Get to know “The Sunshine City”

For over a decade I’ve been using points and miles to travel around the world—sometimes with a thought-out plan, but usually on a whim. As long as an award booking can get me there, I’m the friend who will accept your invite to Park City for Sundance tomorrow, the World Cup in Russia in a few days, or Cape Town–just because–this weekend. Given my penchant for buzzy events and trendy cities, my next piece of travel advice might come as a surprise.

With the full awareness of my credibility being on the line, here it goes: you should spend a weekend in St. Petersburg, Florida. 

While Miami and Orlando are likely the cities that come to mind when you think of the Sunshine State, it’s St. Pete (as called by locals) that holds the Guinness World Record for most consecutive days of sunshine (an incredible 768 day run that started back in 1967). With an average temperature of 74°F, “The Sunshine City” is a go any time of year, with the added benefit of not needing to be scheduled around spring breakers or school holidays.

Fly into TPA, look for the flamingo

Fly into Tampa International Airport (TPA) using your Bilt Points by either transferring them to United MileagePlus (New Yorkers can find award flights for as low as 10,000 miles and Angelenos starting at 15,000 miles) or, booking a Delta Air Lines flight through the Bilt Travel Portal. If you see Phoebe the giant Flamingo sculpture poking her head down from the ceiling, you’ve landed at the right place. Rideshare will get you to St. Pete in under half an hour and you can earn 2X points by linking your Bilt and Lyft accounts.

Check into a historic (and pink) hotel

Get dropped off at The Vinoy Resort & Golf Club because that’s where you’re staying. The soon-to-be a century old historic hotel sits pretty in pink along the downtown waterfront and has just the right amount of roaring twenties grandeur and old Florida charm to make you feel transported to a different age but with all the comforts and details of a recently renovated resort. Rooms can be pricey but as part of the Autograph Collection, The Vinoy can be booked by transferring points to Marriott Bonvoy, starting at 41,000 Bilt Points per night*.

Soak up the local art scene

Explore the landmark hotel’s grounds, but don’t forget to leave! You’re within walking distance of a thriving art scene with an impressive number of museums per capita. Fellow suckers for surrealism can’t miss The Dalí Museum—a stunner with its geodesic glass dome and winding helix staircase even before you see the large scale paintings. The only museum with a bigger collection of Salvador Dalí’s work is in his hometown of Figueres, Spain.

Other popular museums include The James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art, the Chihuly Collection at the Morean Arts Centre, and The Museum of Fine Arts (don’t miss the grand Bombax tree outside). 

But if you’d prefer not to lose a second of sunshine to the indoors, the Grand Central District is covered with murals that you can explore by foot or on a bike tour bookable with Bilt Points through the travel portal.

Hit the white sand beaches 

For maximum rays, you need an afternoon on the beach. All the locals will tell you to go to Pass-a-Grille and they will, of course, be right. The four mile stretch of soft white sand with the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico is the ultimate little laid back beach town and the vibes are immaculate. 

Stop by the iconic Hurricane Seafood Restaurant for seafood and rooftop cocktails with a view. If you’re looking for more action, the Weedon Island Preserve is where you want to be. Canoe or kayak a four-mile trail through mangroves and seagrass flats or hike a three-mile trail, then head back downtown for dinner.

Eat branzino and snickerdoodle pancakes (separately)

Eat at Mediterranean small plate hotspot Allelo on Beach Drive. Get the branzino. You might be tempted to return for brunch the next day, but if it’s Saturday you should walk over to the Saturday Morning Market (check where it is depending on the time of year) and mingle with both locals and visitors alike at the farmer’s market meets indie flea with food trucks and live music. 

If it’s not Saturday, get brunch at The Library whose interior is inspired by the George Peabody Library in Baltimore but whose menu is certainly its own. Maple Snickerdoodle Pancakes, anyone? Yes, the restaurant is technically located on a hospital campus. No, it doesn’t make the experience weird.

What’s a city without a vibrant bar scene? From breweries to cocktail bars to dives to nightclubs, there’s a scene for everyone in St. Pete.

There’s no better way to get to know the local characters while having a cheap drink than by dropping into a dive bar and the diviest dive in St. Pete is the Emerald Bar. If you need a cocktail menu or a review of a dive bar, it’s probably not the place for you.

Instead, step into the devilish speakeasy The Saint that’s fully committed to the bit with its red mood lighting, holy water, and a cocktail menu that obviously features the 7 Deadly Sins. Entering requires confessing “the sin to get in” (find it on their website) but you can also confess an actual sin and drop it in a confessional box to be pinned to the wall on your way to the bathroom.

Convinced yet?

This is just one snapshot of how you can spend a weekend in St. Petersburg and how Bilt can help make it happen. By melding a small beach town with an urban city while maintaining its own independent spirit and charming character, St. Pete is proof that you can have the best of both worlds.

*Result may not be typical. Marriott Bonvoy Points redemption rate is subject to change and may vary due to availability, length of stay, dates, room category, and other factors.