Help with Clearwater Beach area

[Cinderella822]

We're planning a trip to Clearwater Beach next August after our stay at WDW. Right now, I have two hotels booked and can't decide on which to stay at. I have a nice gulf view room at the Sheraton Sand Key but then came across a new hotel that just opened, the Sandpearl Resort. That is up north further on Mandalay. It looks like a really nice resort but I'm afraid the beach there may be a bit crowded in August, where maybe Sand Key is a bit more uncrowded and relaxed. Can anyone help out with info on these areas so I can decide which hotel to stay at? Thanks!

 

[kilee]

I haven't heard of this new resort yet. I'll be interested to see if anyone has any info.

 

[Ted and Holly]

I don't know about the resort, but I can tell you that we only go to the north end of Clearwater. We've never really seen it really busy any time of year. You won't be the only people out there, but it is not going to be wall to wall people.

Don't miss Frenchy's for a great lunch.

 

[Cinderella822]

I don't know about the resort, but I can tell you that we only go to the north end of Clearwater. We've never really seen it really busy any time of year. You won't be the only people out there, but it is not going to be wall to wall people.

Don't miss Frenchy's for a great lunch.

Thanks for the information. I'm looking for a nice relaxing end to my vacation. While I realize everywhere will probably be crowded in the summer, I was hoping that at least the crowds would be manageable. How is the traffic down in that area in the summer? Is it hard to drive around? I've been hearing about this Frenchy's a lot, so now I just have to try it!

 

[Ted and Holly]

The traffic is not terrible. There is a good amount of construction going on in the area right now. The roads have some cones and such moved around from time to time. You'll find that it is still pretty easy to move around.

 

[njbeachbum]

I stay at the Sheraton Sand Key every Feb. for a conference (WOO HOO!) It is a fantastic hotel. I don't know about the other place

 

[Cinderella822]

I stay at the Sheraton Sand Key every Feb. for a conference (WOO HOO!) It is a fantastic hotel. I don't know about the other place

I've heard good things about the Sheraton, but the downsides being that the pool is too small for all the resort guests and that the water is too far from the hotel, which in the heat of the summer, is a long, hot walk. Any thoughts on those issues? Going in February, you might not have experienced this though.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

My parents and I always go to Clearwater Beach two times a year, which is before going to be WDW in August and after WDW in December. We always stay at the Clearwater Beach Marriott Suites in Sand Key which is right across the street from the Sheraton Sand Key and we think it's an amazing place to stay at. http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/tpams-clearwater-beach-marriott-suites-on-sand-key/

 

[Cinderella822]

My parents and I always go to Clearwater Beach two times a year, which is before going to be WDW in August and after WDW in December. We always stay at the Clearwater Beach Marriott Suites in Sand Key which is right across the street from the Sheraton Sand Key and we think it's an amazing place to stay at. http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/tpams-clearwater-beach-marriott-suites-on-sand-key/

That looks like a nice hotel. Where do you go if you want to go to the beach? It looks like it's on the bay side. What else is there to do in the area for fun? I'm still looking for some ideas on that.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

That looks like a nice hotel. Where do you go if you want to go to the beach? It looks like it's on the bay side. What else is there to do in the area for fun? I'm still looking for some ideas on that.

My parents and I don't go to the beach, however I remember seeing that they have a mini cart or something which can take guests to the beach and other times other guests just walk it.

 

[medicgirl911]

We went in June and stayed at Treasure Island it was about 10-15 miles from Clearwater and we did go to Clearwater several times, just up Gulf Road. The resort was gorgeous and EXACTLY as pictured!
http://www.sunsetvistas.com/overview.php The rooms were gorgeous, directly on the beach, beach views, spacious, clean, everything you needed, I truthfully did not want to leave I could have lived there forever lol! The beach was never crowded, the pools were real nice too. Far enough away from the action that it was relaxing but close enough you could go to where all the action was anytime you wanted! I would not hesitate to spend time there again at all. Let me know if you want additional pics.

 

[medicgirl911]

Oh and as for fun, if you have kids you really have to catch the Captain Memos Pirate Cruise!!! It leaves from Clearwater Beach, catch the sunset cruise for spectacular sunset views, he pulls the boat so you can watch the sun literally disappear, we saw tons of dolphins, had drinks, the kids played all kinds of pirate games, and had a ton of fun!
http://www.captmemo.com/

The pier at clearwater also has nightime street vendors and shows (like magicians, a fire breather, etc) that the kids and adults had a great time wandering around at!

 

[suzannews]

We stayed at the Sheraton Sand Key in July and loved it. I didn't think the pool was too small for the hotel size as someone else stated, it was crowded while we were there but there were plenty of chairs available and you could swim around if you wanted to. The beach itself is a bit of a walk from the hotel but we liked that. We rented chairs with an umbrella one day and just hung out by the water. There was even a girl that came around and took drink/snack orders if you were interested. All of the hotels in the area looked very nice. Make sure you eat at Crabby Bills, either south of the hotel or by the pier, great food.

 

[tropical depression]

we've been watching the Sandpearl being built and have been looking forward to the opening. it's been designed to compete with the Ritz Carlton in Sarasota, they anticipate it being a AAA five diamond resort.

the Sandpearl is located north enough of Pier 60 that the beaches shouldn't be crowded at all. same thing with Sand Key, except to the south of Pier 60.

 

[Cinderella822]

we've been watching the Sandpearl being built and have been looking forward to the opening. it's been designed to compete with the Ritz Carlton in Sarasota, they anticipate it being a AAA five diamond resort.

the Sandpearl is located north enough of Pier 60 that the beaches shouldn't be crowded at all. same thing with Sand Key, except to the south of Pier 60.

It does look like a wonderful resort from what I've found on the internet. Maybe too nice for me! I hope it's not stuffy, which is another reason I'm questioning staying there versus the Sheraton Sand Key. The Sheraton looks like it might be more laid back and fun.

Thanks everyone for all of your advice and input. I'm definitely excited to go to Clearwater Beach now, but I'm still so unsure of where to stay. Every place you all mentioned looks so nice. I guess I'll just have to pick a place on a whim. I don't think I can go wrong though.

 

[leanne11]

never going atlatic side again, treasue island has alot and is not soo busy, new condo we stayed at and oooh, you can't beat those sunsets, oceanfront 1 balconie but can get on it from private bdr, heaven..
http://surfbeachresort.com/index.html

 

[cathy_s]

Hi! I'm from Clearwater and know the area well. The Sheraton is just south of Sand Key park and has a really great beach. It is a very long walk from the hotel to the beach but worth it. Just a bit of trivia for you....the Sheraton Sand Key was the hotel where Jim Baker (yes, the Jim Baker of Tammy Faye) got caught with the other woman.

The Sandpearl is a new hotel, just opened within the month. I haven't seen it nor do I know anyone who has been in it. There was a rather large article in the St. Petersburg Times www.sptimes.com that covered the opening of the hotel and had quite a few pictures.

Be aware that there is a LOT of construction going on and will be going on for the next few years in Clw beach. It's mentioned in the newspaper articles. Parking is very limited and will become more limited.

I would choose the Sheraton.

 

[Cinderella822]

Just a bit of trivia for you....the Sheraton Sand Key was the hotel where Jim Baker (yes, the Jim Baker of Tammy Faye) got caught with the other woman.

Thanks - I love it! I didn't know about that.

I did hear that there was construction going on and the traffic was bad. I was wondering then if the Sandpearl might be a better choice as it is within walking distance of more. I know with the Sheraton, I'd probably have to drive to get anywhere and might find the traffic worse in that situation.

 

[cathy_s]

Parking will be an issue if you want to go to Clw beach during the day. If you just want to head up from Sand Key to go to Clw. beach for dinner then parking shouldn't be bad at all.

If you don't want to bother with parking at all, there is a trolly (ok, a bus that is supposed to look like a trolly )that goes from Sand Key to the beach quite frequently. I don't have any idea how much it costs and how frequent it is but I'm sure the hotels can tell you.

I'll ask around and see if anyone I know has any personal experience with Sandpearl.

 

[Cinderella822]

Thanks. We would most likely be hanging at the hotel pool/beach during the day and only going out in the evening. We may even head over to Tampa in the evening once or twice. So maybe traffic wouldn't be an issue. I have seen things about this "trolley" and thought that looked convenient.

With the Sandpearl being so new, it is hard to find pictures and reviews on it. I'm starting to find a few here and there. Overall, it's a nice 5 star resort, but as with any resort, people are noting some problems/dislikes. So I plan to gather as much info as I can on it before I make a decision. Right now, I'm probably leaning toward the Sheraton though.