Gulf breezes: families flock to TradeWinds Island Resorts in St. Pete Beach - Resort of the Month

Travel America, March-April, 2002 by Debbie Meyers

On our first afternoon at the beach, we saw what looked like pieces of cardboard floating in the water. Then one of them started to flap. Little did we know, silly us from the Midwest, that these wafer-like slabs were alive and that we should have been more careful wading in the blue-green waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

Later we found out these flat-as-a-pancake creatures were sting rays and that savvy beachcombers do the "sting ray shuffle" to avoid stepping on them and getting stung by their barbed tails. The rubbery-looking sting ray, harmless if left alone, was just one of many exotic touches on our family trip to St. Pete Beach, where our home for the week was the Trade Winds Island Grand.

The 585-room Island Grand (formerly the TradeWinds Beach Resort) is the largest of three hotels that make up the largest resort complex on Florida's Gulf Coast. Guests have access to its two neighboring sister properties, the 380-room TradeWinds Sirata Beach Resort and 159-room TradeWinds Sandpiper Hotel & Suites. The family-friendly trio, within walking distance of each other and connected by a complimentary shuttle, are known collectively as the TradeWinds Island Resorts.

The Island Grand sits between the Sirata Beach and Sandpiper along an 18-acre strand of sugary white sand directly on the Gulf of Mexico. The clean, uncrowded beach--much wider than we had imagined--was just steps away from our first-floor patio room. We found the gentle waves, hard-packed sandy bottom, and shallow water ideal for family frolicking. Pelicans swooped down to snare fish or bobbed contentedly in the surf. Gulls hovered overhead. Some people built sandcastles, others pedaled jumbo plastic water tricycles or played beach volleyball or beach croquet. We collected shells, encountering some that walked away.

The Island Grand, an AAA Four-Diamond winner, sports an old-time ambience with white Victorian gazebos, lush vegetation, and a winding waterway shared by gondolas, paddleboats, ducks, swans, egrets, and herons. Mangrove roots provide shoreline protection and a haven for Nile perch. Even indoors, guests are treated to tropical delights, such as the Grand Palm Colonnade, a garden atrium lined with two parallel rows of majestic, manmade palms.

The Island Grand has five swimming pools, including an indoor pool, one for kids only, and one restricted to adults. (The resort complex boasts 10 pools total.) Other amenities at the Grand: two whirlpool spas at the beachfront pool, four tennis courts with complimentary clinics on weekday mornings, a putting green, fitness center, aerobics classes, and a life-size chess set.

We had a great time sampling TradeWinds Island Resorts' wide variety of restaurants. Guests of the three hotels enjoy charging privileges at all 17 food and beverage outlets scattered throughout the gulfside properties.

The Island Grand's newest eatery, the 1940s-style Old Florida Shrimp Shack, overlooks the resort's signature waterway, offering steamed or Cajun boiled "you peel 'em" shrimp, stone crab claws, and Jonah crab claws served up fresh every day with a choice of sauces. It also specializes in chowders and gumbos. Families on the go opt for Pizza Hut Express and its next-door neighbor, Tropic Treats Ice Cream Shoppe. The Deli supplies all the ingredients for a picnic or a well-stocked in-room refrigerator. (Suites have a kitchenette.)

Bermudas restaurant combines festive island flair with spectacular waterside views. The adjoining sports lounge, B.R. Cuda's, is the place to watch the big game, featuring plenty of televisions and foods ranging from gator on a stick to wings and chili dogs.

For more elegant surroundings, try the Palm Court Bistro, where you can savor contemporary cuisine and traditional favorites indoors amid colorful artwork, outdoors on the courtyard patio, or in the Grand Palm Colonnade. Many guests like to start their day in the colonnade's new Awakenings Coffee and Spirits Bar with freshly brewed coffees by Wolfgang Puck, cappuccinos, espressos, and fresh-baked pastries.

A new family fun spot at TradeWinds Sirata Beach is Island Cafe and Kidscape, where grownups can enjoy a casual meal in a tropical setting while the kids are checking out the video game room upstairs. Children can easily "check up" on their parents by sliding down the bright yellow slide that connects Kidscape to the restaurant below. Beaker, the TradeWinds' toucan mascot, makes frequent appearances here. Also at the Sirata Beach is Durango Steakhouse, a popular national franchise.

The TradeWinds' daily "Sunset Salute" takes place at RumRunners, a Sirata Beach hotspot. As guests arrive at the bar, they are invited to guess the exact time the sun will set. At the moment the sun disappears completely below the horizon, everyone is given a complimentary "sunset shot" to toast the close of another beautiful day at the beach. A prize is awarded to the guest with the winning time.

For children ages 4-11, the resort's KONK (Kids Only, No Kidding) Club offers activities like nature bingo, sand-sculpting, and shark tooth hunts. Beaker the toucan may join the little ones for crafts. He also appears in the restaurants at breakfast time and can be scheduled for a personal tuck-in at bedtime. Evening themed parties such as "Shipwrecked" and "Clownin' Around" allow parents to chance to enjoy the resort on their own.