Sandi Posey

Review of TradeWinds Island Resorts

My daughters & I stayed at Island Grande for 10 da...

My daughters & I stayed at Island Grande for 10 days while we moved my youngest daughter into her dorm room at Eckerd. We arrived very late, 1am, and when we first got to our room I was so disappointed. I had expected something bright & beautiful like the photos, but it felt more like a nice Motel 6. We were told no room service (why not??? food can be ordered by phone and left at our door with NO interaction), and no cleaning or towel service unless we called to request it. They will clean your room for you every 4 days upon request. There were no vending machines on the property, and no food anywhere at that time of night. I was prepared to give a 2 star review right then and leave it at that. But I decided to wait and see how the rest of our stay went, and I am so glad that I did.

Day 1, opened up the curtains and the glass sliding door and from our 2nd floor balcony we had an amazing view of the beach and the little canal that runs through the resort was just below our balcony. Once flooded with sunlight, the room was a lot more appealing. The bedroom still a little cavernous feeling but comfortable & clean. Neither TV worked properly but when we called maintenance they took care of it promptly so it was no problem. Several restaurants at the hotel, the Flying Bridge serves until 10pm and the food is pretty good, and Salty's beach bar has some yummy options and kitchen closes at 8pm (live music every night 6-9pm!!!). Reserving a beach front cabana is super easy, just check with the cabana hut and let them know which number you'd like for the day and they'll put your name on it for $15. Or take a 2nd or 3rd row cabana for free. The lobby bar serves Starbucks and bar drinks, but they will sporadically close if they aren't busy, so you can't count on them being open. The hotel is obviously under staffed which is expected when they are limited to half capacity. They do a good job at keeping up and you only really notice it when they shut down something early due to little business. The pools are open and great! A little packed but not so much so that you can't find a lounger.

Overall our stay was good. Once we got our bearings, the hotel was probably the best option on St. Pete Beach for us and considering the current situation, they are doing their best to minimize the inconvenience to the guests. The staff is very friendly and helpful (save 1 mean and rude blonde Russian sounding front desk clerk whose name I did not get). They did clean our room on day 4 and left us with a great supply of clean towels.

My recommendations: Spend the money for the Gulf front room with balcony and kitchenette! Then go to Publix and pick up some fruit, cheese, nuts, wine, orange juice, champagne, drink mixers, sodas, bottled water and a blender ($25). Then head over to the liquor store and pick up whatever your heart desires. Mixed drinks are very expensive at the resort!! I paid $22 for one large frozen drink (it was really 2 drinks in 1)... prepare to pay $11 for a regular sized mixed drink. Food is also pricey as you would expect. Eat & drink at the resort some, but you'll save a ton by having your own food and drinks in the room. Also take an insulated bag to take out to the cabana to keep food & drink cold. Take a walk on the beach at sunset every evening while you can, it's incredibly gorgeous and it's good for the soul. Make a point to hang out at Salty's for the live music and relax on the sofas or in one of the Hershey's Kiss looking cabanas, and order a birthday cake shot, it's awesome! Hit up Skidders for breakfast one morning, you will not regret it and you can walk there from the hotel. Freaky Tiki Surf Shack is a cute store in walking distance. Make your way over to St. Pete Pier one evening for dinner. Most of all... try to plan enough time there to really enjoy your stay. There is too much to do and see for just a long weekend.