never stayed there...drawback to living in the area is we know the outside of lots of places, but haven't a clue as to what it's like inside.

Tradewinds at one point was comprised of The Grand, the Sandpiper, and the Sirata. The Sirata was sold, and of the two remaining, the Grand is the better. Ugadog (by the way, I know Uga and his owner in Savannah!) you might be interested in reading reviews of both hotels by people who have stayed there either on Trip Advisor of BiddingForTravel--its sort of a mixed bag.

And if Woody's isn't blue-collar enough you can surely hope for some holdovers from BeachNuts who'll be hanging out at the Ka'Tiki or Caddy's, revving up their Harleys.

Rrrrrrrrrrrrrmmmmpphhhhh!