{"id":76215,"date":"2025-12-08T23:31:43","date_gmt":"2025-12-08T23:31:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/76215\/"},"modified":"2025-12-08T23:31:43","modified_gmt":"2025-12-08T23:31:43","slug":"review-the-vinoy-st-petersburg-marriott-autograph-collection-lovely","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/76215\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: The Vinoy St. Petersburg, Marriott Autograph Collection (Lovely!)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Recently, we spent a couple of nights in St. Petersburg, Florida, at The Vinoy Resort & Golf Club, Marriott Autograph Collection<\/a>. This was for a trip to take our son, Miles, to go see my mom (who lives in St. Petersburg). During the same trip we also spent a couple of nights at the St. Regis Longboat Key, which I reviewed<\/a> in a separate installment.<\/p>\n

The 354-key Vinoy is a gorgeous historic property that\u2019s oozing with charm, in one of my favorite cities in Florida. The property underwent a full renovation in recent years (whereby it was also rebranded, from a Renaissance to an Autograph Collection), and they really did a great job.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re going to visit downtown St. Petersburg, this is definitely the place to stay. Admittedly the property is pricey, but then again, the city otherwise mostly has limited service properties, also with eye-watering prices. The only thing I\u2019d mention about The Vinoy is that I think the hard product is a bit better than the soft product.<\/p>\n

Booking The Vinoy St. Petersburg<\/p>\n

We paid cash for our stay at The Vinoy St. Petersburg, and the rate was around $350 per night, including the resort fee. We booked through\u00a0the Marriott Luminous program<\/a>, which offers extra perks at Autograph Collection properties. For booking this way, we received complimentary breakfast, a room upgrade subject to availability, a $100 property credit, and more.<\/p>\n

If we had\u00a0redeemed Bonvoy points<\/a>\u00a0for our stay, the rate would\u2019ve been 52,000 points per night. For what it\u2019s worth, I\u00a0value Bonvoy points<\/a>\u00a0at 0.7 cents each, so this was a case where paying cash was the better value, in my opinion.<\/p>\n

Regardless of how you book, the hotel has a resort fee of $40 per room per night. This includes two specialty cocktails per stay, two passes to the St. Petersburg History Museum, e-bikes for one hour rentals per day, access to wellness classes, and 90 minutes access to tennis courts.<\/p>\n

The Vinoy St. Petersburg location & history<\/p>\n

The Vinoy is located right in the heart of downtown St. Petersburg, so it\u2019s walking distance to most of the city\u2019s attractions. St. Petersburg is such a lovely city, and we\u2019re seriously considering moving there some day. Vibe wise, it\u2019s exactly the opposite of Miami.<\/p>\n

\"\"The Vinoy St. Petersburg exterior\"\"The Vinoy St. Petersburg exterior\"\"The Vinoy St. Petersburg Moke<\/p>\n

From Miami, St. Petersburg is roughly a four hour drive, so we arrived by car. The hotel offers valet parking, at the steep rate of $45 per night. If you\u2019re flying into the area, Tampa International Airport (TPA) is roughly a 30-minute drive away, while St. Petersburg Clearwater International Airport (PIE) is roughly a 20-minute drive away.<\/p>\n

Probably my favorite thing about The Vinoy is how it\u2019s a historic property<\/a>, as it initially opened nearly 100 years ago, in 1926. As the property has been updated, they\u2019ve done a great job making the rooms modern and comfortable, while maintaining the old world charm of the public areas.\"\"The Vinoy St. Petersburg entrance<\/p>\n

The Vinoy St. Petersburg lobby & check-in<\/p>\n

The Vinoy St. Petersburg has to have one of the coolest lobbies of any hotel in Florida, perfectly reflecting its\u00a0Mediterranean\u00a0Revival-style design. The lobby is massive and spans two floors, so it feels quite spacious. Seriously, how gorgeous is this?!<\/p>\n

\"\"The Vinoy St. Petersburg lobby\"\"The Vinoy St. Petersburg lobby\"\"The Vinoy St. Petersburg lobby\"\"The Vinoy St. Petersburg lobby<\/p>\n

The lobby has plenty of seating, should you want to just lounge around and take in the views.<\/p>\n

\"\"The Vinoy St. Petersburg lobby seating<\/p>\n

Reception is located just inside the entrance and to the right. The check-in process was friendly, and we were informed that we had been upgraded to a corner studio suite, on account of my Marriott Bonvoy Ambassador status<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"The Vinoy St. Petersburg reception<\/p>\n

Once checked in, we headed for the elevators. Our room was located on the second floor (the mezzanine level), in a wing not far from the main lobby.<\/p>\n

\"\"The Vinoy St. Petersburg elevators<\/p>\n

If you have the time, it\u2019s worth popping up to the second floor to read about the property\u2019s history, as you\u2019ll find a bit of a display there.<\/p>\n

\"\"The Vinoy St. Petersburg history\"\"The Vinoy St. Petersburg history\"\"The Vinoy St. Petersburg original structure<\/p>\n

For that matter, off the elevator, there\u2019s a machine that will create a wax mold of the hotel for $5. We ended up using this, and Miles is still walking around with his little wax mold of this property, a couple of weeks later, so I guess it was money well spent.<\/p>\n

\"\"The Vinoy St. Petersburg wax mold machine\"\"The Vinoy St. Petersburg wax mold machineThe Vinoy St. Petersburg suite<\/p>\n

As mentioned above, we were assigned a corner studio suite. Specifically, we were assigned room 221, located at the end of the hall and on the left.<\/p>\n

\"\"The Vinoy St. Petersburg hallway\"\"The Vinoy St. Petersburg room exterior<\/p>\n

These accommodations are marketed as being 510-600 square feet (46-54 square meters), so they\u2019re quite spacious, but aren\u2019t full suites (which is to say that there\u2019s no door between the living room and bedroom).<\/p>\n

Upon entering the room, there was first a little partitioned off dining area, with a table and two chairs.\"\"The Vinoy St. Petersburg suite living room\"\"The Vinoy St. Petersburg suite dining area<\/p>\n

This also contained the minibar area, which included a Nespresso coffee machine, a selection of tea, bottled water, and a mini-fridge. There were no drinks or snacks available for purchase.<\/p>\n

\"\"The Vinoy St. Petersburg suite minibar\"\"The Vinoy St. Petersburg suite in-room coffee\"\"The Vinoy St. Petersburg suite mini fridge<\/p>\n

Then there was the living room area, with an L-shaped couch, plus a TV on a stand across from the couch.<\/p>\n

\"\"The Vinoy St. Petersburg suite living room\"\"The Vinoy St. Petersburg suite living room\"\"The Vinoy St. Petersburg suite living room<\/p>\n

The bedroom area had a comfortable king size bed. As you can see, the suite was a good size, though there are no privacy partitions between the bedroom and living area, so it\u2019s not ideal if two people are on different schedules (sleeping vs. being awake).<\/p>\n

\"\"The Vinoy St. Petersburg suite bedroom\"\"The Vinoy St. Petersburg suite bedroom<\/p>\n

The bathroom was back toward the entrance, and contained double sinks, a walk-in shower, and a toilet in a separate room.<\/p>\n

\"\"The Vinoy St. Petersburg suite bathroom\"\"The Vinoy St. Petersburg suite bathroom\"\"The Vinoy St. Petersburg suite shower\"\"The Vinoy St. Petersburg suite toilet<\/p>\n

Toiletries were from Ortigia, in very cool individual tubes.<\/p>\n

\"\"The Vinoy St. Petersburg suite toiletries<\/p>\n

Our room was described as having a partial bay view. It had a view of the hotel\u2019s driveway, the marina, and even the St. Pete Pier in the distance.<\/p>\n

\"\"The Vinoy St. Petersburg suite view<\/p>\n

On account of the way we booked and (presumably) my status, we received a welcome gift around an hour after arriving to our room, consisting of a bottle of San Pellegrino water, plus a box of homemade chocolates. <\/p>\n

\"\"The Vinoy St. Petersburg welcome gift<\/p>\n

All-in-all, I thought this was a great room. I appreciate how The Vinoy maintains its old world charm in the public areas, while the rooms as such feel quite modern, but still have some pizzazz.<\/p>\n

The Vinoy St. Petersburg pool, gym, and spa<\/p>\n

The Vinoy St. Petersburg has a nice outdoor pool setup, with a huge pool that has a waterfall, as well as a hot tub. There\u2019s plenty of seating around the pool, plus service during the day.<\/p>\n

\"\"The Vinoy St. Petersburg pool\"\"The Vinoy St. Petersburg pool\"\"The Vinoy St. Petersburg hot tub\"\"The Vinoy St. Petersburg pool seating\"\"The Vinoy St. Petersburg pool seating<\/p>\n

We weren\u2019t here to lounge at the pool, but I\u2019d consider this to be a nice space. While this property is marketed as a \u201cresort,\u201d really I\u2019d consider it to be more of a large city hotel. If you\u2019re looking to go to the beach or pool, there are probably better options.<\/p>\n

The Vinoy also has an excellent 24\/7 gym. While I wouldn\u2019t say the machines are cutting edge, the variety of equipment is huge, so that\u2019s appreciated. Note that due to the gym\u2019s location, it lacks natural light, and therefore feels a bit like a dungeon. \"\"The Vinoy St. Petersburg gym\"\"The Vinoy St. Petersburg gym\"\"The Vinoy St. Petersburg gym\"\"The Vinoy St. Petersburg gym\"\"The Vinoy St. Petersburg gym\"\"The Vinoy St. Petersburg gym\"\"The Vinoy St. Petersburg gym<\/p>\n

The Vinoy also has a full service spa, with four treatment rooms. We didn\u2019t get any spa treatments during our stay, but you can find all the details here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Vinoy St. Petersburg restaurants & bars<\/p>\n

The Vinoy St. Petersburg has several dining options. Let me first summarize them, and then I\u2019ll go into more detail:<\/p>\n

Elliott Aster is the hotel\u2019s new signature restaurant serving steaks and pasta, and it\u2019s open for dinnerPaul\u2019s Landing is the hotel\u2019s all-day dining restaurant, serving breakfast, lunch, and dinnerLottie is the hotel\u2019s all-day lobby patisserie, serving coffee, pastries, and moreVeranda is the hotel\u2019s outdoor bar area, open in the afternoons and eveningsParasol is the hotel\u2019s daytime Latin American restaurant at the pool, open from midday until late afternoon<\/p>\n

Okay, so here\u2019s what kind of bugs me. Elliott Aster is the hotel\u2019s signature restaurant, but hotel guests don\u2019t actually get preferential reservations, or anything like that. I guess Autograph Collection isn\u2019t a real luxury brand, but in general, when staying at a nice place, I expect that hotel guests get some sort of preferential reservations. Instead, I was told to just look online for reservations, and there was no availability for the next two weeks.<\/p>\n

So unfortunately I\u2019d consider this venue to simply be a third party renting the space, rather than actually an integrated part of the hotel, which is unfortunate. For example, it sure would be nice if the hotel offered breakfast in this restaurant, rather than where it\u2019s actually offered. Since the restaurant was locked before opening time (and our main priority was to spend time with my mom), I wasn\u2019t able to get pictures, but I\u2019ve heard good things about the restaurant.<\/p>\n

Instead, Paul\u2019s Landing is the hotel\u2019s all-day dining restaurant, described as serving \u201cseafood with old-Florida flavors.\u201d This is open daily from 7:30AM until 10PM (11PM on weekends), and it\u2019s also where breakfast is served. The restaurant is near the pool, and I\u2019ve gotta be honest, I don\u2019t love it.<\/p>\n

The whole restaurant feels a bit like a sports bar, and it just doesn\u2019t fit the otherwise charming vibe of the hotel. It\u2019s a shame that breakfast can\u2019t be enjoyed in the hotel\u2019s more traditionally designed area. This restaurant could literally be anywhere.\"\"The Vinoy St. Petersburg Paul\u2019s Landing Restaurant\"\"The Vinoy St. Petersburg Paul\u2019s Landing Restaurant\"\"The Vinoy St. Petersburg Paul\u2019s Landing Restaurant\"\"The Vinoy St. Petersburg Paul\u2019s Landing Restaurant<\/p>\n

You can find the breakfast menu below.<\/p>\n

\"\"The Vinoy St. Petersburg Paul\u2019s Landing breakfast menu<\/p>\n

The food as such was quite decent, and all included on account of booking through Marriott Luminous. I enjoyed the cappuccino that I ordered\u2026<\/p>\n

\"\"The Vinoy St. Petersburg Paul\u2019s Landing breakfast<\/p>\n

We also had the two egg breakfast, the lox and bagel, the avocado toast, and the waffles. None of the food was earth shattering or amazing, but it all did the trick.<\/p>\n

\"\"The Vinoy St. Petersburg Paul\u2019s Landing breakfast\"\"The Vinoy St. Petersburg Paul\u2019s Landing breakfast\"\"The Vinoy St. Petersburg Paul\u2019s Landing breakfast\"\"The Vinoy St. Petersburg Paul\u2019s Landing breakfast<\/p>\n

Lottie is a more charming venue, and is the hotel\u2019s lobby coffee bar, serving barista coffee, freshly baked pastries, cake, gelato, and more.<\/p>\n

\"\"The Vinoy St. Petersburg Lottie\"\"The Vinoy St. Petersburg Lottie\"\"The Vinoy St. Petersburg Lottie\"\"The Vinoy St. Petersburg Lottie\"\"The Vinoy St. Petersburg Lottie<\/p>\n

There\u2019s also a selection of grab & go options, should you want to get a snack, a bottle of wine, or something else.<\/p>\n

\"\"The Vinoy St. Petersburg Lottie selection\"\"The Vinoy St. Petersburg Lottie selection<\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s Veranda, serving cocktails in the afternoons. The Vinoy has a gorgeous porch out front, so this is a place that\u2019s worth stopping at for a drink (and you can also enjoy the drink offered as part of the resort fee here).<\/p>\n

\"\"The Vinoy St. Petersburg Veranda\"\"The Vinoy St. Petersburg Veranda\"\"The Vinoy St. Petersburg VerandaBottom line<\/p>\n

The Vinoy St. Petersburg is the best option if you\u2019re looking to stay in downtown St. Petersburg. The hotel has nearly 100 years of history, so it has lots of charm, while still feeling fresh and modern where it counts. There\u2019s a lot to like about this hotel, as it has great amenities, including a pool, a huge gym, and several dining outlets.<\/p>\n

Honestly, I could\u2019ve seen this property being branded as a Ritz-Carlton, if they had just upped the soft product a little bit. I always enjoy staying here when visiting St. Petersburg, though do manage your expectations when it comes to service.<\/p>\n

Given that the hotel has over 350 rooms, service often isn\u2019t very attentive. I also wish that Paul\u2019s Landing weren\u2019t the all-day dining restaurant, because it just doesn\u2019t otherwise match the hotel\u2019s vibe.<\/p>\n

What do you make of The Vinoy St. Petersburg?\n\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Recently, we spent a couple of nights in St. Petersburg, Florida, at The Vinoy Resort & Golf Club,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":76216,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[202,204,203,199,201,200],"class_list":["post-76215","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\/76215","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=76215"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76215\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/76216"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=76215"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=76215"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=76215"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}