The whole point of Airbnb is to be personal. To have a boutique experience, not a travel brochure holiday. If guests want predictable and impersonal, they can stay at a hotel. I try to make sure my guests have a real authentic airbnb experience – the best Florida has to offer. I really think they love it.
Here’s a message I wrote to one guest who asked for recommendations for their upcoming stay.
Hi Matt,
thanks for the message. I’ll come back to you on the other points separately, but as for ideas for what to get up to in St Pete I have a couple of suggestions.
ACTIVITES
Pass a Grille beach – our favourite beach on the gulf coast. The water is warm, there’s often dolphins here and it’s also amazing for sunsets. There’s a beach bar and showers etc which you can find through the link below, but we always park at 21st Avenue and enter the beach from there as it is much quieter.
https://www.visitstpeteclearwater.com/communities/pass-grille-beach
Fort De Soto – this is a state park, which has an old fort on it. The fort is nice, but I prefer taking a paddle board around the waterways that surround it. There’s paddle boards and kayak rentals available. http://www.unitedparkservices.com/kayak.html
Wheedon Island – another really cool place if you like the water. You can paddle through the salt water mangroves (no alligators!) and the fish jump about 3 feet in the air. We were kayaking here once when we first arrived and met a group of manatees that just hung out with us. Again, you can rent kayaks here but I wouldn’t rent a paddle board as the mangroves make it hard to stand up. https://sweetwaterkayaks.wordpress.com/rentals/
Dali Museum – if you fancy being a little cultured but still fun for the kids, I really like the Dali museum. Dali’s work is weird and fun so kids might enjoy it too. https://thedali.org
Circle B – this place isn’t in St Pete, it’s half way between us and Orlando, but since you are heading that way its definitely worth a stop. It’s a nature reserve and the wildlife is incredible here. Plus you are guaranteed to see a LOT of alligators.
FOOD
Mazzaros – if you want to take a picnic to the beach, go to Mazzaros. It’s an Italian market and although the decor is a bit cheesy the food is amazing. If you are in a rush you can call ahead and put a sandwich order in but its also a fun place to just wander around. http://mazzarosmarket.com
Munches – If you want the real American diner experience, this is the place. It was on the TV show Diners Drive-Ins and Dives and fits that sort of bill. https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g34607-d388779-Reviews-Munch_s_Sundries_Restaurant-St_Petersburg_Florida.html
Urban Brew and BBQ – this place is right around the corner from our house and has some good BBQ food, brews its own beers and has outdoor seating and games (again good for kids).https://urbanbrewandbbq.com
Casita Tacqueria – Again right around the corner from us. Good Mexican food and relaxed atmosphere. http://www.casitatacos.com
Green Bench Brewing Company – they don’t actually serve food, only drinks but they allow you to bring in food from all the food trucks and food places near by. It’s very kid friendly and lots of outdoor space and games. http://www.greenbenchbrewing.com
Cassis American Brasserie – If you are looking for something posher, I really like this place. http://cassisstpete.com
In general, the best food is either along Bay Shore Drive, or Central Avenue:
Hope this has given you plenty of food for thought but if you have any more questions feel free to ask.
Kind regards
Owen
Authentic Experience
This is exactly how I like to spend my time as a local in St Pete. Matt really appreciated the effort I put in to ensuring he really could make the most of his trip.
When I think it’s really important to promote our town. It’s a beautiful place, and it really benefits from the tourism, but I also like to make sure my guests get the authentic airbnb experience. If I’ve inspired you promote your own town to your guests, I’d suggest starting with the Airbnb Guidebook. You can list your favourite places and Airbnb collates it into a really nice personalised book. I’d love to hear how you get on, so please share your Airbnb Guidebooks below.
If the above has made you eager to visit St Pete for yourself, you can stay at my place! You can book directly here.
Thanks for reading!