Magnuson Hotel Hotels in St. Petersburg

We enjoyed everything about this historic hotel: the room, the lobby chock full of art and references to its speak-easy past, the pastry shop, the bar, the comfy, covered front porch, the pool and fountains, food and drinks served poolside, the friendly staff, and the friendly guests we met. Also, the Hollander is perfectly located in St. Pete, being in the historic downtown district near my company headquarters and close to great destinations such as the Salvador Dali museum, Chihuly blown-glass gallery, and Morean arts center. I love historic downtowns and boutique hotels such as the Hollander. The rooms in historic hotels are often smaller than ones in chain hotels, but they more than compensate with their unique personalities and intimate atmospheres, which leave me with vivid memories of my stays in these sweet lodgings and the cities they call home.

I wanted to love this place, I really did. Everyone said if you are going to St. Petersburg, the two places to stay are either the Avalon or the Hollander. We went with the Avalon. Everyone raved about the Avalon. So I felt happy and comfortable with our booking. I loved the idea of the hotel. I love boutique hotels. I loved places with history. I did love the detail on top of the elevator in the lobby. I loved the platter of water bottles in the lobby. I did enjoy the pool and that the Hollander is right next door. The restaurant, the Tap Room, also lovely. Unfortunately, that did not make up for the things I did not love. The bed, it also felt like the mattress had history. The mattress, just not comfortable. The closet was HUGE, and there was no safe? Or fridge? There was certainly room for it. I did like the decor, but the room was a little too small for it. For instance, there was only one night stand because the one on one side of the bed was so big, there was no way it could fit on the other side of the bed. Which brings me to the biggest issue in the room - the lighting. There was a light on the nightstand and the light with the fan. It was fine when it was light out, and we had the sun shining in, but once the sun went down, well, my cell phone flashlight gives off more light. That room is DARK and getting ready to go out was difficult. It needed at least one, if not two more lamps. The light from the ceiling fan is basically nonexistent. Which brings me to another issue, the AC was nice and cold, but, it smelled kind of mildew-y. Probably just need a filter cleaned, but my allergies went haywire. The last issue, and this might just be that it's a super old building with probably 100 year old pipes, but the water in the shower. My husband would be sleeping, and I got up to shower, and frequently during the shower the shower would just go BURNING hot, before going back to the temperature I set it. Like at least 2-3 times. Loved St. Petersburg though, and hopefully we will be back.

The hotel service is very good, the equipment is very new, and it feels safer than the other hotels in this time. The room is large, comfortable, and the location is good. It's not too far away if you drive.

Front desk staff very friendly. Booked a king room and was given double beds. In order to get the room we booked, we would have been split up with others we were with ( which had king beds too) Disappointed we would be inconvenienced when that's what we originally booked and paid for. We were offered $20 valet fee waived. Room was dated and very basic. Didn't even have a counter on sink to do hair and get ready or hold a hair brush. Some outlets didn't work. Bartender great & friendly

I had some reservations about my scheduled stay as other reviews seemed to run either hot or very cold. I was pleasantly surprised. Room was very clean and right sized for a couple for a weekend. Some other reviews were critical of the bathroom size - yes they are small, but what do you expect for a 1920s era hotel. Everything worked! Compared very favorably to most of the European hotels where I have stayed. Only criticism -- the sheets were a bit threadbare. Very centrally located, friendly staff and good value. Would definitely stay there again.

We stay in a lot of hotels and some just stand out! This is one of those places. It’s the service! I had a chance to talk to some employees. I expressed how much we love staying here and they all said it’s because of their GM! He is the reason they work here and hope to retire here! I can’t tell you how impressive that is. Being a GM of a restaurant I understand how important my employees are and tell everyone they are the most important people in the restaurant. I understand that if you take care of your employees, they take care of the guests! Kudos to the GM. And kudos to the owners of this hotel! Thank you for understanding what great service is! I hope your owners know how lucky they are to have you. Just wanted you to know how your employees talk about you! You should be proud! Thank you! We will be back!

That’s great

A stay at Cordova Inn places you in the heart of St. Petersburg, within a 15-minute walk of Tampa Bay and Vinoy Park. This historic hotel is 10.4 mi (16.7 km) from John's Pass Village & Boardwalk and 0.9 mi (1.5 km) from Salvador Dali Museum.Enjoy recreation amenities such as bicycles to rent or take in the view from a terrace.Featured amenities include complimentary newspapers in the lobby, luggage storage, and coffee/tea in a common area.Stay in one of 32 guestrooms featuring LCD televisions. Cable television is provided for your entertainment. Private bathrooms with shower/tub combinations feature designer toiletries and hair dryers. Conveniences include a turndown service and ceiling fans, and housekeeping is provided daily.

We visited St. Pete right after Hurricane Helene. We called to be sure that the hotel was not affected and were happy to learn that downtown St. Pete was unscathed and open for business. Check-in was pleasant and efficient. The gentlemen at the desk were very friendly and helpful. The lobby area is attractive in a modern, low key way with plenty of seating. The location is within walking distance of Starbucks, Publix, the marina and area parks, and a myriad of restaurants and clubs. It is also across the street from the concert venue, Jannus Live. There was a show while we were there, but the sound was not audible in our room, though you could hear it outside the hotel. The neighborhood seemed quite safe. Self parking is available in the garage for $22/night. You swipe your key card before you drive in. We reserved a king corner room and were pleased with the choice. There was a good sized sitting area with a sofa bed, full size desk, ample closet and drawer space, and a mini refrigerator and microwave. A decorative half screen divides the living and sleeping areas. The king bed is flanked by lamps and nightstands on both sides. There were only two USB ports which was not really enough. The bed’s mattress was unfortunately not very firm. On the other hand, the pillows were. The hotel does not have balcony rooms, but we had beautiful views of the water through the large windows. If you are someone who needs a 100% dark room to sleep, you may want to bring a sleep mask because light does slip in through the shades. The bathroom is well-appointed with toiletries. There’s a large shower, but no bath, which neither of us missed. The bathroom has a pocket door which slides open immediately if you don’t latch it correctly. Be sure the door is properly latched before doing anything private. Housekeeping was thorough and prompt. The women who cleaned our room were friendly and professional. One even left a thank you note for her tip! The pool area is on the 7th floor. It’s a long, narrow pool that was very clean. The lounges are adequate, but not plush. Breakfast is included but we had breakfast appointments every day, so we never took advantage of that. The buffet breakfast looked fairly standard. Our overall experience was very positive and the areas for improvement are minor. We are already planning to return.