The Beachcomber

We used to love the Beachcomber and had stayed there several times for a night or two from the Orlando area, especially when a good band was playing at Jimmy B's. After the pools had been closed for a long time and the storms, we hadn’t been back. This time we bought a Resort Pass to spend the day and evening now that everything was fully open again. We brought friends in town and had told them what a sure thing it was. That didn’t go as planned. The pools were comfortable and the temperature was enjoyable, and we liked the bar at Jimmy B's. But the promised amenities were overlooked, and we tried to avoid dealing with staff more than necessary. The desk clerk seemed new, and I’ve never encountered such poor service and attitude there. As soon as she heard “Resort Pass,” she was rude to our friends. When they asked if they could leave their bags while using the pool, she snapped, “don't even think about it!” Even another employee said, “they don't have much, it'll be fine,” and the clerk nearly lost it. Next time we’ll try another St Pete resort that appreciates its customers.

There’s plenty of room in the suites, with a living area and walk-in closet, and ours was very clean. I didn’t see mold or the dead bugs mentioned in other reviews. The shower was nice and hot with strong water pressure. Being on the beach is great, as is having access to Jimmy Bs. The food and drinks were tasty, especially the coconut shrimp and chicken sandwich. We also got daily beach chairs and an umbrella, and could use the gym at the sister resort, Hilton garden inn. Sleeping was harder than it should’ve been. The room is bright, with no blackout curtains, and street and outside lights come through. The blinds on the big window don’t fully close, so people outside can see in. The wall AC struggles to cool the room and makes a lot of noise. The lobby coffee is disgusting, Wi-Fi rarely works, and there are no elevators, which makes carrying luggage difficult. The bathroom is small, with little counter space and storage. There’s also no poolside food or drink service.

The location is great, with an easy walk to a beautiful beach, but the rooms were dirty. My daughter’s feet were pitch black after just five minutes of running around. The beds weren’t comfortable, the dishes were dirty, and only one elevator worked. Parking was a nightmare. We booked one night and paid a deposit, then added a second night because of the weather and were charged another deposit. That seemed odd, but we were okay with it until the woman at the front desk said neither deposit would be returned for a month because we used our Chime card. She then put up a sign with the same information that hadn’t been there earlier. When my husband asked why, she said, “if you don’t like it then leave.” We won’t stay here again. We’ll go back to the Sandpiper, where we’ve never had a problem. There are better places in PCB for the same price.

We loved the boardwalk to the beach, and the sunsets at Jimmy B's were amazing. Our room was spacious, with a comfortable bed, extra pillows, great AC, and a well-appointed bathroom with hot water and good pressure. We enjoyed sitting on the patio every day. Trevor made check-in easy and was very friendly, Hector was a wonderful parking attendant, and LJ at the beach hut was kind and gave us good local attraction recommendations. Everyone was nice and helpful. Our only complaint was the noise from beachgoers and partygoers. We’re already planning to come back next year.