My partner and I, along with his 78 year old mom and her 80 year old friend booked Gulf Winds for our vacation from June 9 - 23, 2010. We had a late flight in and told the agency that we would require a "late check-in". They assured us that they would leave the key in lock box - which they did. We arrived at Gulf Winds at 2:00 a.m. Only problem - the agency (which proclaims 24/7 service) did not answer the phone when we call numerous times and left numerous messages! We ended up sleeping in the rental car the first night of our vacation. Furthermore, we were NOT compensated for any inconvience nor were we given an apology by management. The lady who worked in the office was super and very genuine. When asked why our call wasn't answered, the response, "the guy working was otherwise occupied". They refunded the night we slept in the car (ya think.)- so in actual fact..we got nothing!! No apology or discount for the remainder of our stay. Our senior travellors spend the remainder of their holiday trying to get the "kinks" out of their neck and back. .If you want to risk sleeping in your car until the office opens at 9:00 a.m., by all means I recommend this condo. Trust me when I tell you - you will be disappointed because they certainly do not know the meaning of customer service.

A friend and I stayed at the Gulf Winds Resort in unit 1506 for a week at the end of May. Our unit was booked privately thru VBRO but the cleaning and maintenance is done by the office. We arrived after office hours and had by prior arrangements had the key left in a lock box. There is plenty of street parking but you need to show a parking permit which is provided by the office. Where I live there is zero tolerance and didn't want to start or stay with a ticket. There was metered parking a 1/2 block away n/c after 6 pm. Unit 1506 is on the third floor facing away from the ocean. Large generous sized unit 2 bedrooms; master had a two twins pushed together and second two twins apart, living room, dining room, bathroom and a large deck accessed from the master bedroom. We did a double take as the unit looked very different from the pictures on the website turned out it was not the same but the other unit for rent. The kitchen was stocked with dishes, pots and pans even two dishwasher tablets. There is a mall not far with a Publix and we stocked up for the week. The beach could be seen from the windows and deck and a quick walk and your there. Beach chairs and noodles were provided. The pool area was always very clean and never too full. Wonderful to come home from a day of sightseeing and take a quick dip before dinner. The unit was clean where we arrived no cleaning was included during our stay. A large stack of wonderfully fluffy towels in the bathroom but the linens on the bed were cheap and pilled very uncomfortable on a sunburnt and sand rubbed body. The main burner on the stove didn't work reported it to the office on Sunday but still hadn't been repaired when we left on Saturday. The sunshine ceiling in the bathroom was erratic due to the humidity. The blinds in the unit were being changed but the master still had the mini blinds and all the rods were broken so couldn't open/close. Overall we were pleased with Gulf Winds and would stay again but not in this unit due to the maintenance issues.

The unit we stayed in has a full fenced in padio on the ground level and was close to the pool and the beach and the Russian Restaurant. We had 2 bedrooms one with a giant bed and the other with 2 singles and 2 pull out leather sofas in the living room to sleep at least 8 people. The place comes with stroller, armfloats and toys in the closet along with all the extra blankets and pillows to make anyone comfey. With 2 TV's and wireless internet acess right in the unit everyone can me doing something different. It had all the kitchen things you could possiblly need including a griddle, crock pot, and many other small appliances. When you open up the cabnet in the bathroom there is any kind of sunscreen you can imagine and other things you may have forgotten to pack. Between the beach chairs, books and playingcards there is always something to do even if it rains. Great place to escape hectic tampa bay area life and go to the beach.

There were three of us (women) in a condo with two bedrooms and one bath. One slept on a pull out couch in the living room which was no problem. We took turns for the shower which again was no problem. The kitchen wasn't all that clean when we arrived but we cleaned it up. Didn't take but a minute. The bedrooms were good size as was the living room. The kitchen was ok as was the dining area. The condo itself was ok but we were up on third floor which meant lots of stairs (30) to climb and carry things up and down. That was a pain in the butt.
The beach which was only a minute or two away was wonderful as was the pool. Spent time at pool which was lots of fun. I met many new people which are friends now. Looking forward to seeing them next year. The girl in the office and the maintance men were great. They would help with any questions you may have or any help you may need.
Free parking and a place to do laundry.
There are many places to go and things to do in the St. Pete Beach area.
The beach is so white and water is so blue/green and warm. The sunsets are beautiful. I loved Gulf Winds Condo's in St. Pete Beach so much I booked my condo for next year already. Only next year on FIRST FLOOR, NO STAIRS.