{"id":263011,"date":"2026-05-08T04:11:10","date_gmt":"2026-05-08T04:11:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/263011\/"},"modified":"2026-05-08T04:11:10","modified_gmt":"2026-05-08T04:11:10","slug":"poolside-pride-side-the-mari-jean-hotel-has-us-coming-back-for-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/263011\/","title":{"rendered":"Poolside, Pride\u2011Side: The Mari Jean Hotel Has Us Coming Back for More"},"content":{"rendered":"

Saint Petersburg has a presence that stays with you. Sunlight, community, and a steady yet soothing rhythm that makes the city feel both relaxed and alive. At the center of that rhythm is the Mari Jean Hotel, a place that doesn\u2019t need theatrics to stand out. It\u2019s confident in its identity, rooted in the neighborhood, and perfectly placed for anyone wanting to experience Saint Pete\u2019s LGBTQ+ scene without overthinking it.<\/p>\n

\"Image<\/a>Image from Mari Jean Facebook page<\/a>
\nThe Mari Jean Hotel: A Strong Sense of Place<\/p>\n

The Grand Central District has long been a hub for LGBTQ+ life in Saint Pete, and the Mari Jean fits into that landscape naturally. The design is bold without being loud, the atmosphere social without being chaotic, and the location\u2014well, that\u2019s the real advantage.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re a fan of Tripadvisor and to see that the Mari Jean was listed as in the 10 % of the hotels WORLDWIDE, you gotta respect.<\/p>\n

Step outside and you\u2019re already in the middle of the district. No long walks, no rideshares, no planning. Just the city, right there.<\/p>\n

The hotel has been through a couple of alterations since our first two visits. It has become a little less gay-forward, gay-centered. Gone are the wall of penises behind the second story front desk, the sexual sayings in every room, and the hot men above every door number. It\u2019s now more LGBTQ+ and ally centered, still all adult. It is still gay owned and queer run. We saw all types of couples checking into the hotel while there, M-M, M-F, F-F.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Related Post: St Pete, Where they Eat, Sleep, Swim, & Dance Gay Gay Gay<\/a><\/p>\n

The Mari Jean has solidified itself many times over as a cog in the wheel that makes St Pete GAY GAY GAY. It was atop of the Mari Jean where the light shined the brightest in Florida when the rainbow crosswalks were banned. Here was our post about the light installation.<\/p>\n

\"st<\/a><\/p>\n

We were also given some private photos from the Mari Jean rooftop. \"IMG<\/a> \"IMG<\/a><\/p>\n

A Neighborhood Built for Connection<\/p>\n

Those shops I mentioned before, all deserving a look-see? There are several restaurants, too.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Everything you want is within a few steps, even some adult beverages.<\/p>\n

Cocktail St. Pete \u2014 High\u2011energy shows and a crowd that knows how to have a good time.
\nThe Garage on Central \u2014 A relaxed bar with a loyal local following and an easy vibe.
\nPunky\u2019s Bar & Grill \u2014 Solid food, friendly staff, and a place where conversations actually matter.
\nThe Wet Spot \u2014 The Mari Jean\u2019s pool bar, ideal for unwinding without leaving the property.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a neighborhood that feels lived\u2011in, not curated. Real people, real energy, real community. Driving into the area, you can tell it\u2019s different from the oceanside, different from downtown, and you like that difference. Parking is not an issue, but trying to select what business to park nearby is a hard choice, all of them are worth the stop and look-see.<\/p>\n

\"Image<\/a>Image from The Wet Spot web page<\/a>
\nThe Wet Spot<\/a>: Sun, Water, and Good Company<\/p>\n

The pool area at the Mari Jean is one of its strongest features. It\u2019s social, but not overwhelming. You can grab a drink, find a spot in the sun, and settle into the atmosphere. People talk. People connect. It\u2019s easygoing and open, the kind of place where conversations happen naturally.<\/p>\n

Spending an afternoon at The Wet Spot was one of the best new friends-making experienced I have had in a long time. St Pete is a healthy mix of new residents from all over the country, visitors from out of town, and long time locals. The Wet Spot had all of those and I think I talked to all of them.\u00a0<\/p>\n

We were there for a birthday weekend get away which also happened to be Easter Weekend. \u201cAre you going to watch the Hunky Jesus Contest?\u201d was a phrase I heard often, so yes, I had to make that happen. It was a day of drinking, sunning, pretty good eating, and watching Jesus walk on water, all poolside. And then there was a drag event after and RuPaul\u2019s Discord Addams was present and brought the Pope with her.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Nights Out, Easy Walk Home<\/p>\n

Saint Pete\u2019s nightlife has range. You can go big at Cocktail, keep it relaxed at The Garage, or explore the district and see where the night takes you. And when you\u2019re done, the walk back to the Mari Jean is quick and grounding. It feels like returning to a place that understands why you came to the city in the first place.<\/p>\n

\"Image<\/a>Image from The Ball website<\/a><\/p>\n

We found an old but new spot. The Saint was the name of the other bars in the Mari Jean building, but has now since changed to The Ball<\/a> (at the base of the cock), cute and catchy names all around. I enjoyed The Saint, and I enjoyed the Ball. It\u2019s a space where someone could hang out all night in a relaxed environment while seeing people flow in and out and while tipping the dancers. Drinking some creative cocktails you\u2019ve never had anywhere else, eating sweet bacon and cake bombs, watching a twink take a shower while in a jock strap \u2013 yeah, it was a great evening.<\/p>\n

Already Planning the Next Trip<\/p>\n

Saint Pete has a way of making you want more time. More nights out. More mornings by the pool. More of the neighborhood\u2019s energy. And the Mari Jean Hotel is the ideal base for all of it\u2014comfortable, confident, and right where you want to be.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m already thinking about the next visit.<\/p>\n

\"Mari\"<\/a>Street view, main entrance, mural at Mari Jean<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Saint Petersburg has a presence that stays with you. Sunlight, community, and a steady yet soothing rhythm that…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":263012,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[202,204,203,199,201,200],"class_list":["post-263011","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-st-petersburg","tag-st-pete","tag-st-pete-headlines","tag-st-pete-news","tag-st-petersburg","tag-st-petersburg-headlines","tag-st-petersburg-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/263011","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=263011"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/263011\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/263012"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=263011"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=263011"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=263011"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}