It was a rush job and a madhouse, and the amazing thing was that the contractors pulled a miracle out of chaos and completed one of the finest hotels in the state.
Those were the words of Karl P. Abbott, the first General Manager of the Vinoy Park Hotel, describing the magic that turned orange groves, swamp land, and part of Tampa Bay into the finest luxury hotel on Florida’s west coast.
As the Vinoy, St. Petersburg’s crown jewel at 501 5th Avenue NE, prepares to celebrate its centennial on New Year’s Eve, we look at how the city’s most improbable hotel became a symbol of luxury and elegance.
The idea for the Vinoy Park Hotel as it was called in 1925, is a thing of local legend, but unlike St. Pete folklore that includes the coin-flip that named our city, the Vinoy myth is based on truth.
It happened at the winter residence of Aymer Vinoy Laughner located on Beach Drive NE, which still stands today as a Bed & Breakfast across from the Vinoy.
The story has different versions, but we know Laughner was entertaining Hall of Fame golfer Walter Hagen.