Hi there,
Went venue-shopping in St. Pete Beach and was fairly impressed with the Grand Plaza Resort.
We loved how upbeat, professional, and friendly the staff was, especially Katie, the coordinator. We loved the space for the ceremony with its dual palm trees, the cool tiki bar, and the pretty and separated cockatail hour space. I adored the reception space with its huge panoramic views of the gulf and coasts and actually didn't mind the second bigger space if our guest list expanded. We loved the uniqueness of the building, with it's rotating restaurant and bar at the top, and it's location as a halfway point between Tampa and Sarasota. We especially loved the price- about half than what we were finding and getting so much more bang for our buck.
What I didn't like so much: how much it sort of shows its age, how it doesn't look like it's near alot of outside bars and restaurants (I got some partyers in my family), and maybe the size of the hotel rooms.
My fiance seems sold, calling his family to tell them we found the venue and while I think it has everything I could want, I'm hesitant- partly because my mom has something against St. Pete and doesnt think it will look nice (they live in NJ) and my sis mentioned the issue of lack of nightlife.
So instead I go to you, knotties. Who's experienced Grand Plaza, what was it like, and is there a nightlife nearby (if not in walking distance, a short taxi ride?) and anything else that I should consider, either good or bad.
Help! Their dates are getting eaten up and if we are going to go for it we have to pounce!
