Former Postcard Inn reopens as The Luce in St. Pete Beach

ST. PETE BEACH, Fla. — A ribbon cutting for The Luce hotel in St. Pete Beach was held on Wednesday to celebrate the reopening of the landmark site, formerly known as the Postcard Inn, after nearly two years of renovations due to flooding from Hurricane Helene.

“We’re happy to be back,” said Jeremy DaSilva, Luce General Manager. “I think we gave St. Pete Beach a hotel product and a restaurant product they’re going to be proud of.”

The Luce has 200 rooms which have been completely remodeled as the hotel has joined the Marriott Tribute Portfolio collection. DaSilva said the daily room rate has gone up as the hotel hopes to attract more upscale guests.

“We’re definitely looking to push the downtown demographic. The northeast traveler,” he said. “That higher upscale guest that’s looking for an experience, as opposed to that value hotel.”

The beachfront hotel has also added amenities for a unique and more upscale experience, according to DaSilva.

“We’re doing that through activations at our pool, having a best beach cabana service,” he said. “Introducing a butler service that offers complimentary sunglass cleaning throughout their stay and then featuring the best food and beverage experience at Sundrop.”

Visit St. Pete-Clearwater has been eager to welcome The Luce back onto the bed tax rolls. Last September, The Luce was one of four major hotels still closed in St. Pete Beach, which dragged down the Pinellas County bed tax collection numbers, according to VSPC.

Another one of those hotels, The Beachcomber, reopened last October. More vacation rentals have also opened since that time. The rise in inventory is reflected in the latest Tourist Development Tax numbers from April. St. Pete Beach collections were up 17% from the previous fiscal year but down 6% from 2024.

“We’re seeing numbers better in ‘26 than we did in ‘25,” said Charlie Justice, Tampa Bay Beaches Chamber of Commerce CEO. “Part of that is that people recognize that we’re back and open. Part of that is that we have more inventory.”

Justice said The Luce is a much better product than the Postcard Inn, and he expects the hotel will draw people from around the world to St. Pete Beach, which will help other local businesses dependent on tourists to flourish.

“The shops, the restaurants nearby, they all benefit when you have another 200 rooms open,” he said. “So it’s going to be exciting times for the restaurants and shops that are right here on Gulf Boulevard.”

The hotel aims to attract meetings and events business with its 14,000 square feet of event space, which includes a 2,280-square-foot ballroom. The Luce held its soft opening on June 11. It’s the fourth rebrand for the hotel since it first opened in 1957.

The last two major hotels that remain shuttered for flood repairs in St. Pete Beach include the Dolphin Beach Resort and the Bellwether Beach Resort.