What You Don’t Know About Clearwater’s Newest Hotel The Whyndham Grand

What You Don’t Know About Clearwater’s Newest Hotel The Whyndham Grand |August, 15, 2018 Written By: Theodore Frost|

Are you planning on visiting Clearwater Beach for your next vacation? If so, why not go all out and travel in style? With a  absolutely perfect location that is literally steps away from the beach. How about a great selection of restaurants and attractions within walking distance, and a spectacular view that can’t be beat? If you answered yes then the Wyndham Grand Clearwater Beach in Florida should be your number one choice. When the alarm clocks even have their own special features, it should be worth staying at.

The pool area is just one of the many amenities worth checking out. 

I love the beach and tropical destinations like no other. When I had a short break this summer about four days to be exact I decided that it would be perfect to spend the weekend in my favorite place on Earth Pinellas County ,Florida. Pinellas County includes Clearwater beach, Indian Rocks, and St Petersberg Flroida. Clearwater is only a short drive from Tampa, it’s a gorgeous beach town on the Gulf Of Mexico. I have been coming to Clearwater Florida every years since I was an infant. It is only a short plane ride from the Cincinnati area to the Tampa International Airport. It’s not like I will spend the whole day reaching my destination. I took a six o clock morning flight to Tampa from CVG. By the time I reached my final destination it was only ten in the morning.  I had already booked my reservation to stay at the newly opened Wyndham Grand Clearwater Beach and I couldn’t wait to check it out.

LOCATION

Being one of the newest resorts in the clearwater area, you couldn’t ask for a better location than the Wyndham Grand. It’s just across the street from the beach and walking distance to restaurants, boat tours and Pier 60, where you can catch the lively sunset celebration every night, weather permitting. If you’re flying, it’s just a 30-minute drive from Tampa.

The Wyndham Clearwater Beach is located steps away from the beach. You Can’t beat it for the price.

THE ROOMS

The rooms were decorated in a coastal style and the light decor made everything look elegant but inviting.

The hotel rooms at the Wyndham Grand are bright and inviting and most likely has a great view of either old Tampa Bay, the strip, or the beach. 

The rooms come with all the amenities you’d expect, including the all-important coffee maker for those of us who enjoy the black stuff. 

Sometimes hotels will have one small thing that might not seem to mean a lot but is a huge plus to me. At the Mandarin Oriental in New York City it was the number of glasses in the hotel room as well as the tea and sweets that welcome you to your suite. The Wyndham Grand however had this wonderful bonus:

You don’t have to search behind tables and beds to find an outlet. Your charger plugs right into the alarm clock. 

I couldn’t believe it when I saw an alarm clock with an outlet built right into it. It seems like every time I stay at a hotel, I have a hard time finding a spot to plug in my phone at night. Sometimes there’s not even one anywhere near the bed. When there is, I usually have to move a table to get to it, then pick and choose between the lamp and clock that are already plugged in. I seriously got excited when I saw that I could just plug my phone into the top of the clock. It’s the little things like this that make me happy!

The other thing that made me happy was the amazing view.  To our left, we looked over the beach and the Gulf of Mexico.

It’s worth staying at the Wyndham Grand for the view alone. P

To the right, we had a fantastic view of the bay. It doesn’t get much better than this!

Boat tours are just one of the many attractions within walking distance. Frenchy’s Rock Away Grill and The Surf Style wave rider are also within walking distance.

ADDITIONAL AMENITIES

Besides the fancy clock, some of the other amenities include:

• Balcony or terrace with most rooms
• High-speed internet access
• Individual air conditioning and heating controls
• Iron with ironing board
• Coffee/Tea Maker
• Mini fridge
• Hair dryer
• In-room safe
• Free local calls
• Institut Karite bath amenities
• Complimentary bottled water and morning newspaper

Room prices vary depending on the time of year you visit, but rates start at $250 a night. Keep in mind that there’s also a $25 per day resort fee, though I did find a deal on the Wyndham Grand website for $10 a day resort fees. Because there is no self-parking, you’ll also have to pay $25 per day for valet parking, though you can come and go as often as you’d like at no extra charge.

THE FOOD

STARBUCKS / ESKPADES

The Wyndham Grand has several spots to visit if you get hungry. In the lobby, you can find a small dining area that doubles as a both a Starbucks in the morning and the hotel bar, Eskpades, at night. It was very convenient that I could swing by each morning for my favorite coffee. Stop in at night and you can order a glass of wine with small bites or sushi. I had rum and orange juice and the California roll personally.

TravelingMom Tip: If you’re planning on eggs or other breakfast food, you’ll have to order room service or go off property since the only food Eskpades serves in the morning are pastries. I am an early riser so I alway had a great selection of pastries however I heard a lot of complaining for those who made it downstairs later than eight thirty, there usually wasn’t much to choose from.

Docks Pool Bar And Grill

If you feel like having lunch poolside, Dock’s Pool Bar And Grill has both snacks and full meals. You can also order frozen cocktails or beer. You’re on vacation, right? It’s a scenic spot to enjoy a nice lunch since you are not just overlooking the pool, you’re looking out onto the ocean as well.

OCEAN HAI

If you’re in the mood for fine dining, you should have dinner at Ocean Hai. With big windows overlooking the water, I recommend making reservations just before sunset.

Just off the lobby, Ocean Hai serves sushi and Asian fusion dishes. 

The Asian fusion menu includes everything from sushi to seafood, with steak, duck and even vegetarian dishes to choose from. I absolutely loved my meal! After the waitress hit a home run with my cocktail, I went with her recommendations for the remainder of the night. From start to finish, everything she selected for me was absolutely delicious, including the creme brulee that finished off our meal. 

Everything at Ocean Hai was delicious, including this creme brulee dessert. This is not the kind of restaurant I would bring young children, so if you’re vacationing with kids, you might want to visit a more casual restaurant and save Ocean Hai for a kid-free getaway.

OTHER AMENITIES AT THE WYNDHAM GRAND CLEARWATER BEACH

The Wyndham Grand has a beautiful pool overlooking the ocean. It was kid friendly, heated (though heat wasn’t necessary in the middle of June) and had a jacuzzi as well.

The pool features a wonderful view overlooking the ocean. 

There were plenty of chairs and my favorites were the round bed-like chairs in the back area. It was the perfect spot to relax and enjoy a cocktail from the pool bar.

With fountains and giant lounge chairs, the pool at Wyndham Grand is a great place to relax. 

Other amenities include a spa, fitness center, event facilities and more.

GET RECONNECTED WITH WYNDHAM’S RECONNECTED FAMILY EXPERIENCE

Now through September 3, 2018,  select Wyndham Grand Hotels are offering the Reconnected Family Experience.  This experience encourages families to put away the electronics and focus on enjoying quality time together. the experience even comes with an Adventure Pack

The Adventure Packs include the following:

• The Nocturnals: The Mysterious Abductions book
• Bookmark
• Plush Fox Stuffed Animal
• One roll of Instax film
• Activity sheets
• Crayons
• 2 S’mores pops

*The experience includes one Adventure pack per child, for up to two children, though additional packs are available for purchase.

The children can bring the above items home with them. In addition, you’ll get these to enjoy at the hotel:

• Blanket fort kit and instructions
• Flashlight for shadow puppets
• Instax Instant Camera
• Lockbox to store your phones and tablets

WHAT WORKS FOR FAMILIES AT THE WYNDHAM GRAND CLEARWATER BEACH, FLORIDA:

• Easy walking distance to the beach, restaurants, and shops
• Cots, rollaway beds and cribs are available
• Kid friendly pool
• Bunk beds in some rooms
• Starbucks on site

WHAT DOESN’T WORK FOR FAMILIES AT THE WYNDHAM GRAND CLEARWATER BEACH, FLORIDA:

• A small number of rooms do not have baths. If this is important to you, be sure to ask about it ahead of time.
• Having a balcony might be worrisome for some parents of small children.
• This is a luxury hotel so it may not be the right choice for families on a budget.

Between the views, the food and proximity to everything, we absolutely loved this hotel. The staff was friendly and helpful and the hotel offered everything we could possibly need. If you’re heading to Clearwater, Florida and want to spoil yourself a little, you’ll definitely want to check out the Wyndham Grand Clearwater Beach.

For more infor on the Tampa, St.Pete, Clearwater area read some of my other articles:

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