St. Petersburg Hotel Guide

Sparkling St. Petersburg, perched on a peninsula across the bay from Tampa, has always been a resort town famous for its 361 days sunny days a year. With 234 miles of shoreline and an average temperature of 73 degrees, Florida's fourth largest city has much to offer.

St. Petersburg's revitalized downtown draws visitors all year long with its trendy new shops, cafes, and entertainment. Known as a cultural Mecca, the city has seven museums in the heart of downtown, as well as numerous art galleries. The Salvador Dali Museum regularly attracts thousands of visitors from around globe; the Florida Holocaust Museum is the nation's third largest; and the Florida International Museum features the world's most comprehensive private collection of memorabilia from President John F. Kennedy.

The inverted pyramid-shaped pier that juts a half-mile into Tampa Bay is a downtown landmark. A hub of activity, the five-story Pier houses shops, restaurants, an aquarium, the Great Explorations Museum, and an observation deck where you can watch the sun set into the bay and dance the night away to tunes at Cha Cha Coconuts. Outside the pier you can fish, check out the bait shop, take a harbor cruise, or rent a bicycle.

For sports' lovers, professional baseball games are played by the Devil Rays at Tropicana Field. Located on the western edge of downtown, the air-conditioned dome spans eight acres. Baseball Boulevard, a series of home-plate plaques, runs along the south side of Central Avenue to Tropicana Field.

It's a piece of cake to get downtown from I-275, the major thoroughfare. Easy-to-read signs along the highway guide you to the downtown exits. From I-275, I-375 (5th Avenue North) travels north to the waterfront and I-175 (5th Avenue South) traverses south to the waterfront.

St. Petersburg is laid out in a basic grid pattern. Central Avenue is the city's north-south dividing line. The majority of downtown streets are one-way. For the most part, south of Central Avenue, even-numbered avenues go west and odd-numbered avenues go east. North of Central Avenue, even-numbered avenues go east and odd-numbered avenues go west. Most even-numbered streets go south and odd-numbered streets go north.

Within the city, major roads include 4th Street, 9th Street, and 34th Street. St. Petersburg is a 10-minute drive to the gulf beaches. Causeways link the mainland to the beach communities.

St. Petersburg is a driving kind of town. There are plenty of places to rent a car, including the St. Petersburg/Clearwater Airport and Tampa International Airport. It's easy to rent a taxi or limo. Although there is a public bus system (Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority), it takes awhile to figure out the stops.

Downtown transportation options are more fun. Bright pink open-air trolleys loop downtown's shops, hotels, restaurants, museums, and attractions. You can ride all day downtown for 50 cents. During major events at Tropicana Field, the Looper Trolley operates between the downtown waterfront and the stadium for $1 round trip. The Pier has free trolley service.

For those bringing a car downtown, there's plenty of parking - 25,000 spaces. You can park in lots, garages, or on the street. Most on-street parking spaces have time limits, so sure to read the parking signs to avoid a ticket.

Lodging options are numerous. Noted for value, the area's hotels offer some of the lowest prices of Florida's beach resort areas. Accommodations range from luxury hotels and resorts to family-owned motels and apartments.

Downtown is a good place to start looking for lodging. Hotels in this area include Renaissance Vinoy Resort, Bayboro Inn & Hunt Room, St. Petersburg Bayfront Hilton, Heritage Holiday Inn, Beach Park Motel, Pier Hotel, Inn at the Bay Bed & Breakfast, Mansion House Bed & Breakfast, Bayboro House Bed & Breakfast on Tampa Bay, and Bay Gables Bed & Breakfast.

Another area with lots of lodging is 34th Street, which links to downtown. Accommodations include La Quinta Inn, Comfort Inn & Suites at Tropicana Field, Days Inn, and Budget Inn. Other hotel options include Holiday Sunspree Resort Marina Cove along the Sunshine Skyway going south and the Don CeSar Beach Resort in St. Pete Beach.

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