Hotel in St. Pete for guests

FutureMrsHusted

Hey Everyone!

I am getting married at Tampa Bay Watch in Tierre Verde, but we want to find a hotel in St. Pete for all of our family and friends the night before and the night of. So far I am not having alot of luck. The Don Cesar and Tradewinds are out, one is too pricey and the other I personally don't like.

Has anyone stayed at the postcard inn? It is so cute but I am getting mixed reviews, but I LOVE the decor... just not sure how I feel about the reviews, plus it took me FIVE phone calls to get group rates and even then they were rude. I just really like the setting for photos.

What about the BilMar?

I would take any other suggestions!!!

Thanks ladies!

ellentravis

Hi!

Don't know about the one you suggested, but I have heard GREAT things about the Howard Johnson down the street  (on Gulf). You can get a room block with no obligation and it's supposed to be clean and quite nice!

Congrats to you!!

bridge913

Great pick on the Tampa Bay Watch. We recently considered that venue and it is beautiful. I've stayed at the Postcard Inn before and I agree, the decor is great. What I found to be the best part was the outdoor area, in general. They are right on the beach, the pool and pool bar area is great and the lawn area is also really nice (especially at night when it's all lit up). I felt like the con of the Postcard Inn were the rooms. They are not the most updated, i.e., the bathroom we had was not updated, I needed all my strength to close the door, etc. The room was clean and a good size so not all bad. We were there with a large group and everyone else was satisfied and I know friends have stayed there since.

ellentravis

Hi, bridge913! I don't know anything about that Postcard Inn like I said, but we paid $110 a night in late JANUARY for the Grand Plaza, and all our doors wouldn't shut either!! I just couldn't believe it!

FutureMrsHusted

Ellen- thanks for the suggestion, I will check it out!

Thanks bridge913, that makes me feel alot better. I want somewhere that is fun and has a cool atmosphere, but still somewhere nice. It seems like it may be a good fit for us, but I am going to go try it out one night and see how it goes!

We love Tampa Bay Watch! Where did you end up picking for your venue?

bridge913

Trying it out for a night sounds like great idea. It definitely has a cool atmosphere. Tampa Bay Watch is absolutely beautiful. We haven't ruled it out completely but we may be needing more space. We haven't decided on a venue just yet. We may go with somewhere right on the beach, maybe the Sirata. We're thinking Spring 2012.

Ellen- lol that's funny to hear that they have the same door issue. Weird!

g8rbride2010

I got married at Tampa Bay Watch and it was AMAZING!!!  The hotel was a huge pain in the ass to figure out!  I finally just set up a group rate at the HOJO and also gave the option of the Sandpiper using TBW's group discount code (which the people who work there could never get right when someone tried to book it).   While the HOJO is not the fanciest, our guests were really happy to have a cheaper option and we all hung out at the bar right behind there all night.  Mostly everyone stayed there...even the friends who make big bucks!  You really aren't at the hotel most of the weekend anyway!  The Sirata was the most reasonably priced of all the "resorts'" but I stayed there after the wedding and was not a fan at all.  Check out my reviews in my married bio link.

One of my friends actually stayed at the postcard inn.  I think it used to be an old chain motel that was recently renovated from what I remember when I was researching places. 

Let me know if you have any questions about TBW!!! 

ellentravis

I agree wtih g8rbride2010. Not a fan of the Sirata. Property gets like a D. Prices get a C. Customer service gets a B-. Rooms get a B-.

futureMRSDarling2012

I LOVE the Sirata!!!! Beautiful resort. Cannot wait to go back

rmjones6

I am also getting married at Tampa Bay Watch! We are thinking about the Alden! The prices for April are really reasonable for a resort on the beach! We will also suggest the HOJO to our guests!

HappinessByTheKilowatt

I am having my wedding at the Bilmar and just stayed there in January. It's nice, the price is right, and the staff is super friendly. Plus, there are bars all around it! The rooms are all recently redone also, so everything is new and clean.

FutureMrsHusted

We ended up going with the Alden. The rooms are all suites and the group rates start at $100 for the smaller room which is still a 1 bedroom suite. Plus it's close to everything and has lots of amenities! We are very excited and they have been so easy to work with!!