Thunderbird Beach Resort

IF YOURE GOING TO READ ANY REVIEW LET IT BE THIS ONE! My family and I have been coming to the Thunderbird for 17 years. We stay in the same rooms every year. If I could give this place 10 stars I absolutely would. I’ve seen it transform into the place I love to call my second home. The staff ALWAYS goes above and beyond. In our many years of coming here we’ve never had a bad experience, so that should tell you a lot. The bartender Cupcake is so loving and welcoming. One of the staff members Tiffany is also such a kind soul. She always has made sure we had everything we needed during our stay. I can’t say enough about this place clearly! When you are here, you are family and it has been so evident. There’s a reason why so many people end up coming back year after year! It’s one of the only hotels that’s kept its “vintage” look while keeping it modern which I think makes it such a homey place.

Google says you are temporarily closed. When will you open back up? I stayed here about 15 years ago and loved it! We are traveling back to the area in August and would love to stay here again!!

I would like to start by saying I don’t do the whole overly critical bad review thing (or reviews in general) ever. We looked at booking this place for our wedding this upcoming spring, however it is very apparent this place is struggling with cash flow and is in need of every cent. First the venue comes in at a very competitive price so that was intriguing. We booked a date with them for 8 days total- 8months out from our date. We canceled our reservation when we realized they will quote unrealistic figures and stair step the quotes up after the fact,(there’s much nicer resorts for an actual beach wedding that’s not 400yards to the water, on Sanibel island that’s the same dollar amount on a side note) however the reason for the bad review is their business practice or lack there of, We did not have a credit card deposit form that stated non refundable, it clearly says nothing about it. That was signed by myself… with my credit card information attached… However after you cancel they will then tell you it’s non refundable, after attempts to speak with the GM it was met with silence and “we apologize”. Mind you this was a total of 8 days booked-8months out… for a Tuesday wedding. No work had been put in and nobody else looking to book this worn out motel was turned away. To all other destination wedding couples- I would 1000% look else where (Sanibel island), in hindsight their 1 star reviews about cleanliness should be enough to steer you away, prior to reading this about them being hard up for cash and lack of professionalism. Hopefully they needed the $525.00 for payroll at least or something, it probably should go to house keeping- because it definitely seems like they needed it more then we did- obviously 500 bucks is not the end of the world, it’s just the principle at this point. Judging by the other reviews hopefully it’s used it for some commercial cleaning supplies.

We loved this place and stayed for 3 nights before being evacuated due to Hurricane Helene. nobody actually told us and were on our way out for the day but decided to check with reception to make sure it was OK to stay and were then told we had to mandatory evacuate. from what we did see and experience were nice rooms, lovely views and great location. good atmosphere in tje tiki hut and libe music. lots of free parking. i would definately return and hope they recover from Helene reopen soon.

We stayed at this hotel for our anniversary. At first we thought we were gonna have to leave because apparently even if you book a month in advance for a gulf front room or any room for that matter it’s FIRST COME FIRST SERVE. So beware that you may show up and your room Is given to someone else which makes no sense at all if you booked a room. On that note, I did tell Precious; the front desk clerk that it was our anniversary and the ground level room was not private as you step out of your glass sliding door on the patio to a public walkway and chairs for guests hanging out by the bar. No privacy at all and we would really like a balcony room for more privacy. She listened to my request and upgraded us to the efficiency at no extra cost. The rooms are very nice, clean, and updated which was wonderful! The place is old and they are repairing things as we speak. There was construction going on, but that didn’t affect our stay. We stayed during the 4th of July as that is our actual anniversary day and we enjoyed the live music and fireworks right on the beach! It was a great time. No one got crazy or obnoxiously drunk and it is a very kid friendly place as well. It is a bit overpriced with how old the place is and how far you gotta walk to even see the beach, but overall we had a wonderful time and made great memories! Check out my pics so you can see the distance of the beach from the hotel and gulf front rooms.

A bit run down, but fun and colorful and very lively! The staff was fantastic and friendly. Our suite was great, but it was at the end of the building and the AC was very challenged to keep up with August heat. The hotel quickly checked it was running and brought us some fans, but we had a couple of uncomfortable nights. Also the restaurant was being renovated, so no food on property during our stay. I’m sure it’ll be great.

Wonderful step back into time at an updated retro motel. We booked a regular room and was upgraded to a suite. Watch out if booked through a third party, you won't get a deposit fee instead a motel fee you don't get back. Other than that, we had a wonderful time and the room was clean. We didn't see any bugs while there. It's ocean side. 2 pools and hot tub. Other things to do as well. They also have live entertainment every day so prepare yourself for the music until about 11 each night. We enjoyed it.. the music, the beach front/pool side suite, friendly staff also made it more enjoyable. We plan on returning.

Very dated and the pool was a bit dirty but overall the rooms were decent and they had a great bar and party setting. The beach was nice as well. The service from the female bartender was amazing. She was the best part. So funny and friendly. The price was high for what it's worth IMO.

This was our second trip to the Thunderbird Beach Resort. The first was in 2018 and we returned for another stay at the end of May 2021. What we love most about the Thunderbird is that it is an old motel (1950s?) that has been completely refurbished but kept its charm in the process. From the moment you pull in to the Thunderbird, you can't help but see the massive neon sign right out of 1950! The motel is 3 floors in a u-shape that faces toward the beach. In the 'U' are beautiful grounds lush with palms and tropical plantings and of course, a swimming pool. There is a small poolside hut that serves as a bar and a seating area/patio that lines the boardwalk where live music plays daily starting in the afternoon and going into the evening around 8 or 9 pm. We noticed on our last visit that there seems to be quite a following. Guests seem to know each other - possibly meeting here at the same time each year to relive memories? We like the outdoor entrances to the rooms and each has two chairs and a little table to sit in the breezeway overlooking the pool so you can listen to live music and see the action. There were quite a few seniors dancing to some old tunes being played. They were too cute. I won't lie, we were very entertained when a lady in her 60s got a little too close to the pool, drank a little too much and took an unexpected dip to cool off. She was fine and laughed it off. Never a dull moment! The rooms are clean and comfortable and we love the little kitchen with the 2-seat dinette that folds down from the wall. It is just enough to do what you need to do to make meals in room. There is a small fridge, microwave, 2-burner stove and oven. The sink area is stocked with a small bottle of soap, two dish cloths, dish towels and then basic pots/pans/flatware/plates/cups, etc. There is also a toaster and coffee maker. The Publix market is within walking distance a block away. Beach towels are provided and the beach is steps away. This area of Treasure Island has an extremely wide beach so be prepared for your walk to the water. We liked that there were a couple of cabana companies on this stretch of the beach. We rented one for $30 for the day which included 4 lawn chairs and the big yellow adjustable dome cabana. Well worth the money...Florida sun is intense, even in May! Surf Style is directly across the street from the motel if you need anything beach related. But...might I recommend going a little north of Surf Style, just 1/2 a block to the little mom and pop beach store, 'Pirate's Cove' that carries beach toys, hats, shirts, etc. for less than the Surf Style corporation?! The paved boardwalk runs between the hotels and the beach. Its a great walk in the early morning with lots of walkers, runners, bikes and maybe even a skater. Be sure when you book your room that you designate ground floor or 2nd floor or beach view, etc. Last visit, we were ground floor at the pool. Was great for my swimming kids. This visit we were on the 2nd floor overlooking the pool, the entertainment and were able to see the beach. We liked this better. Would definitely recommend if you are looking for a smaller establishment to stay in vs. a high rise condo or hotel.

Where do I start? Pulled up to TBirds, and it was a step back in time. 60's-70's for sure. I imagined the "old" money. Maybe Steve McQueen, Sinatra, perhaps even a Kennedy stayed here at one time. So I thought, Ok, kind of cool. The parking lot is small, tight and nearly unmanageable. Then I went inside. Lobby is small, it would be cool if they had a gathering room/space. Inside our room it was a little small, beds are not that great. The bathroom toilet tended to shift. Zero water pressure in the bathroom sink, hot is cold, cold is cold, and the shower water went from cold to blazing hot and back and forth. The floor seemed uneven also inside the room. Outside; the pool was adequate, they are on the beach. Everyday there is music and ALL the musicians were really good. Even the "hotdog" cart, "JB's" was excellent snack. A small bar area, could do with a much bigger space. The resort is located next to everything, food, shopping, close by excursions. The staff was GREAT-all of them. It is not cheap. So this is a tough one. Location A-1, Staff A-1, Music A-1, the building itself, C/C- . I enjoyed my time, would I stay here again, depends?

Born and raised in St Pete, I have a list of hotels on my bucket list I've wanted to stay at. Finally able to cross off Thunderbird! We got an AMAZING deal on a travel site the first week of October and were able to stay Monday-Friday. I was expecting a standard room, but we were upgraded to one of the newly renovated kitchenette suites and it was perfect. Loved the tiki bar and the live music by the pool. Two different singers everyday. It was the perfect beach atmosphere! The hotel gives guests pool towels during your stay so that was nice. Plenty of restaurants in walking distance, we only had to use the car a couple times while we were there. Thunderbird is on the beach, but being Treasure Island, it is a bit of a walk to the beach, but that's not a big deal. There is an added resort fee per day that I wish I had known about when we booked, but with the deal I got I still paid way less than I was expecting. This hotel has 2 pools and a hot tub. The smaller pool was closed while we were there, but since it was off season and during the week, we had no trouble finding chairs by the pool. The perfect vacation/staycation spot for sure!

OK - RESORT FEE. Just got hit - 35 PER PERSON per day. Never staying here after again - the fee makes it same price as nice, quiet condo or a better quality hotel. Lost a star for that.

My nephew and now niece got married there this weekend it was the best time ever. Clyde and his staff were amazing from the bartenders to the servers to the wedding people they were amazing everyone had a wonderful time they came from outside of Orlando my husband and I live down here and it was great great wedding destination brunch was fabulous this morning dinner was awesome last night wedding was perfect couldn't have asked for a better venue thank you to the whole staff at Bilmar

Loved the staff!! Andrew & Precious are amazing!! Andrew went really went out of his way to make my trip the best it could've been. Polly in laundry is a doll. So kind & helpful. Guests really need to learn hotel & pool etiquette.

This "resort" was in a great location! I loved the ambiance with the live music every day, and the cute tiki bar. We didn't go once (because we're not big drinkers), but loved that it was there:) On the first day we arrived, a cleaning person asked me a question and I had to answer his phone (which was translating my answer to spanish). Although we didn't expect daily cleaning, he said that the room would be cleaned each day. They came at different times and provided towels, but the tub and sink were never cleaned. One day, they never came at all. Once I used the kitchen rag, they never replaced it. The bathroom was tiny and had no fan, and the toilet paper too thin. The TV had only old programming and the only thing recent was news. There was also some loud construction and early wake-ups because of noise. This 1950s "resort" has a lot of potential, and I was grateful to hear that new outdoor furniture was coming the following week! Would I stay again? Probably not. CTP

We were very impressed by the Thunderbird! the rooms were really nice, and the way the resort is laid out around the pool area was great for hanging out with friends. The staff were very friendly and helpful, and as an added bonus, the Iki Woo Woo Tiki Bar (love that name!) had great live music. would not hesitate to return.

We stayed here because we booked spring break late and this was one of the only vacancies. Pros On the beach. Yes, it's a long walk to the water but that's fine with me. I'm still on the beach. Staff is very friendly. My room has a kitchenette. Dated but everything works. My room is clean. Air conditioner works well. The grounds are pretty. They have a pool and hot tub (which I didn't use), a bar, daily live entertainment, and towel service. Cons They have had to turn the water off for a period of time for the last two days. There are ants in my kitchenette. I'll take ants because I met another guest who said she had to move rooms because of a cockroach infestation. And I mean those big bad boys - palmettos. The beds are not great. I can feel the springs but, as another reviewer wrote, I am not sore in the morning. Pillows are pretty lumpy.

Thunderbird is located at the perfect location if you are wanting to stay on the beach and still have quick access to downtown St. Petersburg. We spent 5 nights here in early October and thoroughly enjoyed the stay. The price was very reasonable since this is an older but well maintained property. Clean and comfy rooms, pool, tiki bar, attached Italian restaurant, free parking, and on the beach! My only complaint is that it can be loud. The acoustics are terrible and the music and party noises from the bar and pool echo up from the courtyard.

I'll start off by saying I absolutely used to love the Thunderbird... I grew up in St. Petersburg, Florida... And the Thunderbird was a getaway to the beach. It was nice. Had the awesome tiki bar, had the restaurant. I always had very fond memories of this place. So of course during vacation from out of state I booked one night after Thunderbird. Is was s Saturday night which of course is busier than most nights. Upon checking in the front desk staff was quite rude... Very impatient... Acted as if we were bothering them by just simply checking in. The rooms were somewhat clean but definitely not up to standards... The bathrooms are extremely outdated.. and the hotel itself smelled around all the areas. The next day we decided to go ahead and stay another night and have my kids stay with us... Of course, we checked in with the front desk and requested that they could clean up the room a little bit and give us a couple more towels since we were having two more guest join us. The other lady at the front desk again... extremely rude. Very bothered by us even visiting the front desk. We hung out at the pool the entire day watching and waiting for the cleaning person to come clean the room... Which never happened. We checked in with the front desk to ask if they were going to come and they kept assuring us that someone would come. Not to mention they started remodeling several rooms near the pool was very loud jackhammers while family members were trying to enjoy their time swimming and enjoying the sun at the tiki bar. Finally, at around 4:30 p.m. a lot of the cleaning people had left by now so we went back up to the office and again the lady at the front desk was now even more rude. A different cleaning person who was not finished with her job on the other side of the hotel decided to come clean the room and provide extra towels. Needless to say I will never stay at the Thunderbird ever again. The staff is extremely disrespectful and rude... Customer service is most definitely not their priority and they don't treat customers the way they should be treated.

INoisy with crony baby boomer singers. This is a party place, not conducive to the middle aged. There was a grotesque bitten off finger or toe nail that never got removed thorough our stay-I am highly enjoying ny house now. Parking was terrible. They utilize prison air conditoning. Resort fee-if. I was not stressed out from the plane ride, I would have told them good riddance. The pool was closed off with crime scene tape, and was terribly firth with sand. Maid service was non existent. To top it off, there was a resort fee of 35 dollars per day per person, and they gave us to bottled waters and two beach towels. The location was great but I got the opportunity to listen to people tailing about the benefits of fentanyl vs. heroin. I recommend a chain hotel versus this place. The alleged RESORT FEE was the tipping point. The room was full of toxic mold. The price was high, and there was mold behind the painted over wood paneling.

We had a fantastic stay at the Thunderbird! The employees were very friendly and helpful (special shout-out to Anthony for all his help!). The location couldn't be beat, right on the beach and walking distance from some of our favorite restaurants! And the room was perfect for our trip! We are definitely planning on coming back to visit the Thunderbird.

Great for spring breakers, not great for families. Indra is an amazing customer service provider that will ensure that you are satisfied!

Never will I stay there again!!! I have been going to the Thunderbird for 15 years and this was by far the worst stay ever. Let's start off with the front desk being very unprofessional and Ghetto as hell! The hotel has definitely gone down hill. Rooms are dirty and the pool was disgusting. No maintenance what's so ever. My room had ants and no one did anything about it other then they told me I can go to the office for bug spray and do it myself. The property was so dirty it makes me sad to see this place go so down hill. The bartenders were great no complaint there.

Priceline booked us the wrong type which was not the hotel's fault. However, they did not try to fix the situation, even when the correct room type became available. They told us 'too bad, next time book directly with us'.

I booked a room for my sister's bachelorette party in October because the location was perfect. This hotel is right at the end of the Treasure Island Causeway and has easy beach access. It's an old hotel, but the rooms have been renovated. There are limited rooms with a balcony that have a gulf view but I was able to snag one for the occasion. There's a small pool and a tiki bar area with touristy drinks. Upon check in, the front desk worker was kind of unpleasant in describing the parking situation. The rest of our stay was pretty nice. It's a quiet hotel with your basic amenities and the rooms are on the smaller side. I'd stay here again during the off season with a deal otherwise it can be pricey. Keep in mind there is a resort fee that's charged when you check out.

Is it old? Yes. Is it iconic? Yes. Is it little kitschy old Floridan. Yes. Yes. But the best yes I'd that it's a good deal, especially for us local Floridian-Tamanians. Good enough pool for the kids. Short access to the beach. Good dining (although not that cheap) but great bar service! The kid that gets you drunk with your kids in the pool. Speaking for a friend.

This place is so chill, clean, and amazing. The staff is so nice and the best I have encountered. It's also right next to the beach with live music. Marc and Patti are great!

Such a great fun place! It is not fancy, but rooms are clean and have all you need, well kept pretty grounds, nice pool, fun Tiki bar, daily live music, great location (so much within walking distance), and super AWESOME and friendly staff!

The location does not get better than this! The hotel is right on the beach and the beach is not too busy. The hotel room was nice and clean and the staff was helpful and friendly, but non-intrusive. Beware of the thin walls if you plan on getting hot and heavy, but then again who is judging at a beachside resort? Looking forward to returning as soon as we can!

My experience at the Thunderbird as great, perfect customer service, beautiful view, and friendly people! Their was bit of sand in our room but it didnt really affect us. I lov how you could just walk to the beach from your room! Tons of walk to stores. We loved our stay, and if we go to Florida again, we will definitely stay there again!

Excellent Property, entertainment and bar right-on the board walk, small but excellent dining cafe! Right on sunset beach that's Internationally known for sand sculpture, starting on Thanksgiving.

Going into this, I knew the Thunderbird was an old hotel... It's a staple in treasure Island. With that being said, the photos that they have on their website portraying what the rooms look like is in no way an accurate representation of what they offer. The sleeping area of our room was nice enough, aside from the lamps being kind of rusty and flickering. The bathroom area and kitchen however, were an utter disappointment. The tiles are All yellow and the appliances do not fit in there framed areas. The walls are thin and you can hear every word said in your neighbors room. The sliding mirrors that serve as closet doors are on such old tracks that they no longer slide. As far as customer service goes, about two hours after we checked in the key card to our room was not working. The front desk clerk asked me to come down and try another key. When that key did not work they told me I would have to wait for maintenance in order to get into my room. The maintenance man arrived and asked me for my keys at which point he put them in his mouth to hold while he was trying to work on the door key reader. After having to enter our room through our neighbors adjoining door in order to let us in he told me to talk to the manager about our concerns with the room and our frustration about the door breaking. Upon check out I asked the woman behind the counter very nicely if she wouldn't mind waving the $30 resort fee considering all of the things above and the fact that I had to wait outside my room with all of my beach items for 30 minutes before I could even get in to my own room where my personal belongings were. She looked at me and told me it was only 30 minutes and she would give me half. When I asked her to please reconsider waving the entire fee she rolled her eyes and said "fine I'll waive it "and then looked right past me and asked the next guy in line how she could help him. When I asked to speak to a Manager, she said she was one so I could not take my new issue any further up the chain. Aside from those things and the pool having mold around the inside edge all the way around, the grounds themselves are pretty nice. The tiki bar and live music helped distract from the other issues... And not to mention the convenient Beach Access right outside from the bar. The issues weren't enough to ruin my weekend but we're significant enough to cause some distraction when I was supposed to be there relaxing.

Absolutely the worst hotel. Sheets were dirty and full of sand! When I called the front desk Bradly told us we cam come get new sheets and change them ourselves. The sheets we were given were also dirty and all he could say was we can speak to a manger tomorrow and there was nothing else he could do. We were then told by the security guard that maybe we need to go to a better hotel, like a five star one if we want cleaner sheets. We then made the decision to pack up and drive 2 hrs back home. They are dirty and dont care about their customers. We were also told the manager will tell us the same thing he did...

Great place to stay while you are in St Pete area! Right on beach with seating around pool and as you can sit out by pool see the ocean as well. The beaches here are beautiful - white sand and it is the bay side - so no big waves (if you are looking to surf, might want to look elsewhere). Hotel has excellent Italian restaurant - we went there 3x - had eggplant parm and lasagna - real good! They also have live music every night (played 80s, reggae, good variety and good singers by the Tiki Bar - so grab a cocktail, enjoy the music and watch the sun go down! Rooms have wood floors and place could use new paint but still worth it for location and great vibe! Had the best stay - would go again! Also close to museums and other restaurants!

This is basically a redneck motel that happens to be located on the beach... You can tell that they have tried to sprucin up the rooms but it's basically like putting lipstick on a pig, it's still a pig! From the time I checked in I was greeted with attitude and an unfriendly demeanor... then I went to grab dinner and returned to get settled, upon entering the room one of our smoke detectors was making a loud buzz every 30 seconds, I thought oh this is no big deal it must just need batteries... Called down to Kiki at the desk who dispatched maintenance, and eventually here comes their security guard "Jared" who totally acted drunk, and proceeded to stand on top of one of our beds with his shoes on.... I was like ummmmm no.... someone has to sleep there, he got hysterical with me told me he had no ladder and left without fixing the problem.... when I called back down to the desk I was more or less told too bad, live with the beeping and call management in the morning! After a restless night, we explored the beach the next day... pretty spot! However, beach YES, this motels pool, NO.... as I overheard another guest say in the ocean, if he had a small cut on his foot, he would have been scared to end up with some flesh eating bacteria.... does that say it all? Lipstick on a pig, bad attitudes, drunk security guard.... I won't be back!!!

Pool closed. Been coming for a long time but starting to go down hill. Love the rooms and atmosphere but really need to improve in some areas.

We got a good price for this place through an online booking but were very disappointed with the quality. Both of the pools were filthy, could not see to the bottom. I understand a busy weekend but we were there 5 nights and they were not cleaned while we were there. The beach was fantastic and the location for the shore is absolutely wonderful. Everything in the suite was in working condition just very poor quality. The beds and bed sheets were on par with a low quality motel. I think it used to be a family owned business and we were kind of excited about the retro style but it did not have a family vibe at all. People were smoking heavily outside their rooms on the shared balcony and the smell overtook the pool and everything surrounding it. We had a non-smoking room but every time we opened the door it was in our face. I absolutely will not return to this location.

My mom and I vacationed here end of February, early March. We traveled from snowy Colorado and were excited to be at the beach. Online, you can tell the thunderbird is by the beach but we were not anticipating the 700 steps it took to actually make it to the ocean from our hotel. When we arrived for check in we were pleasantly surprised by the property and found our room to be comfortable. The court yard and pool area were very nice, but the restaurant onsite has been shut down by the health department and the tiki bar is always filled with drunks. The days and nights that followed our arrival, things just kept getting weird. Maid service was not allowed. If you needed trash taken out, more toilet paper or clean towels you had to find a maid yourself. Our floor in our room became filthy and filled with sand after walking on the beach (which is why we came) when we asked if a maid could come clean it the front desk staff replied with, "we can give you a mop and bucket and you can do it yourself." Although the rooms appear to be redone, the bathrooms are rather small, only one person at a time and there is no counter space around the sink, so plan to use the desk as a vanity if you need to do you hair and makeup. We found the other guests that were staying at the hotel to be very rowdy, constantly drinking, up all hours of the night in the hot tub with beer cans all over the place. Almost every room faces the pool, so it can be very noisy at night when people are down in the hot tub. We would often wake up to the pool deck being trashed, used towels everywhere, people's underwear on chairs, alcohol bottles and cans on tables. It usually was not cleaned up until later in the morning. Worst part of our stay was the homeless man that appeared to be living in one of the rooms down by the pool deck. He would come out and try to talk to guests all day long, to the point of harassment. We made several complaints to the hotel staff and the seemed as though they couldn't be bothered by it. Finally, the day before we were leaving, two police officers showed up and removed him from his room. It was very uncomfortable to be walking around the property at night knowing he was living there. I'm not sure we will ever return to the Thunderbird. After addressing our issues with front desk staff and letting them know we were unhappy with the service and other guests (homeless man) they didn't seem to care and acted as if we were being too dramatic. It's too bad that management does not take more pride in the property and care about the people who are paying money to use it. The Thunderbird could be a very nice hotel. Pros: Great location, walking distance to everything Fairly nice rooms and comfortable beds Great pool area and courtyard Cons: POOR customer service Unfriendly hotel staff No maid service whatsoever Hotel seems to draw a rowdy crowd Homeless people apparently are allowed to stay here Walk to the ocean is a bit farther than they portray on their website Bathrooms are too small, no counter space

I just returned a few days ago from a lovely stay at the Thunderbird Resort but I have a confession: it was not my first choice of accommodations. Having never been in this area before I relied on online reviews for most everything we did and where we stayed. My first choice was the Bungalows (see that review) but after that didn't work out the Thunderbird was my second choice and final destination. Everything happens for a reason and I'm so glad the Bungalows wasn't where we ened up. When we finally did arrive in this area and ultimately saw where the Bungalows was located had we booked there we surely would not have had the same wonderful experience. The Thunderbird is located right on the beach and in the middle of everything. We were able to walk to the grocery store, several restaurants, the bus stops, several bars, a drugstore, several clothing stores, and a great ice cream shop - all within 5 minutes of the hotel. With that being said if you do stay here and have a spot for your car STAY THERE. Something we did not know prior was there is more rooms than spaces and spaces are first come, first serve. The bus offers $5/pp all day passes and there is a free (for tips) taxi service (see photo). There is also public beach access lots in both directions several blocks away for a fee, but neither accommodates overnight parking. Also note that check in is at 4pm and not the standard 3pm, although they will allow early check in if the room is available. Now for the lowdown on the accommodations themselves. The lobby was small and understated but that's ok because the grounds were beautiful and well maintained. The rooms were spacious and fully equipped. The lobby has two computers for guests' use and the staff are friendly and familiar and eager to provide information on the area. An Italian restaurant rents space from the hotel and is across from the lobby. We did not eat there because I felt the prices were a bit high - especially the buffet breakfast that was $13.99/pp that offered maybe 6 selections! There is also free wifi that for the most part worked well but there were times we were not able to access it. Our room had a fully equipped kitchen complete with stove, microwave, fridge, coffeemaker, and all dishes/cleaning supplies. With the Publix a block away it was easy to whip up affordable breakfasts and lunches to allow more money in our budget for the fun stuff. In addition to the kitchen which had a quant vintage look to it was an equally vintage bathroom. What I especially liked about this hotel was they kept the vintage details that were charming and attractive and worked in renovations that complimented the old without looking dated or like two different spaces. Also included in the room was a safe, a flat screen tv, and some of the most comfortable bedding I've ever experienced. Our room was professionally decorated and had upgraded features not standard in other hotels; plantation shutters, crown molding, cornice board. The artwork was attractive and the furniture better quality and fit the scale perfectly for a room this size. The maids did a wonderful job of keeping the rooms clean, and even sweep and mopped the balconies daily. The only downside was they always ran late. Our room was tended to daily between 4-5 pm; the same time we needed to be in to shower/change for dinner after spending a day at the beach. There were two pools, an outside bar, Jacuzzi, live bands daily, and every room had either a view of the ocean or the lush pool areas. On the downside this place attracted a lot of kids and they took over the pool. At night we found the noise level high between the band/pool patrons as our room was poolside. If there was a curfew I don't know if it was enforced. I also felt the live band was not necessary, but I am biased as I am not a fan of live music in smaller venues. Just about every dining option nearby also features live bands and I would have liked an escape from that noise level at my accommodations. Also I found the pool to be a bit on the dirty side, something they couldn't control as I watched them clean it every morning but because of the sheer amount of kids sand, leaves, and other debris was inevitable. A suggestion to management would be to make one pool for adults only and the other for families. We were traveling as an adult couple and while we appreciate and understand why this establishment would make sense for families a more relaxing atmosphere would have been a welcome relief. For the pricing - we paid $179/night by booking directly with the hotel which I strongly suggest vs using a third party booking site as the Thunderbird's cancelation policy was more lenient. Overall we were very happy with the accommodations and would definitely recommend and stay there again. Suggestions I would like to see implemented to enhance the overall experience would be to add a firepit, as well as complimentary beach chair and bike use to compete

This is by far the best location in the beach!!! Everyone from the desk to the tiki bar and service staff were so polite, fun and accommodating! The sunset views are priceless. The hotel is clean, updated and well-kept! By far the best value on the beach and the staff make your stay wonderful - I'd give 13 stars if I could!

The place is older and really needs a handyman. The outside could use some work. I asked for housekeeping and was told I didn't have to ask they do it every night. That wasn't the case they did it the one night out of the 4 we stayed there. Housekeepers camped out in the rooms next to ours for extended periods of time but never did anything. Our room was nice, we wanted to use the pool and hot tub it was always full, lots of kids and until 11 PM. The place was not close to full when we were there but the pool and Jacuzzi were always busy. We might go back, we liked the location and beach.

Just NO. Nothing about this stay has been enjoyable. It's nothing but loud drunks everywhere. Front desk is horrible too. Received a call after 9:00pm from front desk attendant that I must come down immediately to sign a paper. I stated we were already getting little one down for night but I'd be up first thing the next morning. She said it was then or she was sending security to kick us out. I stated she could try but it wasn't happening. Manager "apologized" the next day. Really?! That's it? The "kitchen" is not something that a meal can actually be prepared in. Ending vacation early. Never again.

Ok so I got an amazing deal on hotels.com at this newly remodeled family owned, old school resort right on the beach on Treasure Island, Florida just south of Clearwater beach and just north of madiera beach Florida. It features 2 pools, suites with a living room, kitchenette, bath and separate bedroom with 2 queens and a brand new modern leather couch pullout in the living room. 2 large hdtvs. Internet free. Beach towel service free. Hot tub, on site amazing Italian restaurant on site, and tiki bar on site pool side. Best banana daiquiris ever! I got the suite for 166$ a night for 3 people. There was a bike path and chaise loungers right on a huge white sand beach. They had live music every day Til sunset... It was really awesome. Every sunset you could listen to reggae or whatever and watch huge kites in the sky and just relax. The only reason I didn't give it 5 is because when I checked out ... there was an incidental charge for $250 that said we broke a television in which we didn't. I met with management and I was so upset about this because I knew that we didn't break the television ...were in our 40s and I was there with my 15-year-old son I had a talk with them and at first he was not willing to work with me however I said the only reason I asked about incidentals was because I slipped in the bathroom and I pulled a couple of curtain shower curtain hangers off the rod because we had hung our wet bathing suits on the shower rod to dry out so water dripped on the floor and I slipped. I talked to management and left quite upset. He called me back a short time after checkout and told me that he was very sorry and he believed in his heart I was telling the truth and made it right. We weren't the spring breaker types and I have to give kudos to him for refunding me the charge and I will definitely return.

For an older, renovated beach hotel/resort, you get a good value with the Thunderbird. Just don't expect the Four Seasons when you show up. LOCATION: 4.5* Tough to beat. Right on the beach and smack dab in the middle of many of the great shops, restaurants, bars, etc of Treasure Island. They lose a half-star here just because of the noise. Being so close to the bars is great if you're in party mode, but it's tough to sleep sometimes with all the music. Highly recommend Shimpy's for Happy Hour. Great appetizers & drink specials for $4 /ea. Try the fish spread! PRICE: 4.0* My stay was free with a Chase rewards booking, but I believe the price would have otherwise been around $150/night for a 2-bed + pullout couch suite. That's a great price for St. Pete. SERVICE: 4.0* Very good. Friendly & accommodating. I arrived early and they both checked my bags and put some effort into making sure my room was ready as quickly as possible. Received a call the minute it was ready. They lose a star for having to wait on the clerk to finish her cigarette out front when I attempted to check out early in the morning. ROOMS: 3.0* Good but not great. It's an older resort, which was remodeled/renovated, so they were working with some limitations. I just felt like they could have invested a bit more money in the rooms when they did this. Nothing major, just some minor inconveniences I wasn't expecting. POOL & AMENITIES: 3.5* Average pool & hot tub. Seemed relatively clean & while it's not huge, it's about as big as they can fit in the space without over-crowding. Ample hot tub nearby as well. They offer an on-location Italian restaurant & bar and while I didn't try the food/drinks, they appeared to be similar in quality to the rest of the place - good but not great. Didn't see workout or business centers, though you can workout on the beach and you're not staying here if you have business to conduct. The big winner here is the small tiki bar & patio for live acoustic music in the afternoon & at night. Great for a quick drink or to just chill for the sunset with some live tunes. OVERALL: 3.5* While the Thunderbird could certainly use a bit of TLC with additional minor upgrades to the rooms and pool area, it's a great bargain in a phenomenal location with beautiful views and plenty to do in the area. You're not going to be fed grapes and fanned with palm leaves, but the service, rooms & amenities are definitely good enough for the price. I would go back again.

Wonderfully located right on one of the best beaches on the West coast. Check in was fast and friendly, they were even able to accommodate an early check in for us since we had our 5 month old. There are 2 sections the original motel and the newer add on. Important to know newer side has no elevators. But there are 2 pools, an Italian restaurant and a tiki bar. I felt the tiki bar closed much too early, especially being on the weekend. The restaurant had good food, full bar and even a brunch on the weekends. The rooms were very spacious, with a kitchen and separate living room. Overall it could use some touch ups, especially for the price per night I expected a bit nicer. Didn't like how they piled all the linens from cleaning right outside the pool and it stayed there most the day.

Nice hotel if you are not placed in the hotel next door, which they do not tell you when you book a room. The entertainment on Monday nights is horrible. Terrible, horrible, disappointing. She ran us off the beach, could not listen any longer. Do not come here on Monday night, awful, awful, awful entertainment.

I've come here over multiple years with my family and always had a nice time. this year has been the 'least fun' per say. My boyfriend and I took Uber from the airport to thunderbird resort and upon immediate arrival, the man at the front counter did not take us seriously... (seemingly because we LOOK young?) Nonetheless put us in an uncomfortable situation. The room cleaning and other staff are always very friendly. I also did three stars because there aren't enough lawn chairs outside. A few days now we've been just going to the ocean or sitting right on the edge of the pool to attempt to tan, because ALL of the chairs are always taken. Not to forgot, we can hear every single thing in the room next to us. Even separated by the kitchen. A little pricey overall.

I highly recommend Thunderbird! I stay there frequently as I have family in town. The rooms are very clean and spacious. It's not fancy, but there's also a kitchenette with a fridge, microwave, oven and stove top, coffee maker, and utensils. I find this to be very convenient because there's a 24 hour Walgreens across the street and a Publix down the street, so you can purchase what you'd like and have somewhere spacious to store it. A good money saver! The pool is clean and fun, and there's a tiki bar that serves good drinks. There's often live music playing. You can also order from the attached Italian restaurant and they will bring it to you poolside. The pool can get a bit wild during the day, but the staff does a great job of closing it down by 11 so you don't need to worry about noise while trying to sleep. Overall, I recommend this hotel because of its cleanliness, service, and convenient location by bars and restaurants. They also give discounts to repeat customers!

This hotel is NOT what it use to be. The restaurant is closed. The rooms are in shambles the beds are very uncomfortable and the staff are very very rude

Very disappointed. Found ants on my stove, beer in the microwave, sand on the cooktop, a sticky substance on the floor and human cum on the sheets (along with a Bobby pen). Spend 20 minutes on hold with the front desk and received no answer. The next morning they call early as fuck (woke my wife up) and tell us we have to give the fuck out "because longterm guests have are on the way." Rose, the housekeeper, also stole my bicycle. This place is a joke. You better off at the Motel 6 than this shit hole.

Pros: good location right on the beach in walking distance to restaurants, bars, and stores. Fiona the restaurant singer is very entertaining. Cons: I'm not sure what the resort fee covers other than the use of two beach towels. There was no housekeeping and the hot tub wasn't working. The website advertises the rooms are empty 24 hours between guests. Not true. We were denied late checkout because someone was waiting to check into our room. Don't stay here if you like to sleep during vacation. The hotel's industrial ice machine is located on the second floor and was near our room. Every morning at 7:00 AM hotel staff very noisily fill up three large buckets of ice. I spoke to a manager who ensured me he would "take care of it." I was woken up at 7:00 am every single day Of vacation. The front desk told me there was nothing they could do about it. Housekeeping staff does not wear masks while cleaning the rooms or in the lobby.

Everything was great here except front desk I will leave that alone... I'm not a complainer at all but customer service needs some working on!!! Great Italian restaurant on site great pool very warm and great family atmosphere!!!

Worst customer service ever Manager Luis, was rude period. He was not accommodating to paying customers needs regarding there reservation, Needs to go back to school.never ever recommend this resort to anyone..

We usually stay at the Bilmar. I confess that. It's just what we do. We're old. We're creatures of habit. However, at the last minute over Memorial Day weekend, we got itchy at home and wanted to go to the beach SO badly. Just for one night. Please let there be a vacancy somewhere, anywhere...any of our usual haunts when the Bilmar is full to capacity. please oh please. Nothing. Finally, I say to my husband, hey...you know we never tried to stay at the Thunderbird before. It's probably booked, he counters, but he calls...and voila! There is ONE room open for Sunday into Monday! Book it! The hotel is typical of all the other beachfront hotels on the strip. No super special amenities, but a nice clean room, with a nice clean bed. A mini fridge. A microwave. Clean bathroom. Again, nothing spectacular. However, what makes the Thunderbird a great place is its courtyard. A beautifully manicured courtyard that you would NEVER know was there if you did not actually walk into the hotel. There is a beautiful hot tub area and a lovely, clean pool. There is an awesome Tiki Bar (if you're a drinker) with great specialty drinks and a delicious restaurant featuring Chef Karim of The Pearl Restaurant (delicious Mediterranean Food) just up the road. There is usually always live music playing out back in the Courtyard which is a really nice touch. It's a beautiful place, but bit too overrun with kiddies. And by kiddies, I am not talking the 4 year old variety. I am talking the 20 year old variety...that don't know how to STFU all night long. Were they bothering us? Absolutely not...my husband and I are dirty stay outs. We were up til 4 am just sitting outside enjoying the night. However the 20 somethings were carrying on and making such a racket and being so rude and disruptive, that it made it hard to enjoy the night. Especially when they were waking other guests with little kids up at all hours of the night. We were very definitely annoyed about that. But, when we complained about the amount of times we had to call security (at least 3 times) they were very quick to give us a free pass for a one night stay. I imagine that on a less drunken holiday, this place would be pretty awesome. But, having gone to bed at 4 am with the shouting of the big kids...then, being in a poolside room, getting woken up at 7 am with the shouting of the little kids...it was a bit bothersome, especially since this is one of the more expensive hotels on the strip. We don't blame the Thunderbird though, it WAS a holiday weekend and we did make last minute reservations. So, we are more than willing to try the Thunderbird again as a change up from the Bilmar which is not NEARLY as pretty as the Thunderbird. Pulling off a star because parking there sucks. But, when all is said and done, a free night there was a nice touch...we'll see how it goes.

Our stay at the Thunderbird was wonderful! The room was very clean and bright. The cleaning staff did an exceptional job keeping our room clean. Ask for a room that Renee takes care and it will be cleaned to perfection! Our room had been updated and was very cheery with great big comfy pillows and perfectly comfortable beds! The pool and lounge area was kept very clean and neat daily! Highly recommend!

I absolutely loved it here. It was perfect for a relaxing trip with no expectations. Clean rooms with a little kitchen, comfortable! It has a tiki bar and a band playing sometimes yet it stays child-friendly without being a play ground, make sense? Great area to walk to a market, food, clothing, etc. Also great stretch of beach! We got a free cab to John's Pass and actually walked back to Thunderbird Beach Resort. Ricky T's was very good for breakfast and dinner. Sloppy Joes was great for drinks, lunch and dinner/seafood.

This was exactly what we were looking for, not too expensive, on the beach, onsite pool, live music, and onsite tiki bar. We stayed over the weekend and have decided this will be our place anytime we need a quick getaway. The staff was pleasant and the hotel is so conveniently located to great restaurants, Walgreens, Publix and great views. Each room has a mini kitchen in case you want to bring your own food and each room appears to have a great view of the beach and sunset. The only con is the lobby. It reeks of cigarettes. Initially, I was concerned that the rooms would also smell, but that couldn't be further from the truth.

I was looking for a nice, classic beach resort for a weekend escape. I had a few things in mind... kitchenette, on the beach, internet service and a pool! I had stayed at this hotel as a kid and wanted to go back and try it again. Sadly, our experience wasn't so great at all. First off... don't make me sign a no smoking policy when I can't get away from the smokers on the property and this includes the cleaning staff. When we checked out they had their heads in the rooms and were holding their cigarette out the door. We heard one exclaim even that she had found a watch. Nice. We also didn't even get a clean up service after the first night we were there. They came super early and we asked them to return in a little while and they never did. The pool areas and walkways were covered with smokers all around, not just near the tiki bar area where you would expect that issue. The tiki bar was actually one of the few pluses here. It's nice to be able to get a drink pool side or beach side. Location was great. There was a small, and I do mean small, kitchenette in the room. We really were only after a fridge. It had a dorm room size fridge with no separate freezer so good thing we didn't rely to heavily on that. It didn't get much cold either. The internet... the signal was so weak with their wireless that we only got 1 bar occasionally which wasn't enough to even pull or send email. That's no good since it was a weekend where my other half was on call and needed the wifi. Instead we had to turn on the hot spots on the cell phone which saved us no money at all. Charging or plugging in our electronics wasn't easily done either. The outlets were so old that the plugs just fell out of them and on to the floor. Seriously. They did exactly that. Plus, you couldn't plug anything in that had the three prongs because it wasn't updated enough to do that. Upon leaving we told them of several of our issues and they told us they'd refund one of our night stays. Too bad they couldn't do the math correctly either and only refunded $80 of a $144 dollar night. Hmm. I am giving it 2 stars because this place has great potential to be a bit better and the location is great. Other than that I sadly don't have much good to say.