Are you planning a Clearwater Beach vacation? If so, why not do it in style? With a perfect location just across the street from the beach, a great selection of restaurants and attractions within walking distance, and a spectacular view that can’t be beat, the Wyndham Grand Clearwater Beach in Florida is definitely worth checking out. When even the alarm clocks have their own special features, you know it’s going to be good.
I love a beach getaway! When my husband and I found ourselves kid-free while the girls were at my parent’s house, we decided to take a couple of days and head to Clearwater, Florida. Just a short drive from Tampa, it’s a gorgeous beach town on the Gulf Of Mexico. Since it’s only an hour from our house, it seemed like the perfect choice. We planned to stay at the newly opened Wyndham Grand Clearwater Beach and I couldn’t wait to check it out.
Location
Having just opened in January, 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 Rooms
The rooms were decorated in a coastal style and the light decor made everything look elegant but inviting.
Sometimes hotels will have one small thing that might not seem to mean a lot but is a big deal to me. At the Legoland Bungalows, it was the fact that they had real creamer in the coffee packs. The Wyndham Grand had this awesome feature:
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.
To the right, we had a fantastic view of the bay. It doesn’t get much better than this!
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.
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. By the time I made it downstairs, 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.
The Asian fusion menu includes everything from sushi to seafood, with steak, duck and even vegetarian dishes to choose from. We absolutely loved our 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. For a more in depth review of Ocean Hai, check out 5 Of the Best Places To Eat In Clearwater.
TravelingMom Tip: 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.
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.
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. My girls and I visited recently to experience it for ourselves. They were very excited when they found an Adventure Pack waiting for them in the room.
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
The first thing the girls wanted to do was build their fort. There were three themes to choose from, a cave, a castle or a school and we went for the cave.
This fort was definitely fancier than the one’s we make at home! Next, we grabbed the flashlight to create some fun shadow puppets.
We went out and about for awhile and as soon as we returned, the girls went straight back to the fort! My youngest loved it so much that she actually slept in it that night. The Adventure Pack was clearly a hit.
One thing I really liked about this idea was that even when my phone wasn’t in the lockbox, I was much more conscious about keeping it put away and focusing on our family time. We thoroughly enjoyed our experience and made some great memories. Want to learn more? Check out my full review of the Reconnected Family Experience.
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.
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