Sirata Beach Resort St Pete Beach

On my second stay here, the experience has been great again. The place is clean and convenient, and all the staff are amazing. Last time I visited, the conversion to Tapestry by Hilton had just started, with quite a few updates still to come. The improvements underway are fantastic. I can’t wait to return once the new pool and restaurant are officially open.

The best thing about this hotel is how close it is to the beach. The location is beautiful, but the ramp down to the beach needs to be rebuilt. The sand made it slippery, and I often felt I might fall. I overheard staff saying they were scared to walk on it too, and my daughter saw an elderly woman nearly fall. We were there last weekend for a QB camp. Outside humidity seemed to leave our room damp enough that the ceiling started sweating and dripping water. There was a musty smell, and a dead, squashed bug on the inside of the window by the door. A dehumidifier would help. I asked the front desk about the banquet menu because I have dietary restrictions. They said they didn’t have it, but didn’t seem to care and kept typing as if I were bothering them. For a high-end Hilton property, I expected better service.

The main resort building was beautiful and clean, and our recently renovated room was immaculate. The pool area was really nice, with a bar and grill, and the resort had daily activities for families and kids, including bracelet building, sand crafts, bingo, and more. They also had pool noodles, kod floaties, and boogie boards for children. The clean beach was only a few steps away over a footbridge. My only complaint there is that beach chairs cost extra, though it wasn’t a big deal for us. We’ll return with the whole family. The staff were attentive and very friendly. Our trip started horribly because of super.com, the third-party booking site. Don’t book through them, they’re the worst. They booked us at the sister resort next door, St. Pete shore resort. We agreed to look at the room, but there was loud construction, the room reeked of cigarette smoke, and dead bugs were everywhere. It looked very old, so we walked right out. We spent about an hour on the phone with super.com and got no help. Then we went to the main Sirata building and spoke with hotel manager Shelly. I can’t describe how kind she was. She listened and quickly moved us into the main resort building, where we were supposed to have been booked in the first place. Hilton should use Shelly as a model for customer service training for all its managers.

The hotel’s location is amazing. There are lots of restaurants and bars within walking distance, and the beach was beautiful and very clean. We also appreciated getting a renovated room, though its layout didn’t make much sense. The coffee maker had to be plugged in beside the TV because there wasn’t an outlet near the table where it sat. It was our first visit, and as Hilton members we expected a better experience. The Hilton app didn’t mention that the hotel was being renovated when we booked, and an advance heads-up would have been appreciated. The staff member at the beach chair rental was extremely rude. If customer service isn’t for you, don’t take it out on hotel guests. Also, two bottles of water a day aren’t enough in Florida’s heat. The place has potential, but the guest experience needs improvement.