Beaches of South Walton Recognized Among Top Beaches in the World for 2011

WALTON COUNTY, Fla. (March 7, 2011) –

The white sands of Beaches of South Walton have made not one, but two, rankings of the world’s best beaches, bringing new attention to this Northwest Florida Gulf Coast destination as the spring travel season begins.

Citing its calm, relaxing beaches in addition to shopping, dining, golfing, cultural and nature offerings, Yahoo! Travel named Santa Rosa Beach one of its 10 Best Beach Destinations for 2011, ranking this charming community at the heart of Beaches of South Walton alongside beaches in Hawaii, Bali and Mexico.

Whether visiting Santa Rosa, Seaside, Rosemary Beach or one of the other 15 charming communities of Beaches of South Walton, families find a relaxing atmosphere complemented by white-sand beaches that are among the world’s finest.

Trip Advisor’s FamilyVacationCritic.com has also recognized Beaches of South Walton as one of its Top 10 Beaches for Families.  The destination was chosen because “not only is the sand sugar soft, it borders the most gorgeous emerald green water you’ve ever seen.”  Family Vacation Critic describes the destination’s communities as family-friendly and providing a home away from home for vacationers.

From free performances in Alys Beach to the weekly Seaside Farmer’s Market, each beach community plays host to customized celebrations and activities that appeal to all ages. Families will enjoy the new Club KZ in Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort and delight in the new rickshaw rides offered along Scenic Highway30A. There are also new takes on area classics. YOLO boarding becomes an eco-adventure when paired with a nature-based certified guide. While fishing charters off Grayton Beach are even more rewarding when the fresh catch is prepared in the home or condo by the talented executive chef of Table 5.

A study by Majority Opinion Research and commissioned by Beaches of South Walton indicates an expected resurgence of travelers.  The study polled 422 visitors who vacationed in Beaches of South Walton in 2009, but did not book at the same accommodations in 2010.  It revealed that 83 percent of those who did not travel last summer stated they “will return” to Beaches of South Walton this year.

To welcome back visitors this spring, accommodations throughout Beaches of South Walton are offering a number of packages including:

• Seaside Cottage Rental Agency is offering a Spring Fling Promotion with discounts of up to 20 percent;
• Rosemary Beach is providing its guests with a complimentary Passport to Paradise this spring break (March 12 through April 30).  The Passport includes more than $750 in discounts on shopping, dining and other amenities in Rosemary Beach;
• Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa has several specials this spring including a Spring Celebration Package which includes two lattes at The Coffee Shop, cocktails at Barefoot’s Beachside Bar & Grill and lunch at Picnix Poolside Market.  Other specials feature upgraded accommodations starting at $179 per night and a Picture Perfect Fun Package.
• Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort is featuring a FREE Five for Spring Fun promotion which offers guests a fifth night free when staying four nights;

For more accommodations specials and packages throughout Beaches of South Walton, click here. Now is the time to discover your beach.

About Beaches of South Walton
Beaches of South Walton is a destination located along a 26-mile stretch of Northwest Florida’s Gulf Coast and comprised of 15 picturesque beach communities, and white sand beaches and emerald green waters for which the region is renowned.  Home to one of Yahoo Travel’s Top 10 beachesfor 2011, visitors to the destination enjoy a relaxing escape:  an upscale, yet casual, place to unwind and rejuvenate.  To learn more, visit www.BeachesofSouthWalton.com or call 1-800-822-6877.

See also:

Sarasota Beach, Marine Attractions Hold Surprises on Florida’s Gulf Coast

THE NATURAL WONDERS OF FLORIDA’S LEE COUNTY
From Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island to Manatee Park

CLEARWATER BEACH AND SOOOOO MUCH MORE
Back-to-Nature Experiences Are Not Your Typical Day at the Beach

Postcard Inn on St. Pete Beach is Perfect Getaway

Picture postcard perfect place: the Postcard Inn on St. Pete Beach © 2010 Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

If ever you wanted a place to get away from it all, to an oasis of simple pleasures, visually pleasing, perfectly relaxing, laid-back, the Postcard Inn on St. Pete Beach on Florida’s Gulf Coast is the place.

It’s 1950s retro done with a hip flare. Kitschy and clever, and aesthetically marvelous – it’s amazing what design can do to create an atmosphere. Shapes, lights, colors – a chandelier is made from rope and sailors’ knots; painted skateboards and buggie boards provide the decoration, vintage lamps, 1950s photos of beach, a giant photo of waves breaking on the surf covers the entire wall..There is whimsy and humor which makes you smile a lot.

The Postcard Inn on St Pete Beach is 1950s retro combined with modern flare with a feel-good result © 2010 Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

The Postcard Inn occupies prime beachfront in St. Pete Beach on Florida’s Gulf Coast – you can walk for miles along the beach, or float in the warm, green waters of the Gulf, very likely a dolphin or two not too far away.

In addition to the Olympic-sized swimming pool (heated if necessary), there is a kiddie pool, two well-outfitted fitness rooms, a pool table and a ping-pong table, arcade room, beach volleyball court, and central garden areas where you can lounge in Adirondack-style chairs under the trees as music emanates from speakers.

The Postcard Inn on St. Pete Beach is designed for relaxation © 2010 Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

There is WiFi throughout; the rooms have flat-screen TVs; the rooms have views of pool, or Gulf, or garden.

You can go for a swim in the Olympic-size pool in the morning or take a walk or a dip in the Gulf, before hopping on a trolley-style bus, to ride into downtown St. Petersburg in air-conditioned comfort, to enjoy the plethora of cultural and heritage attractions, including the Dali Museum, the newly opened Chihuly Collection, the Holocaust Museum, the Fine Arts Museum to list but a few (all linked with a charming system of trolley buses, the downtown ones offer a narrated commentary), then return to the Inn in time to linger on the sand beach, float in the warm Gulf waters (perhaps to see a pod of dolphins swim by, or pelicans diving for fish).

The trolley also goes to south to Passe-a-Grille, an absolutely charming beach village with the prettiest parcel of beach on the island, and north into Clearwater, hitting all the other beaches along the way.

For more ambitious exploring, you can visit Fort DeSoto or go kayaking at Weedon Preserve (rent from Sweetwaters Kayaks, 727-570-4844; www.sweetwaterkayaks.com).

In the evening, you might cross the street to the Cockney Rebel Pub where there is karaoke Friday-Sunday.

The Postcard Inn (the former Travelodge that was the first motel here in 1958)  is as casual as a motel, as swank as a boutique hotel, with the charm and personal attention of an inn – including a marvelous continental breakfast.

It also offers the Wildwood BBQ – a casual restaurant that brings BBQ to new culinary heights, specializing in multiple regional variations including Memphis-style, Carolina-style, St. Louis-style spare and baby-back ribs, dry-rubbed or wet, plus the most sensational nachos and skillet cornbread, as well as fish-of-the-day, burgers, sandwiches and salads, presided over by NYC’s Executive Pitmaster “Big” Lou DElrose. The bar is known for its Pina Coladas, Rum Runners and selection of Bourbon.

There is also a Beach Bar where there is live music, a snack shack, and a banquet room accommodating up to 150 people, as well as catered beach functions for as many as 750.

The restaurants and the inn, itself, is managed by BR Guest, which has more than a dozen restaurants in New York City (Blue Fin, Ruby Foos), plus two in Las Vegas, but this is its first in Florida.

The Postcard Inn is a partnership between BR Guest and Starwood Capital Group (we hear they are talking about another Postcard Inn in Key West, Las Vegas or California).

Rates are affordable: $99 in the summer, $189 at the height of tourist season.

For all the right reasons – charm, services, amenities, affordability/value, location – the Postcard Inn on the Beach is  becoming a wedding destination, and is superb family reunion place (they even accommodate pets, 50 lbs. or less, for a $50 pet fee per stay).

Locals can take advantage of its “staycation” deals – special discounts for Florida residents, and a day rate (half the regular rate), enabling you to rent a room up until 5 pm., to use while you are at the beach and enjoying the hotel’s amenities.

In another nice touch, there are vintage-looking postcards which they are happy to post for you.

Here’s mine:

Dear Family: The Postcard Inn is picture-postcard perfect. Wish you were here.

Postcard Inn on the Beach, 6300 Gulf Blvd, St. Pete Beach, FL 33706, 727-367-2711 main line, 800-237-8918 reservations, 727-369-4950 Wildwood, www.postcardinn.com.

See more of our coverage at www.travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate

–Karen Rubin, Travel Features Syndicate