any information at all!!
anyone stayed at the holiday inn there?
places to eat?
things to do?
beach facilities..
thanks

Check out Tampa Bay Online: www.tbo.com and the St Pete Times: www.sptimes.com/. Have some seafood at the Hurricane.

Did not stay there but it looks good from the outside.It has a big revolving restaurant at the top and it is well situated.

I found the food at Hurricane's very over rated and mediocre.

We loved Durangos enough to go back the next night. Our friends who live there had never ben there and were impressed with our find. it is now their new favorite steakhouse.

It is a good steakhouse type restaurant. Almost everything was good (my son did not care for hte spare ribs) and prices were reasonable. Lobster was excellent. Service great.

We loved St Pete's Beach overall. There is a lot to do there but we could not tear ourselves away from the beach long enough to do them.

Have a drink or go to the ice cream store at the Don Cesar Hotel. (Big pink landmark)

SK: Try the Salt Rock Grill in Indian Shores, Gulf Blvd., about 15 mnutes north of you. Reserve ahead. The best place in the entire area. For lunch, Floridian on 107th Avenue, one block east of Gulf Blvd, cuban sandwishes, and nice place. Supposedly the mexican place next to Ricky T's on Gulf Blvd. in Treasure Island is decent, as is the R Bar on 108th Ave., one block off Gulf Blvd. If you'd like recommendations on good italian, drop by Il Tucano Motel at 12321 Gulf Blvd. and ask the owners, the Notas, about their favorite places. Tell them Joseph in DC sent you. These recommendations are for real ... I own a house down there, on Sunset Beach, so I'm quite familiar with that area. Will be down myself later in May. By the way, the Holiday Inn is okay. Ciao

Haarumph, Joseph in DC, *I* can give them a good Italian rec too, if they are willing to come into Tampa.

We had lunch at Nick's a couple of weeks ago, gyros were great. To say the restaurant is "nothing fancy" is perhaps the understatement of the day, but they've got a nice patio overlooking the beach, there was live music Sunday morning, and all in all, a pleasurable meal.

I second Joe's rec for the cuban sandwiches at the Floridian (last week's lunch). Excellent cubans--voted best in the Tampa Bay area by the St. Petersburg Times.

Can't let an opportunity slide to promote our favorite after-the-beach/sail spot for drinks and appetizers, Woody's Waterfront. If you wear anything remotely fancy (clogs, Italian shirts, silk sweaters), you'll feel the stares. They are getting fancy now...even have a website! http://www.beachdirectory.com/woodys/

When I posted, I forgot one or two things. For a special evening, head back toward the Tampa airport and eat at Armani's at the Hyatt. Their salmone affumicato ripieno con tonno, and pollo rollatini avvolto in cavola rosso (no, I don't either) are supposed to be great. I have this firsthand. And don't miss a drive through Passe Grille, and on the way back stop at Don Cesar Hotel and have a drink in their garden by the beach. Delightful place!!

Thank you all for all the great information! Our kids booked us a get away for a few-tho we have tried most of the state -we seem to return to Longboat Key & Marco Island- so this will be a nice surprise!Is passe grille the place, that is supposed to be, the place to go for watching the best sunsets?? Many Thanks again!

I'm supposed to be winging my way to Dallas at this very moment, in fact within 10 minutes of landing there, BUT, thanks to AA's equipment failure, here I sit at home reading about others travel and hoping mine comes about sometime today. So much for my 1 PM hair appt with my old hairdresser in Big D! lt;

Sk, I hope you aren't disappointed with TI/St Pete area. Longboat Key it is not, not nearly as upscale, and good restaurant selection more limited. It's an easy drive down there though, if you feel the need to get to LBK.

Sunsets are pretty much the same whether Pass-a-Grille, TI, Clearwater, whatever. You may have heard of watching the sunset from the Hurricane at Pass-a-Grille? You can go a bit more upscale and watch instead from the bar/pool area of the Don CeSar, which L mentioned. They even have some nice bench swings back by the pool area so you can sit and swing with your drink and watch the sunset as you listen to a group playing out by the pool. I'd probably hit that before I would the Hurricane.

Hope your trip is great. Hope I get my trip outta here!!

OliveOyl, thanks for your concern-I was wondering myself, what the area itself would be like too-so I take it ,it is, a more relaxed type area...Like I said my kids booked it as a surprise(they have not been there either)I love to Beach ,but still enjoy a nice meal,and my husband burns like a lobster real fast ,so when he does ,I like to know of a fun beach escape also!Someone told me they thought there was a revolving restaurant on top of onr of the hotels-
& we have heard good comments about "the don"-which is supposed to be fairly close by-Thanks Again!