Page Terrace Beachfront Hotel

The three-story Page Terrace Beachfront hotel is an orange and yellow building sandwiched between the Gulf of Mexico and Tampa Bay, providing a view of both from different rooms. Guests enter through the front doors under an overhang, walking into the clean front lobby with white plastic, cushioned wicker chairs. There are also beach chairs for sitting, and a statue of a pirate in the corner. Here, free coffee is served, and a computer and printer are available for guests' use.

The hotel has a heated freshwater swimming pool with a view of the beach, tables and chairs with brown umbrellas, and a grill for guests to use. Staff keeps coolers, pool floaties, and beach chairs left behind by previous guests for new visitors to use. There is also a beach side terrace with tables and chairs under the shade of yellow umbrellas, as well as shuffleboard courts on the grounds.

The hotel is one of the cheapest guests will find in the area, half the price of larger, more expensive resorts such as the Bilmar, Surf Beach Resort, and the Crystal Palms Beach Resort just up the road.

The hotel is located directly on the beach, conveniently surrounded by restaurants, bars, shops, and other hotels. The grocery store Publix and drugstore Walgreens are across the street, and next door is the casual dining restaurant, Sloppy Joe’s. Other spots are just a few blocks away. John’s Pass farther north is a popular tourist attraction, with a boardwalk, shops, and historic sites. It can be reached by trolley in about 10 minutes. While the beach is just a few steps away, with the area’s wide shore, it’s a bit of a walk to the water.

Suites vary in size and amenities. Larger efficiencies come with kitchenettes that have two-burner stoves. All units have microwaves, mini-fridges, table and chair sets, and dinnerware. Rooms are carpeted with red rugs in the sleeping area and tiled in the kitchenettes. Beds have gaudy bedspreads and matching red lamps on nightstands. Flat-screen TVs with extensive channels are mounted on the walls over the dresser. The bathrooms have tiled bathtubs, showers, and small granite-topped sinks. Depending on the location of the room, guests have either a view of the bay or the gulf.

In the front lobby, coffee is served free every day, and a computer and printer are available for guests' use. Alongside the hotel is a bike rack with seven spots. Outside by the beach is the hotel’s heated freshwater swimming pool with lots of shade. The space underwent some upgrades after our visit, including the addition of an ADA lift. There are also shuffleboard courts on the terrace. The hotel is close to grocery stores and restaurants; there is no on-site restaurant.