ST. PETE BEACH, Fla. – The iconic Postcard Inn on the Beach, located on St. Pete Beach, will be reimagined and renamed. It has been closed since it was destroyed by Hurricane Helene last year.
Management says developers have partnered with Marriott to reopen the property as The Luce Hotel, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel.
The backstory:
Postcard Inn on the Beach was undergoing renovations last year, which included additional rooms and other upgrades.
Developers with LCP Group shared plans for the renovations with the community last year.
RELATED: Iconic Postcard Inn shares expansion plans with St. Pete Beach residents
“We were under full renovation prior to the storm,” Jeremy DaSilva, the general manager of The Luce, said. “We were planning on finishing the hotel January 2025.”
DaSilva said Helene forced developers to pivot.
Future Plans:
DaSilva said developers partnered with the Marriott to reimagine those renovations and develop plans to turn Postcard Inn on the Beach into The Luce Hotel.
Courtesy: Marriott Tribute Portfolio
“We are not going wider,” DaSilva said. “We’re not going taller. We are taking the expansive space that we’ve already had, and we’re just refining it.”
Management said The Luce will remain a two-story hotel with 200 rooms. The hotel also announced plans for an indoor and outdoor dining space, called the Sun Drop, which will offer brunch and dinner.
Courtesy: Marriott Tribute Portfolio
The hotel is expected to include 42 cabanas and 14,000 square feet of event space.
DaSilva says Postcard Inn on the Beach’s famous beach bar will be reimagined as Baby Turtle Beach Club.
“We want quality sound, quality entertainment, great DJs that are coming to perform,” he said. “However, we’re just doing it in a way that is going to elevate the experience. We’re going to be featuring bottle service, featuring cabana service.”
Courtesy: Marriott Tribute Portfolio
The public beach access next to the hotel will still be open.
What they’re saying:
Since the original renovations were shared with the community last year, residents voiced concerns about maintaining the height of the hotel. Plans for other high-rise beachfront hotels on St. Pete Beach have made waves among some residents.
“That 1970s Americana, two-story beachside hotel is really special to us,” DaSilva said. “So, it was really important that we kept that spirit of the architecture.”
Longtime visitors of Postcard Inn on the Beach hope the new hotel maintains its playful aura.
“I hope it’s loose, I hope that it’s not corporate, you know, because it’s a good place to have a good time,” Craig Busch said. “I hope this is a lot of fun.”
What’s next:
Hotel management hopes The Luce Hotel will be open by the Spring.
According to its website, the hotel is accepting bookings for dates beginning April 5.
Management says starting rates are expected to be announced at the beginning of the year.
The Source: FOX 13’s Kylie Jones gathered this information during an interview with the general manager of The Luce Hotel, as well as visitors who remember the iconic Postcard Inn on the Beach.