St Petersburg (May 2002)

Hotel:

• Renaissance Vinoy Link to my review

Restaurants:

• Pacific Wave Link to my review
• Gratzzi Link to my review
• The Garden Link to my review

St. Petersburg: Renaissance Vinoy (May 2002)

My spouse and I stayed at the Renaissance Vinoy Resort and Golf Club (also known as the Vinoy Park Hotel) for three nights in late May 2002 along with another couple. The hotel is located near the Salvador Dalí Museum, the Morean Arts Center, Tropicana Field, and a variety of pristine Florida beaches. The hotel also offers easy access to Tampa International Airport (TPA), St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport (PIE), and a variety of shopping and restaurants. Guest rooms at our hotel in St. Petersburg, Florida feature stylish decor, expansive marble bathrooms, plush bedding and LCD TVs. Our Renaissance is also home to five celebrated restaurants, a full-service spa, beautiful 18-hole golf course, ultramodern fitness center, shimmering outdoor pool and event space.

The hotel is an historic Mediterranean Revival style hotel on Tampa Bay on the bay front area of downtown and overlooks the Vinoy Yacht Basin. On September 11, 1978, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. On April 18, 2012, the AIA's Florida Chapter placed it on its list of Florida Architecture: 100 Years. 100 Places. The Vinoy was built in 1925 by Aymer Vinoy Laughner. Construction began on February 5 and took 10 months to complete. The hotel was a seasonal hotel open from around December to March. Rates were $20.00 a night, the highest in the area at that time. Celebrities ranging from Babe Ruth, Herbert Hoover, Calvin Coolidge and James Stewart are known to have stayed there. During World War II the hotel was taken over by the U.S. Army and used for a training school. After the war, the hotel was sold to Charles Alberding for $700,000. The hotel continued to prosper for the next couple of decades but fell out of favor and into decline and disrepair by the end of the 1960s. In 1974 the Vinoy closed its doors and most of its contents were sold at auction. The hotel sat vacant until the early 1990s when it was bought by a partnership between Renaissance Hotels and Resorts and the Vinoy Development Corporation. A $93-million renovation was undertaken, and in two years the Vinoy was reopened. In 2005, the Vinoy earned AAA Four-Diamond status. Over the years, there have been reports of ghost sitings and other supernatural events at the hotel. Some of the reports were by visiting major league baseball players and staff, who stayed at the Vinoy when in town to play the Tampa Bay Rays. One of the reports came from a strength coordinator for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He described seeing a translucent apparition of a man near a desk in his room. Others have noted seeing a man dressed in formal attire walking the halls only to disappear without a trace. (Fortunately, we didn’t see any such things while we stayed there!)

St. Petersburg: Pacific Wave (May 2002)

My spouse and I dined with another couple for dinner at Pacific Wave in late May 2002.
Pacific Wave, the award winning Pacific Rim fusion cuisine restaurant, is located in historic downtown St. Petersburg just a few blocks from BayWalk Entertainment Center. Pacific Rim fusion is form and beauty in the presentation of some of the most exotic and flavored ingredients in the world. The menu offers an eclectic selection of seafood, meats, and vegetables accented with French style sauces. Each course is a vivid contrast of colors and intricate garnishes that appeal not only to the taste, but to every sense in an exciting and inspired display of culinary art. The fresh fish changes on a regular basis due to the restaurant’s never-ending goal of presenting the freshest fish available. Many times, the best fish are from a region other than Hawaii, so the entire world is a fish market.

St. Petersburg: Gratzzi (May 2002)

My spouse and I dined with another couple for dinner at Gratzzi Italian Cafe in late May 2002. If you crave classic Italian food in a classy environment, Gratzzi Italian Grille is the place to eat. Choose from your favorite sultry pasta, meat dishes, including chicken, seafood, and veal among others. Gratzzi's menu offers an array of feasts to satisfy your Italian cravings, which also includes classic insalatas and paninis for lunch and dinner. Gratzzi Italian Grille is a family owned and operated neighborhood Italian restaurant located in Downtown St. Petersburg. We offer fine dining with a family atmosphere. We personally operate the restaurant, being there to meet and greet each guest as if they were entering your own home.

St. Petersburg: The Garden (May 2002)

My spouse and I dined with another couple for dinner at the Garden Restaurant in late May 2002. The Garden, located in the old Detroit Hotel, is the city's oldest restaurant. Built in 1890, the Detroit was St Petersburg's first hotel. Founders of the city, Peter Demems from St Petersburg, Russia and John Williams from Detroit decided on a coin toss who would name the hotel and who would have the honor of naming the city. Over the years St. Petersburg, The Detroit Hotel, and The Garden were host to many well known guests from President Kennedy to Babe Ruth because was one of only restaurant and bar venues within walking distance to the Historic Al Lang Field. In addition many other great baseball players frequented The Garden. Jim Morrison, a St Petersburg native, is known to have played during his national debut at The Garden, which has always been a well known music venue as is Jannus Landing next door. More recently, Ringo Starr enjoyed an outdoor lunch at The Garden. The bread is homemade in their kitchen and all of the fresh produce and seafood are local and delivered daily. We also use extra virgin olive oil shipped directly from Sparta, Greece for that extra touch of quality.