Looking for the best places to stay in St. Pete Beach? I’ve live in the Tampa area for over 25 years, and at this point I’ve stayed at nearly all of them. So I’ve rounded up all my favorite St. Pete Beach hotels for you here. Whether you’re looking for a romantic couples getaway, a family friendly beach vacation, or a quick weekend trip – there’s a perfect hotel for everyone here.
St. Pete Beach was recently named as the best beach in the entire US by Trip Advisor’s Traveler’s Choice rankings. And it really shouldn’t come as a surprise. Nearby Clearwater Beach has been a top ranked beach for many years. St. Pete Beach is every bit as gorgeous with wide, white sand beaches – and way less crowded with tourists.
St. Pete Beach is simple a wonderful place for a family vacation or a couples getaway. When choosing a hotel, you have plenty of choices. They all share the same beautiful stretch of beach, so you’re really choosing based on amenities at the hotel itself. There are a wide range from basic hotels with simple pools, to fancy resorts with fancy amenities like lazy rivers and waterslides, to apartment-style suites that are perfect for longer stays.
So without further ado – here are my personal picks for the best hotels in St. Pete Beach.
Where to Stay in St. Pete Beach
Here are my top picks for the best hotels in St. Pete Beach - from a Florida native that's lived in the area for over 25 years.
The Don Cesar is the single most recognizable fixture on St. Pete Beach. It sits on the southernmost end of St. Pete Beach. The hotel was built in 1928 and has a rich history of entertaining the rich and famous.
Today it's a more accessible hotel that caters to families, couples, and retirees alike. It sits on an absolutely gorgeous area of the beach, and has a beautiful pool area (with a pretty good cafe too!) The hotel has been remodeled in recent years, so things are fairly updated.
The hotel has a more adult, upscale feel but it's still family friendly, with a kids club available. The resort fee includes free access to beach chairs, umbrellas, and some watersport activities too.
The location is great for the beautiful beach, including accessing the nearby Pass-a-grille Beaches, which are also beautiful. But being at the far south end of St Pete Beach means you will likely need to drive (or Uber) to access restaurants and entertainment outside of the resort.
The Beach House Suites are part of the Don Cesar hotel and sit about 1/2 mile down the road. But this resort is set up more like small apartments rather than hotel rooms. Each suite has a kitchenette with a mini fridge and microwave.
And you get access to all the amenities over at the main Don Cesar property. So this is a nice option for families that want a little more space and great for extended stays in the area.
The Tradewinds is another great choice that's been a staple on this stretch of beach for many years. It's an older property and not as upscale as The Don Cesar, but much more family oriented.
The hotel has three pools (two for families and one for adults), a really cool lazy river with paddleboats, a huge inflatable waterslide on the beach, and even mini golf. You get complimentary beach chairs as well.
The beach is beautiful, as it is along the whole stretch of St. Pete Beach. And the central location gives your great walking access to several good restaurants and beach bars.
The Sirata is located right next door to the Tradewinds. So it shares the same beautiful beach and convenient location. It doesn't have as many amenities and activities, but it also comes a much lower rate.
The resort has a nice beachfront pool area and a fun splash pad for the kids. The resort fee includes beach chairs, parking, and access to some fun extras like boogie boards and pool noodles. And if the kids spot that big inflatable slide over at the Tradewinds next door, you can buy them day passes for it. ;)
So I'll just start off by saying I do not recommend this hotel for families. While you will find some families with kids there, it very much caters to the party crowd. In fact, I had my bachelorette party here (a loooong time ago)!
This hotel is older, and frankly it looks dated. But I've always found it to be clean and comfortable. And it shares the same beautiful beach and convenient location as the fancier St. Pete Beach hotels.
But it makes the list as a fun and inexpensive place to stay for a fun and quick getaway. It's perfect for a fun girls weekend, a college spring break trip, or an quick and cheap couples getaway.
Please take the Sirata Beach Hotel off of your list. We recently had a very bad experience there. Booked a room with a balcony on the upper level with a gulf front view and when we arrived, we were told that the room was sold out!! We were then told that they would put us in a comparable room. After waiting almost 3 hours for their text, the room they gave us was on the ground floor and absolutely disgusting!!
Flies inside, fecal stains in the toilet, portable dehumidifier just to name a few.
When we went back to the front desk, we were told that no more rooms were available.
We were too tired to drive home, so we slept outside on the patio. They also charged us
Almost $400 when we checked out the next day. We travel frequently and never had such a terrible experience.
PS our view consisted of piles of sand with sea grass.
I have found that for a family that the Bon-Aire is fantastic.Everything from rooms,service staff they are great.Right on the beach with a terrific beach bar.After 39 odd years I can attest to the many things offered there.Is walkable to restaurants,groceries,bars etc.The owners are dedicated to making the Bon Aire a wonderful holiday spot.
I just came back from Tradewinds Island Grand and had the best time!! Will definitely stay there again!!
Disappointed not to see The Dolphin Beach Resort listed.
Definitely not one I would recommend. It has seen better days.
We are going in October what about the Bon aire?
The Bon-Aire is a good budget friendly option. It is your classic 70s style motel, but it’s clean and has great beach access. And they have a fun little tiki bar!
Stayed at the Post Card Inn.
Other than the techno music from 9-9, it was awesome. I had never been to the Gulf Coast… I loved it!!!