Postcard Inn on the Beach

St Pete Beach, Tampa and Clearwater/St Pete

Virgin rating

The hotel

Hip and most definitely happenin’, Postcard Inn on the Beach remains true to its surfer-cool, 1950 motel roots. U-shaped with an impressive swimming pool and a grove of mature royal palms at its core, it joins a new wave of stylish hotels at affordable, bound-to-please everybody prices! No two rooms are exactly alike, although all have vintage furniture, flat screen TV, high-speed Internet access and murals or a photographic collage of all things surfing-orientated on the wall. Try some regional American fare for dinner at the Stamps Lobby Bar and Restaurant. There’s also a beach bar and snack shack down by the ocean so you can grab a drink and a hot dog whilst soaking up the sun. Downtown St Petersburg is a few minutes away or spend time at the beach, indulging in a variety of water sports, including that all-important surfing!

Amenities

  • Bicycle Rental
  • Wheelchair access
  • Bar
  • Fitness Centre/Gym
  • Laundry Service
  • Restaurant
  • Safety Deposit Box
  • Swimming Pool
  • Beachfront location
  • Close to Beach

Where is it

In a prime location, directly on St Pete Beach, just minutes from downtown and its many attractions. Distance from Tampa International Airport: 30 miles. 

Hotel information

196 rooms on 2 floors. All rooms with air-conditioning, flat-screen TV, WiFi, coffee maker, safe, hairdryer, iron and board on request. Classic King rooms are located on the quiet perimeter of Postcard Inn, have a seating area and 1 king-size bed, sleeping maximum 2 adults.

Classic Double Queen have 2 queen-size beds, sleeping maximum 4 adults. 

Garden View Rooms are on the garden side of the hotel, with 1 king-size or 2 queen-size beds, sleeping maximum 4 adults or 2 adults and 2 children.

Poolside Rooms have a patio connected to the pool area, with 1 king-size or 2 queen beds, microwave and fridge, sleeping maximum 4 adults or 2 adults and 2 children.

All attractions can be easily reached by hire car or local transport. The hotel is located on the beach which is a short walk from your guest room. Complimentary self-parking.

Stamps Lobby Bar and Restaurant, Beach Bar & Snack Shack (open for breakfast, lunch and dinner), P.S. Grind (coffee shop).

Large heated pool. Fitness centre. Ping pong and pool table. Beach volleyball. Bicycle rental*. Suncoast Watersports*.

Complimentary WiFi throughout the hotel.

This hotel has a resort fee of $45 plus tax per room, per day (payable locally, subject to change)

Resort fee includes: - WiFi access - parking for one car - 2 bottles of water - Access to the gym (on property). Resort fee, tax and inclusions are subject to change - please see hotel check-in for current inclusions available to you upon arrival.

Wheelchair accessible rooms available on request. Please note that these rooms are subject to availability and may be restricted to specific room categories and bedding arrangements. Rooms and facilities vary between hotels so please check at the time of booking. For more information and contact details please check out our Special Assistance page

* Denotes local charge.

Minimum check-in age is 21 years.

Rating summary

  • Location Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Sleep Quality Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Rooms Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Service Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Value Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Cleanliness Image of the Tripadvisor rating

Traveller rating

  • Excellent (1248)
  • Very good (334)
  • Average (258)
  • Poor (149)
  • Terrible (210)
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Dissapointed

Jul 26, 2024 Climber774776

pretty disappointing. I have seen ads for this place for a few years, looked like it was my style, beachy and relaxed, but nice. prices weren’t what i would consider cheap but we thought we’d be getting a more upscale boutique experience. Our room was located on the parking lot side, which was fine - that’s what we paid for when booking… Read more
pretty disappointing. I have seen ads for this place for a few years, looked like it was my style, beachy and relaxed, but nice. prices weren’t what i would consider cheap but we thought we’d be getting a more upscale boutique experience. Our room was located on the parking lot side, which was fine - that’s what we paid for when booking (garden deluxe?) and we were allowed to check in early as some family had already been staying on property. Our room really didn’t look anything like the photos, bare walls, bathroom was just gross - tile was actually painted over from being blue to white and was peeling in many places along with mildew in cracks and faucet was very old and leaked. the room was def beat up. every surface was scratched and dinged and broken-not kidding like this place is obviously a PARTY hotel. reminded me of daytona in the 90s. our last day i went to put the towels from the bath in a pile and a big roach crawled out so i got to spend 30 mins chasing it around and killed so we could finsh packing without bringing it home. The beach, pool and outside areas besides the sidewalk along the outside of the hotel were tidy and employees were nice. We rented a cabana because it was unbearably hot in july and the pool was so warm i couldn’t get cooled off (i’m a floridian and it was crazy hot). Ladies at the bar were super nice, prices not terrible. Lots of people in the pool, half seemed like they were there for batchelor parties the other half families. People had their own boomboxes, coolers, alcohol and food which i was not expecting and made for an interesting atmosphere. overall i probably would not pick this place again when visiting because i prefer a more relaxing and clean atmosphere (i am by no means a neat freak but i thought it was just unacceptable as a whole). I’ve since read on the weekends they host huge parties so i would be advised. (also not against them but i feel like they don’t make it clear it’s a party place in their advertising) . Oh one last thing i forgot to mention the lobby is adorable but smelled so bad like sewer, like a porta potty both times i went in- i’m from FL i know places can have water issues but it was a really gross first impression Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Beachfront and Clean, but a Mixed Bag of Pros and Cons

Jul 21, 2024 Expedition696709

I'll start out on a positive note with the good things about the hotel. The parking is free and the hotel is located is a convenient area with loads of restaurants within easy walking distance. The lobby area of the hotel is spacious and bright with fun décor and the front desk staff were friendly. Check-in/out was quick and easy. The courtyard… Read more
I'll start out on a positive note with the good things about the hotel. The parking is free and the hotel is located is a convenient area with loads of restaurants within easy walking distance. The lobby area of the hotel is spacious and bright with fun décor and the front desk staff were friendly. Check-in/out was quick and easy. The courtyard and large pool area are nice and appear well-maintained. The beach area was very clean and not overly crowded. While you ARE able to get two lounge chairs per room for the beach, most guests (including us) did not seem to take advantage of this since you are not permitted to take them past a very short distance- which was at least 50+ yards from the shoreline- and we were not allowed to set up the small sun shade we brought with us. The beds were comfortable, and though the rooms did not have a coffee pot or microwave available upon arrival, we asked for and received a microwave and expresso machine at no additional charge. The employee, Juan, who brought us the extra items we requested, was very polite and congenial. The parts we didn't love were the room itself and the stairwells/walkways. The walls were bare and missing the cute postcard motif that are pictured in all the photos online. We asked about this, and were told that all of the décor was removed in preparation for remodeling. While the remodeling appears to be much needed and LONG overdue, it was disappointing that we were not informed of this when we booked the room or at any time prior to our arrival. My husband asked to change rooms while my son and I were out in search of food because our initial room had a large crack and water stain on the ceiling. We ended up paying $15 extra a night for a room overlooking the courtyard and my husband requested assistance moving our luggage since he has had back surgery. The only person available for assistance had his arm in a sling and no one mentioned that there were luggage carts available or offered any further help or suggestions. While the rooms were reasonably clean, they were incredibly shabby (and not in a chic or charming way). The furniture was scuffed, chipped and very warn and the standing tripod lamp did not work. The bedspread on one bed had a stain on it, the reception on the television was spotty, the enamel in the tub was chipped and the shower head was loose. The shower was a whole ordeal in and of itself. I have never been in a hotel in which I didn't have to even turn on the cold water. The water pressure was weak, and the bottles of shower gel/shampoo were half empty and looked like they had been there for a while. One of the floor tiles near the bed was loose and once there was a little sand on the floor it transformed the floor into a mini ice-skating rink, leading us to opt for bare feet or risk wiping out. Overall, we wanted a beachfront hotel that was clean and affordable, and the Postcard Inn delivered in that respect. I wasn't expecting a stylish boutique hotel, but the rooms were still rather disappointing and the shower was all kinds of wrong. Most people don't go to the beach to hang out in their room, so we just found our ambience elsewhere. Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Cheap on the beach

Jul 20, 2024 Frank S

Dated property about to be remodeled. Fairly decent weekend price under $200 on the beach. Tiki bar open late was nice. Free parking nice perk. No coffee machine in room. Bathroom great for midgets. Room not like photos on booking site. Booked via Trip Advisor.
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Needs major renovation NOW!!

Jul 16, 2024 Webb S Birch Vale, United Kingdom

We arrived here on 6th July after a delayed flight from New York around 1am, so we were very tired. Check in was good and fairly quick. Beware of very expensive resort fees, not sure why they have to charge so much for this establishment as you don't really get any services for the fees?? We had booked 2 deluxe king rooms. Firstly, let me tell… Read more
We arrived here on 6th July after a delayed flight from New York around 1am, so we were very tired. Check in was good and fairly quick. Beware of very expensive resort fees, not sure why they have to charge so much for this establishment as you don't really get any services for the fees?? We had booked 2 deluxe king rooms. Firstly, let me tell you they are NOT deluxe. The rooms were large but extremely dated, no decor/pictures on the walls and very dark. Very old noisy fridge in the room with a horrible musty smell in the room. Bathroom was very dated and the bath was yellow as was the shower curtain, absolutely awful! The rooms overlooked the carpark. If you are put in these rooms you will not be happy! I requested to be moved which they agreed to do the next day. We had to pay for the upgrade but there was no way we were staying in the awful rooms they had originally given us. The next day we were told that the upgraded rooms would be available in the afternoon so we didn't unpack our luggage. I must have gone to or text reception more than 10 times during the afternoon to see if the rooms were ready and kept being told it will be another 10 minutes or so. We eventually got in the rooms around 7pm! However, the pool king deluxe rooms were so much better! Again, rooms were very large and spacious, beds were comfortable and overlooked the pool area. Bathroom was more modern with walk in shower and more spacious etc. Fridge was quiet and there was a microwave. However, these rooms are not perfect, but far far better than the rooms overlooking the car park. The drawers in our upgraded rooms were dated and chipped in areas and the handles were loose but we were pleased overall with these rooms. Please be aware that this hotel is lovely and quiet during the week but Friday to Sunday is very busy with young people and it's party central with very loud music from around 1pm until late which really got on our nerves after 3 hours or so. This hotel sells day passes for the young locals who can use the facilities all day, so very loud and very busy! Ok, the positives...breakfast was good and staff very attentive and friendly. Reception staff are helpful but only ever two staff on reception which made things slow! The hotel has a surf vibe which we love and we loved the VW camper vibe too! There's lots of local Restaurants to try as well, Ricks Reef is a must and also Slyce pizza right next to the hotel. We also tried Boulevard burgers and Taphouse which is great. Pool area: comfy sunbeds and parasols are available and pool was lovely but needed to be cooler as it was so hot whilst we were there. Free iced water and lemonade was also available. Waitress would come round and take drinks and food orders which was great. The pool edge was cracked in two areas which could cause a nasty cut if not seen and this needs to be addressed. Garden and pool areas were very clean. We didn't get our bed made every day but fresh towels were left every day. Overall in our opinion this hotel needs a major renovation/update but the location is amazing right on the beach. The beach bar was good as well, nice drinks freshly made. The food from the snack bar was good too. Would we stay here again? If left in the state it is now, absolutely not, but if renovated this could be a great hotel in a perfect location. Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Awful Experience

Jul 12, 2024 Suzette M Brandon, Florida

I booked 3 different rooms. Spent over 800$ to have a room with No AC, which they gave us a floor fan in the middle of summer in Florida. I complained and I was not asking for a full refund but at least half and they denied it. I typically never right bad reviews but this is unacceptable having NO A/C on a room that I paid over 500$ . So please be… Read more
I booked 3 different rooms. Spent over 800$ to have a room with No AC, which they gave us a floor fan in the middle of summer in Florida. I complained and I was not asking for a full refund but at least half and they denied it. I typically never right bad reviews but this is unacceptable having NO A/C on a room that I paid over 500$ . So please be aware of this before you book. Read less