Recommend August 2014 - (Page 20)

onsitereview AU G U S T 2 013 lane nieset The Vinoy Renaissance St. Petersburg Resort & Golf Club Often seen as a sleepy town geared toward senior citizens, St. Petersburg (Florida, that is) is stepping up its game. While nearby Clearwater draws travelers in search of premier Gulf beaches, St. Petersburg is attracting the younger set with an invigorating downtown scene centered on cultural attractions, craft brews, and a bevy of new bars and eateries. Ranked one of the "52 Places to Go in 2014" in The New York Times, St. Petersburg today is not the one you knew 10 years ago. We saw that ﬁrst-hand when Recommend revisited the town last summer on a weekend getaway at the historic Vinoy Renaissance St. Petersburg Resort & Golf Club. piece of history On the roster of Historic Hotels of America, the 361-room Vinoy Renaissance is a regal structure with a history dating back to the Roaring Twenties. Attracting a mix of Hollywood starlets, celebrities, presidents and authors, the Vinoy was the playground of the rich and famous and has undergone a variety of transformations over the years. During the Great Depression and World War II, the hotel served as a housing and training center for military cooks and bakers, and in the 1970s, became a low-rent boarding house. The spot sat silent for 18 years and then in 1990, it began a 2-year, $93 million transformation modernwizing the resort and adding the amenities guests can ﬁnd today, like the Ron Garl-designed, 18-hole golf course, a new guest tower, two outdoor pools and three spas, and a 74-slip marina. History buffs can learn more about the hotel's past with tours led by the in-house historian, or stop by the photo archive in the lobby to see images of the hotel's restoration dating back to its opening on New Year's Eve in 1925. "Our mission [when we renovated the lobby] was to stay true to the Vinoy's historic roots and at the same time be relevant to current and future travelers; we feel we've accomplished that," says Doug Fisher, director of operations. old world meets modern times Top to bottom: The Vinoy's history dates back to the 1920s; guestrooms are tastefully decorated; 20 august 2014 and the resort's 18-hole golf course. 20-21 NA RenaissanceOnsite.indd 20 Walking through the hotel, guests will ﬁnd a delightful blend of 1920s Mediterranean Revival architecture with modern touches and pops of color. Cozy lounges and nooks in the lobby look like a Jonathan Adler display with colorful rugs and pillows, exposed beam ceilings, rounded entryways and custom art by Dale Chihuly and Renee Dinauer. The front patios are classic Florida, perfect for enjoying a coffee and reading a newspaper on one of the rocking chairs, with views of the marina. Elegant recommend.com 7/24/14 10:43 AM http://www.recommend.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend August 2014

Editor’s Notes
Hotel Desk Chic & New
Tour Talk FAMs to Latin America & Beyond
Uniworld’s S.S. Catherine
The Dish on Las Vegas
The Vinoy Renaissance St. Petersburg Resort & Golf Club
Lanai, Hawaii
CANCUN & RIVIERA MAYA
Double the Charm in Cancun
Grand Residences Riviera Cancun
Tour Operators Do the Talking
The Beat Goes on for Thai Tourism
A Love Affair with Puerto Rico & Four Grand Personalities
Punta Cana’s Melia Caribe Tropical—The Level
Sandals LaSource Resort & Spa, Grenada
On the Tracks in France
Antwerp Sparkles Like a Diamond
Southern Africa

Recommend August 2014