Mari Jean Hotel

The location worked well for exploring St Pete, and the pre-arrival texts and links were useful. Staff were friendly and welcoming. This is a historic building with limits on what they can change, and they set expectations in advance, so you have a sense of what you’re getting. As an LBTQ-friendly couple, we appreciated what they’re doing, but the place might not suit us or some other guests. It’s a party scene, and being upstairs from it could be great for a hook-up, but not for a quiet night. The bathrooms are tiny, the sink is in the bedroom, and storage is limited. I liked the ironing board, though room 325 had no iron. The TV worked well, the LED light remotes were fun, and the little bedside clock was a nice touch. The pool is temperature controlled but not heated, there’s no hot tub, and the pool is open to the public during the day. They also hold events outside.

We came to St Pete for the first time on a friend’s recommendation and booked five nights, but left after the third. The location was okay, though far from everything, and the room was just a bed and bathroom, with no fridge or coffee maker. Staff seemed annoyed whenever we asked for anything, and the service wasn’t friendly. The bartender downstairs was awful, rude, and more focused on two girls hanging out with him than on us, even though we were paying hotel guests. We told staff the night before we were leaving early because we were unhappy. They said, “Too bad, there’s nothing we can do about it.” Stay away.

The location was great, and the bar service was good. The bartender was doing his best to keep up with both the bar and our cabana, though the setup was confusing and staff communication was poor. The food was decent, drinks weak, and the pool was about 50 degrees, if that, because its heater was broken. There were fun activities and bars, and staff were responsive to guests. Still, my friend and I had a disappointing stay compared with other boutique hotels. Basic amenities were lacking, communication was poor, and the advertising was inaccurate. They market it as a men-only hotel, but we saw plenty of women staying there. We were told some rooms are rented monthly, so it’s also a mixed residential hotel. Their marketing department makes it sound like something it isn’t, including claiming it’s among the top ten percent of hotels worldwide. There was no deadbolt or safe, the closet threshold was missing and staples went through your foot, and the sink had no pressure. Once that was fixed, it wouldn’t drain. Windows had no screens, and there was no room service the first night until I called to ask why. The bathroom had a step up and down, its sink was outside the door, and there were no mirrors. A light fixture broke and fell within the first 30 minutes. The continental breakfast was poor. We’d reserved a cabana but there was no cabana attendant. The place may work for some, and it has potential, but we won’t be back.

The room was fine and the staff were good, but we paid for parking and our car was towed by the hotel’s contract company. They made no effort to check with management that we were guests who had paid. The hotel doesn’t record your plate, and the towing contractor doesn’t confirm with the hotel before taking a car. It turned into an expensive mess, and the hotel said it wasn’t their problem and did nothing to resolve it. We were charged $332. Buyer beware.