This week, Travel Agent met with Brian Kramer, general manager of the upcoming Hyatt Regency Clearwater Beach Resort & Spa on an island just off of Florida's west coast. The property will open in January, but Kramer was able to give enough details to catch our interest.
While Clearwater is not as popular a resort destination as, say, South Beach or Boca Raton, this new Hyatt may change that. The 17-story building will be a combination of privately owned units and hotel rooms-the former on the first eight floors, and the remaining nine for the latter. The hotel side will have 250 all-suite guestrooms across three categories (studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom) with full kitchens that can be pre-stocked before guests arrive. (Kramer said that the kitchens have 168-piece sets all ready for guests to use-don't worry about bringing a spatula!) Chefs and butlers can be provided upon request. (The two-bedroom suites can sleep up to eight people.)
The resort will feature a private beach club open to locals, residents and guests alike (memberships from daily to year-long are available), and the Shore Restaurant seafood grill will feature an open kitchen and 220 seats. In addition to a dynamic pool surrounded by two-room suite-style cabanas (perfect for day-long parties), there will also be a private hot tub on the 16th floor available for private parties.
Clearwater will be an ideal destination for baseball fans in March, as it is located 10 minutes from where the Phillies have their spring training and 25 minutes from the Yankees. (The Toronto Blue Jays are also within driving distance, Kramer said.)
The resort, Kramer said, will be a major part of the revitalization of Clearwater Beach as a whole. Already, the city has put in a new beach walk along the water, and more improvements are in the works. The resort is scheduled to open towards the end of January 2010, and is currently accepting reservations from early February.
Visit www.clearwaterbeach.hyatt.com.
