St. Pete, Florida, Is the Latest Bachelorette Occasion Sizzling Spot — Find out how to Plan a Memorable Women Journey

When Tampa, Florida, resident Jessica Venditto was determining the place to plan her bachelorette celebration in late 2023, she didn’t need to look far.

“We needed a metropolis, however not only for barhopping,” mentioned Venditto, who ended up internet hosting her bash simply throughout the bridge in downtown St. Pete, a couple of 30-minute drive from the place she lives.

“There’s extra walkability in St. Pete in comparison with Tampa, and higher resorts,” she added, noting that she and her associates opted to remain on the just lately up to date Vinoy Resort & Golf Membership, Autograph Assortment for the weekend, due to its wonderful pool and spacious suites prime for preparing earlier than hitting the city.

Nice year-round climate, tons of eating places and bars inside strolling distance of a variety of inns, and powder-fine seashores close by have seen St. Pete storm onto the bachelorette celebration scene in recent times.

“In the event you’re in downtown St. Pete on the weekend, you go searching and may’t miss operating into bachelorette events in every single place. It’s turning into increasingly noticeable,” mentioned Brian Lowack, president of Go to St. Pete/Clearwater. “Your complete vacation spot has seen a wide range of new institutions — inns of all sizes, rooftop bars and swimming pools, elevated eating, seaside bars — all locations that lend themselves to enjoyable weekend gatherings with associates.”

Tampa resident Lauren Barnhart launched her enterprise, Tampa Bay Bachelorette, in 2022 after contemplating holding her personal bachelorette celebration in cities like Nashville and Scottsdale (she finally selected the latter) and noticing comparable companies providing planning companies.

And whereas Barnhart’s firm affords itinerary planning and adorning companies throughout the Tampa Bay space, together with in downtown Tampa and Clearwater Seashore, St. Pete inquiries have been notably booming currently. “The vacation spot affords one of the best of each worlds for lots of teams, particularly individuals who need the nightlife of a metropolis, but in addition the seaside,” she mentioned.

In the event you’re planning a bachelorette celebration in St. Pete, right here are some things to know.

Perceive the lay of the land.

“I get lots of teams that don’t perceive the distinction between downtown St. Pete and St. Pete Seashore,” mentioned Barnhart. Downtown St. Petersburg, the place a lot of the bars, eating places, and retailers are clustered, fronts Tampa Bay (which fringes the jap aspect of city). St. Pete Seashore, alternatively, is about an eight-mile (or 20-minute) drive west and refers back to the sandy a part of the equation, with beautiful seashores fronting the Gulf of Mexico.

“Numerous instances, teams find yourself staying at a home or lodge over on the seaside and Uber to downtown for the nightlife,” mentioned Barnhart. Nevertheless, in case your group prefers stepping out to brunch or a bar over the sand, merely reverse that order and plan to mattress down in downtown.

Decide the appropriate keep in your group.

Relating to the place to remain, guests to the world are spoiled for selection. Luxurious resorts in St. Pete Seashore embody The Don CeSar (a.okay.a. the Pink Palace), recognized for its Barbie vibes and full of life pool bar, and The Resort Zamora, with its fashionable rooftop. In downtown St. Pete, in the meantime, take a look at The Vinoy Resort & Golf Membership, Autograph Assortment, retro Hollander Resort, or the brand-new Moxy St. Petersburg Downtown, full with a rooftop pool (and three-room blocks that may be cordoned off in your group). In St. Pete Seashore, Barnhart factors to boutique and retro-inspired properties like The Saint Resort and The Pearl Cabana Membership among the many locations her firm has welcomed bachelorette events.

However Bellwether Seashore Resort has one of the best rooftop of all of the properties alongside the seaside, accessed by a personal elevator and providing 360-degree views of the Gulf of Mexico and Intracoastal Waterway.

It’s also possible to search for a keep barely additional south on the seaside within the charming neighborhood of Move-a-Grille, the place the Berkeley Seashore Membership has a rooftop restaurant, a enjoyable wine bar, suites that may sleep as much as six friends, and easy accessibility to the sand.

Discover the best eating places and bars for a bachelorette celebration.

St. Pete was just lately named the greatest meals metropolis within the U.S., so figuring out the place to dine and clink glasses is half the problem.

Downtown St. Pete — alongside Central Avenue, the Edge District, and the world round Seashore Boulevard — is crammed with bars and eating places. All it’s a must to do is present as much as get the celebration began, particularly Thursday by means of Saturday nights.

Contemplate kicking off the night time early with sushi and karaoke at Good Fortune, the place the Sakura Spritz cocktail is as fairly because it sounds. Lala is one other restaurant and karaoke spot the place you possibly can collect to construct your individual cheese and charcuterie boards earlier than singing all of the bride to be’s favourite songs.

In the event you’re searching for one thing swankier, discover the bar scene at Allelo, a classy Mediterranean restaurant with indoor and outside seating preferrred for people-watching.

Sibling restaurant Juno & The Peacock, a couple of doorways down, simply opened in August 2024 and is gorgeous — the patio, festooned with purple and white umbrellas and French bistro-style chairs, will make you wish to sit with an Aperol spritz and platter of oysters Rockefeller for hours.

Simply subsequent door, Pluma Lounge has Latin American-inspired cocktails impressed by locations like Lima and Tulum, in addition to an attractive setting. One other cool hideaway on Seashore Drive is Helyx Restaurant, positioned inside Strive Wine.

Is your entourage the energetic sort? BYOB to the St. Petersburg Shuffleboard Membership on Friday nights — it’s the world’s largest and oldest shuffleboard membership and a enjoyable scene if you happen to’re desirous to ease into the weekend with one thing low-key.

Watering holes to hit up later within the night time embody Concrete Jungle, with its superior basement bar, and The One Evening Stand, the place you will get a superb snigger whereas tackling the mechanical bull. Additionally bookmark Good Evening John Boy, a 70s-themed bar with a dance flooring, disco ball, and Farah Fawcett poster lording over all of it, and My Wealthy Uncle, which has an 80s theme and all of the enjoyable you’d count on from the period. For a speakeasy scene, head to The Saint and Soiled Laundry.

Get some tradition on the agenda.

Go to The Dali Museum (the on-site cafe serves nice espresso drinks), or plan for excessive tea and a captivating historical past tour at The Vinoy. Channel your internal artist with a inventive glassblowing class on the Morean Arts Heart or Zen Glass Studio & Gallery. And don’t miss a stroll or bike journey to the beautiful reimagined St. Pete Pier, with its public artwork installations, city bay seaside scattered with Adirondack chairs for lounging, and boardwalk.

Hit the seaside in fashion.

Florida’s seashores are recognized for his or her pure magnificence, however you can also make the expertise extra fashionable with a service like The Cabana Membership, which affords non-public themed setups. The spreads include seaside chairs, cabanas, Yeti coolers, sunscreen, mini lockers, Bluetooth audio system, cellphone chargers, and extra, in addition to a seaside concierge service for the setup and breakdown (you possibly can even plan to remain for sundown).

It’s a blast to get off the seaside and out onto the water right here, too. Bach Boats rents pontoons with waterslides, deck boats, and different vessels to take out for the day.

No matter you do, toast early and sometimes to one of the best issues on the market: greatest associates and making recollections for all times.