This place is way over-rated. The toilet in our room wouldn't flush. I immediately noticed that the carpet didn't look like it had been vacuumed lately, which was just confirmed when I discovered a dead roach belly up on the floor by the bed. The hotel staff seemed neither concerned or surprised. Needless to say we didn't spend the night.

As we are planning our next vacation to the Clearwater area I am reminded of our stay at the Tradewinds last April. This hotel is located in a great area of St Petersburg. However the facility itself was a little dated and worn.

When we checked in we we're assured that we were being given a nice room. It was located in a neighboring building. Upon entry into the room the we're disappointed that there was not a balcony. The bellman attempted to open the window and the latches were broke and it would not budge. There was also a layer of glare reducing plastic tearing off of the window (it reminded me of car windows in the 80s). We immediately upgraded to a suite by the pool.

The layout and location of the suite was great. However the room was very dated and smelled like someone had thrown up in between the beds.

The aspect that prohibits me from returning is that there seemed to be a lot of locals "crashing the pool". There was a woman on the phone arranging for her friend to drop off her kids at the pool to swim. The pool was much busier on the weekend than other days. Typically in a hotel these are heavy travel days! It would be nice if the hotel monitored this and had guests wear bracelets like many others do. It was hectic trying to play with and watch my 3 year old in the pool. It was too crowded.

The valet staff was very nice and helpful. They gave suggestions about great places to visit and eat.

I've stayed at the Tradewinds 3 times and loved each visit. The kids enjoyed the paddle boats, feeding the Koi and the activities. We love the hammocks and swings by beautiful St Pete Beach. It is nice that they have adult only areas as well. The Hotel is always clean with friendly service. The location is great with shops and resaraunts in walking distance. The food and drink on the premises and room service was spectaclar. I can't wait to go again someday.

I spent a week at the Grand Island TradeWinds and enjoyed it very much. It's spacious and yet feels quite comfortable. A couple of buildings connected by lovely walk ways. Access to the beach is immediate with lots of cabanas. Room faced the gulf which is a great view and one can hear the waves at night. Bar out by the pools. Can't wait to go back in October.

Staff goes out of their way to make you comfortable. There are a variety of restaurants with different menus and price points. Lots of restaurants in walking distance. There's a Walgreens and Publix within blocks.

My complaints are small - I tried to use my towels more than once, but the staff replaced them daily although I followed the instructions for re-use. There was no television channel directory which made it difficult to find a particular station and the sleep function on the television didn't work. Otherwise the room was perfect.

The resort fee covers parking and a variety of things.