ST. PETE BEACH, Fla. — The Beachcomber in St. Pete Beach welcomed guests back on Thursday for the first time in 13 months after being flooded by Hurricane Helene, and the hotel has already sold out a weekend next month, according to Managing Director Shaun Kwiatkowski.

What You Need To Know

The Beachcomber in St. Pete Beach reopened on Thursday after being closed for 13 months

Hurricane Helene sent a nearly 5 foot storm surge onto the hotel property in September 2024

All of the rooms on the first floor were flooded and have since been refurbished 

The Beachcomber already sold out the second weekend in November

“Absolutely an amazing feeling,” he said. “It makes all of the work worth it.”  

Last year, Helene sent a nearly 5 foot storm surge that washed over the beachfront property and destroyed all 50 rooms on the first floor, according to Kwiatkowski. All of those rooms have since been refurbished.

“New walls, new paint, new floor, all new furniture,” said Shaun Kwiatkowski. “We took a little different approach to kind of the feel. We made it a little bit lighter and coastal feel.”

The Beachcomber Resort in St. Pete Beach began welcoming guests tonight for the first time in 13 months, after Hurricane Helene devastated the property. Nearly 60 employees are now back on the job and the hotel is bringing a much needed 102 rooms online. @BN9 pic.twitter.com/2iRnxyATb6

— Josh Rojas (@JoshRojasBN9) October 30, 2025

The hotel has a total of 102 rooms, which Pinellas County is eager to add back to its bed tax rolls. Vacation rentals and hotels still closed in Madeira Beach, Treasure Island and St. Pete Beach have dragged down the bed tax numbers for this past fiscal year, according to Visit St. Pete-Clearwater.

The three major resorts that remain closed in St. Pete Beach include The Postcard Inn, The Bellwether and the Dolphin Resort. Kwiatkowski said there has been some pent-up demand for the Beachcomber to open, which their occupancy rates reflect.

“So this weekend we’re pretty busy. We’re going to be sitting in the 70 percent range,” he said. “Then next weekend, we are sold out.”

Tampa Bay Beaches Chamber of Commerce CEO and President Charlie Justice said the Beachcomber reopening will help nearby businesses that saw their foot traffic dramatically decline during the closure. He’s also excited for the nearly 60 hotel employees who got their jobs back.

“To stand here and to look at all of those employees who are back at work,” he said. “I mean, nothing better than that.”

The locals were excited to see the world-famous Jimmy B’s reopen with its wood-decked bar and daily live music. Kwiatkowski said planting the ‘live music’ banners in the sand for beachgoers was very symbolic for the staff after keeping people off the property for more than one year.

“We were able to put our signs back up that we’re open,” he said. “And the team, this was really monumental for them because they’re able to welcome customers back.”

The Beachcomber has been a staple in the community for more than 50 years. Kwiatkowski said Helene was the first storm to flood the property.