Recently the fam and I (minus Mila who was sick and had to stay home) were invited by Cambria Hotels to partake in their Blogger Shuffle. Aubrey @iamaubreyjackson a St. Petersburg/Tampa local, and I, swapped places for a few days as she visited Ft. Lauderdale (check out her travel guide here), while I visited St. Petersburg.
Continue reading for where we stayed, what we did and where we ate during our fun stay at sunny St. Petersburg, Florida.
When we visited
We visited in the middle of July. There was a lot of heat ?, sun ☀️ and humidity with the occasional rain shower ?.
Check out this link if you want to know when the best time is to visit St. Petersburg.
Where we stayed
The newly built Cambria Hotel St. Petersburg – Madeira Beach Marina has 125 rooms and is conveniently located in Madeira Beach Town Center, near leisure attractions such as John’s Pass Village & Boardwalk, the Salvador Dali Museum, War Veterans Memorial Park, and Clearwater Marine Aquarium.
There are several scenic beaches within walking distance, including Madeira Beach, Archibald Beach Park and Redington Beach, in addition to the nearby award-wining St. Pete Beach. This property features a rooftop bar with Gulf Coast views, as well as a rooftop infinity pool and a newly designed marina with boat slips available for guests to dock their boat, so they can go right from the Gulf Coast to the hotel.
Want to see the city or explore the 75-mile Pinellas Bike Trail riding an electric bike? Cambria Hotel St. Petersburg – Madeira Beach Marina has you covered!
Every Cambria hotel offers guests a distinct, upscale experience to help guests stay at their best when traveling. . All hotels feature design forward essentials including contemporary and sophisticated guest rooms, spa-style bathrooms with Bluetooth mirrors, free Wi-Fi, multi-function meeting space, business centers, fully equipped fitness centers, and local curated craft beer selections and locally inspired, freshly prepared food. Many hotels also have rooftop bars and pools like Cambria Hotel St. Petersburg – Madeira Beach Marina.
In regards to COVID-19 measures, all Choice-branded hotels are participating in Commitment to Clean, an initiative that builds upon a long-standing dedication to cleanliness with enhanced training and best practices for cleaning, disinfecting and social distancing, and can help give you peace of mind when you choose to travel again. Before you book your stay at the Cambria Hotel St. Petersburg – Madeira Beach Marina, please call the hotel to confirm which amenities are available.
By the way, do you need help sparking your creativity when planning your next getaway? Listen to Travel Inspired with Cambria Hotels podcast for conversations with creators in everything from craft beer to the arts who inspire the brand most. While getting ready each morning of our stay, my family and I listened to the podcast through the built-in Bluetooth speakers in the guest room bathroom.
How many days did we stay
We stayed for 3 days, 2 nights, but wished to have had the opportunity to experience the hotel and nearby areas more. Maybe next time, we’ll shoot to stay for 5 days.
How did we get there
We drove to St. Petersburg, which is 4 hours away from Miami. You can also fly to the nearest airport, Tampa International Airport.
How did we get around
Since we drove, we mostly got around the city in the car. I highly recommend renting a vehicle if you are flying to St. Petersburg or you can opt for a ride service provider like Uber or Lyft
Where we ate
Prime Waters
This is the hotel’s main restaurant where you can have breakfast, lunch and dinner at great prices. I loved the ambiance and convenience of its central location.
For dinner, I tried the Sunset Bruschetta and Boca Ciega Veggie Couscous, along with a glass of Cambria Estate Winery’s Katherine’s Vineyard Chardonnay. Cambria Hotels collaborated with Cambria Estate Winery to offer its Julia’s Vineyard Pinot Noir and its Katherine’s Vineyard Chardonnay across all its hotels’ restaurants and bars, as well as in the self-serve marketplace.
We also opted for breakfast one morning. Julian loved the Stuffed Chocolate Chip Waffles, while my husband and I enjoyed an Avocado Toast and Stuffed French Toast.
This Italian restaurant is conveniently located near St. Pete’s Pier. It provides indoor and outdoor seating, making it a great option for people watching while enjoying a yummy Italian dish.
Located in Madeira Beach and 3 minutes from our hotel, this family-owned restaurant offers traditional Italian dishes. Meals come with hot bread and a choice of soup or salad with their homemade balsamic vinaigrette. It also happens to be winner of TripAdvisor’s Certificate of Excellence 8 years in a row.
Casual dining steps away from the beach! This fun and colorful shack has so much to offer. From a gift shop to live entertainment and from ice cream to a delicious fresh meal.
What we did/visited
We REALLY enjoyed this outdoor space. First, it is an architectural feast where photo opportunities are endless. It has an aquarium, restaurants, bars, fishing deck, picnic area, marketplace, along many other fun things like a splash pad and huge playground for the kiddos.
Another architectural wonder where your eyes will not tire of seeing interesting art, a helical staircase –recalling Dalí’s obsession with spirals and DNA molecule and the most unique environment in its Avant-garden.
Tickets can be purchased online and range from $25 (for adults) to $0 for children under 5 years old.
JOHN’S PASS Village & Boardwalk
In 4 simple words: shopping, fishing, dining and entertainment!
From its website “this quaint turn-of-the-century fishing village is Pinellas County’s #1 tourist attraction [has] over one hundred merchants inhabit the Village with unique retail shopping, a variety of restaurants, the local fishing fleet, dolphin watching and shelling tours, boat rentals, parasailing and jet skiing.”
Check out the map for all the places mentioned ↓
Thanks to Cambria Hotels for sponsoring our stay. All the opinions expressed are, as always, honest and my own. I only partner with brands I love. Thanks for supporting the brands that make this blog possible.
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