Looking to Plan a Meeting in St. Pete/Clearwater?
Learn everything you need to know about this Florida paradise at
Destination Southeast, Northstar's premier event for meetings and incentive pros looking to book biz in the area.
New & Coming Soon to St. Pete/Clearwater
• The destination’s “Rise to Shine” campaign was launched to let visitors know what hotels, attractions, restaurants and destinations are doing to keep the public safe in the destination.
• The newly renovated
and reflagged Hilton Garden Inn St. Pete Beach
features 144 guestrooms with balconies or patios, the Coconut Charlie’s bar and
grill, a fitness center, a pool and900 square feet of flexible indoor meeting
space.
• Coastal
ecologist Dr. Stephen Leatherman,
better known as “Dr. Beach,” has reviewed, evaluated and rated beaches and
coastal areas throughout the world. In his latest rankings, Caladesi Island
State Park
in Dunedin was ranked seventh, by virtue of its untouched, beaches, old-growth
slash pines and live oaks, nature trails and the heavenly blue-green waters of
the Gulf of Mexico.
• Get an in-depth look at destination newcomers Grand
Central Brewhouse
and the Residence Inn by Marriott St. Petersburg, on these new videos.
• The destination has two recent accolades from travel site Tripadvisor: Clearwater is among the Top 10 Trending
Destinations in the U.S. in 2021, while St. Pete Beach was named the Top Beach in the United States.
• The iconic 277-room Don Cesar Hotel has completed a three-year, head-to-toe restoration. The 93-year-old property has 22,000 sq. ft. of indoor meeting and event space and more than 16,000 square feet of outdoor event space .
•
Following
an extensive renovation, St. Pete Beach’s iconic Grand Plaza Hotel is now
the152-room Bellwether Beach Resort.
When it reopens in summer 2021, the property will feature refreshed guest rooms
and suites, 8,000 square feet of redesigned event spaces and a 12th floor rotating restaurant and bar.
• TradeWinds
Island Resorts completed upgrades to its two properties, the 211-room RumFish Beach Resort and 585-room sister property
TradeWinds Island Grand,
at a cost of $15 million.
• Aficionados of artisan beers have a new destination to explore in St. Pete: Grand Central Brewhouse. Just opened in the city’s burgeoning Grand Central
District, the two-story 6,000-square-foot brewery specializes in all styles of
lager. It also offers a 4,000-square-foot courtyard, beer garden and event
space that will be shared with neighboring LALA St. Pete, a restaurant and
karaoke bar scheduled to open in late 2021.
• Who doesn't love dolphins? The Clearwater Marine Aquarium has a new 1.5-million-gallon
dolphin
habitat that showcases the aquarium's most celebrated
residents, Winter and Hope and its newest high-profile resident.
Hemingway, a 700-pound Atlantic bottlenose male dolphin. The venue also added meeting and event space; contact the facility for current availability and state or local group gathering guidelines. A new exhibit at the aquarium lets guests experiences the
undersea world of the critically endangered North American right whale. Whales, Living With Giants, which runs through August 31, 2021.
• The 91-room Winter the Dolphin’s Beach Club Hotel,
a five-story, marine-life themed property has debuted in Clearwater
Beach near the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. The property, part of Choice
Hotels’ Ascend Collection, features two restaurants, an outdoor heated
pool and a sundeck. Guests can rest easy at the eco-friendly,
marine-themed hotel, which has banned single-use plastics and installed
sea turtle–safe lighting as part of its sustainability initiatives. In
partnership with the nearby Clearwater Marine Aquarium, the hotel
charges a daily conservation fee of $9.95 per guest room to fund the
rescue, rehabilitation and release of injured marine life.
• The 132-room Tru by Hilton St. Petersburg has opened in the Grand Central District, near Tropicana Field and the Dali Museum. The boutique property offers an outdoor terrace, a fitness center, complimentary WiFi and 500 square feet of meeting space. Enhanced cleaning and safety standards under Hilton’s new EventReady With CleanStay program give planners and attendees a safe event experience from start to finish.
• Southeast Florida’s newest waterfront attraction has opened in St. Petersburg. Located adjacent to the city’s vibrant downtown, the 26-acre St. Pete Pier and its impressive cultural and recreational offerings serve as a $92 million investment and major extension to the city’s burgeoning amenities. The wide-open space already hosts several public art installations from internationally renowned artists.
• A $44 million rapid transit project that will link downtown St. Petersburg and St. Pete Beach has taken another step forward. The newly dubbed "SunRunner" bus line will convey passengers via speedy signal-priority lanes, making the trip from the city’s downtown to its beaches in less than 35 minutes. Completion of the project is expected in 2022.
• A revival of St. Pete Beach’s historic
Don CeSar Hotel is more than two-thirds complete. Phase two of the refresh included updates to the lobby bar, meetings facilities, retail space, Uncle Andy’s Ice Cream Parlor and the award-wining Maritana restaurant. The National Historic Landmark property is now in its third and final phase of work, which is expected to finish in the fall, transforming the hotel’s 277 guest rooms, and revamping the Sea Porch Café and the Beachcomber Bar & Grill.
• St. Pete’s development review commission has green-lighted plans for a
new $300 million mixed-use tower. Slated for a downtown 2.3-acre site
with sweeping views of Tampa Bay, the project will include a 225-room,
Marriott-branded
hotel with a rooftop pool, casual dining and more than 15,000 square
feet of meeting and event space. The 45-story skyscraper will also
include 300 luxury condominiums plus 25,000 square feet of retail
shopping and restaurants. Construction started in 2021.
• A 161-room, Marriott-flagged Moxy Hotel, is coming to St. Pete’s burgeoning Edge District. Amenities will include a rooftop pool and bar, plus an outdoor wellness and
meditation space. The property is scheduled to open in 2022.
• A 200-room Marriott Autograph Collection
hotel is also being planned in the heart of downtown St. Petersburg.
The 50-story
mixed-used tower also calls for 325 condominiums, dining and retail
space. At press time, details on other offerings — including meeting and
event space — as well as a projected opening date have not yet been
announced.
• North Clearwater Beach's Hotel Cabana
is sporting a lavish new look following a total refresh and renovation.
Accented by 29 Key West-inspired
guest rooms and suites, property perks include a heated pool,
complimentary Kahwa-branded coffee and WiFi, a landscaped courtyard, a
sun deck and easy access to nearby restaurants, bars and beaches.
More Event Venues
• The Museum of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg
offers several event and meeting spaces, including a 250-guest ballroom
and a 500-guest conservatory that overlooks Tampa Bay.
•
The James Museum features 30,000 square feet of gallery space housing an
extensive collection of western and wildlife art from the private collection of
Tom and Mary James, who invested nearly $50 million to create the museum. The
venue offers 6,000 square feet of event space that can accommodate groups
ranging from 20 to 750 guests. In
addition, there is a 129-seat auditorium as well as a museum shop & cafe
that can host gatherings.
•
Museum of the American Arts and Crafts Movement will house businessman and collector Rudy Ciccarello’s extensive
collection of furniture, pottery, photography, metalwork and other decorative
arts from the American Arts and Crafts movement of the late 19th and early 20th
centuries. Group meeting and event options include a100-seat auditorium and an
event and banquet hall adorned with 16 period chandeliers that can accommodate around
200 people. Stay tuned for the opening date.
• Underscored by a nine-gallery, eye-candy collection of more than 500 pieces of American Studio Glass, the Imagine Museum accommodates private events for up to 150
people.
• The Florida Holocaust Museum in downtown St. Pete accommodates groups
and events in a 200-guest dining room and an intimate 30-guest meeting space. A
critically acclaimed exhibit detailing Anne Frank’s tragic experiences is
currently on display through January 2021.
• The St. Petersburg Museum of
History offers an array of iconic exhibits, ranging
from the world’s first commercial flight to the world’s largest collection of
baseballs autographed by the game’s foremost names. The museum is nearing the completion of a
three-phase, $7 million renovation and expansion project that will add 8,000
square feet of new space, including a new visitor’s center, a new rooftop
terrace and a new exhibit gallery, that will showcase the history of the city and
Florida.
• St. Pete's NOVA 535 is
a meticulously renovated historic 1920 building with 7,000 square feet
of event space, convenient interstate access, multiple full-service
bars, VIP areas plus a private 4,000-square-foot brick and bamboo
courtyard.
• Stay, meet and play at 362-room Vinoy Renaissance St. Petersburg Resort & Golf Club.
Located in the vibrant downtown district, guest perks include three
restaurants, a spa, a health club, Ron Garl-designed golf and 60,500
square feet of total event space.