Like any Tampa Bay resident will tell you, one of the best ways to head to the beach is through a local resort, whether you’re actually staying there or not.
All you need is a day pass, and plenty of Tampa Bay’s best spots offer em up to locals. So, what follows are some of the best Tampa Bay resort pools and beaches that are completely open to the public, no room key required.
Sheraton Sand Key Resort
1160 Gulf Blvd, Clearwater Beach, 727-595-1611
$35-$180
The Sheraton Sand Key Resort day pass comes with beach access in addition to its pool and hot tub. Get your fixins at the Poolside Cafe and/or Turtle Bar. Plus, for an additional $20, the resort will throw in lunch from the cafe plus one beverage. The Couple’s Beach Pass ($100) and Family Beach Pass ($180) have all the same amenities plus two and four reserved beach chairs respectively. Daily parking is $25.
Photo via Sheraton Sand Key Resort/FacebookThe Don CeSar
3400 Gulf Blvd., St. Pete Beach, 727-360-1881
$89
Day passes at the iconic “Pink Palace” start at $35 for kids and $89 for adults, and include access to the beach, the hotel’s two heated pools, indoor jacuzzi, poolside food and drink service and free Wi-Fi. Self parking or valet are discounted, as well.
Photo via The Don CeSar/GoogleWyndham Grand Clearwater Beach
100 Coronado Dr., Clearwater, 727-281-9500
$50
You can bounce between the beach and the pool with the Wyndham Grand day pass, which offers access to both, plus lounge chairs and poolside service from Dock’s Pool Bar & Grill.
Photo viaWyndham Grand Clearwater Beach/Facebook
15015 Madeira Wy, Madeira Beach, 727-483-5997 $25-$149 Starting at $25 you can relax by Cambria’s rooftop pool and hot tub with a cocktail in hand from the rooftop poolside bar. At $149 up to six people can enjoy a shaded poolside cabana from 8 a.m.-10 p.m. with complimentary fruit and bottled water plus dedicated service. Both packages come with parking and Wi-Fi.
Photo via Cambria Hotel St. Petersburg-Madeira Beach/Facebook
301 S Gulfview Blvd., Clearwater Beach, 727-373-1234 $20-$350 Whether you’re team pool or team beach, Hyatt Regency on Clearwater beach has all of the bases covered without needing to book a room. Day passes start at $20 and include access to gulf views plus amenities like a heated pool, Wi-Fi, drink service and discounts. Cabanas and poolside suites cost more, but come with more perks like a TV with streaming capabilities and a private server.
Photo via Hyatt Regency Clearwater Beach Resort & Spa/Google
505 Water St., Tampa, 813- 221-4900 $20-$1,000 Spend your “daycation” wisely at Tampa Street’s Marriott rooftop pool, complete with food and drinks, cornhole, paddle board and kayak rentals (for the nearby Hillsborough River). Plus, there’s free Wi-Fi and discounted valet. Day passes for adults start at $20 and $10 for kids, but other options include luxury daybeds ($75), daytime luxury cabanas ($150) and $1,000 to keep the cabana into the night with $300 food and drink credits as well as a reservation at the hotel’s waterfront restaurant, Anchor & Brine.
Photo via Tampa Marriott Water Street/FacebookGodfrey Hotel & Cabanas
7700 W Courtney Campbell Cswy, Tampa, 813-281-8900
$125-$250
It’s all about cabana rentals at this legendary party pool. Starting at $125, up to eight people 21 and over can enjoy a lavish poolside cabana experience with pool access, shaded seating, food and drink service from the nearby WTR Grill, and complimentary parking and Wi-Fi at the Godfrey Hotel. For $250, guests can upgrade to a waterfront cabana with a TV and two reserved poolside lounge chairs.
Photo via Godfrey Hotel & Cabanas/Google
3650 Midtown Dr., Tampa, 813-353-0555 $30 Aloft’s rooftop pool offers gorgeous views of the city (and I-275). Guests must be 21 or older and poolside food and drinks are available for purchase at Sal y Mar Rooftop Pool Bar, as well as access to the hotel’s fitness center and Wi-Fi. Aloft offers valet parking for $35.
Photo via Aloft Tampa Midtown/GoogleBellwether Beach Resort
5250 Gulf Blvd, St Pete Beach, 727-360-1811
$35-$499
The Bellwether day pass offers both pool and beach access, lawn and beach activities and complimentary bottled water. No beach chair? No problem. The resort offers a 20% discount on beach chair rentals. The Beach Daycation Package for $499 includes day passes for four people, a private guest room from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., a reserved beach cabana and complimentary six-pack. Bongo’s Beach Bar will throw in a free appetizer, chef’s choice.
Photo via Bellwether Beach Resort/Facebook
500 Channelside Dr, Tampa, 813-221-4600 $75-$250 The Tampa Edition (stylized “EDITION”) day pass starts at $75. Lounge by the rooftop pool and enjoy complimentary sunscreen, water and Wi-Fi. Food and beverages can be bought at the pool bar or at the Edition’s Azure restaurant. If you care to lounge in style, cabanas for up to four people cost $250 and offer dedicated service and a complimentary fruit plate and bottled water. Valet parking is $35 but there are also street parking spaces available.
Photo via Tampa Edition/GoogleCamp Margaritaville Auburndale
361 Denton Ave., Auburndale, 863-455-7335
$15-$35
Waste away again at Camp Margaritaville. The resort offers a $15 Twilight Pass, which is for evening dips and comes with pool access starting at 5 p.m. There are poolside games like cornhole and mini golf, and Tiki Bar specials until 7 p.m. The full-day pass is an additional $20 but gives all-day access to the pools and amenities including the fitness center.
Photo via Camp Margaritaville Auburndale/FacebookSaddlebrook Resort
5700 Saddlebrook Way, Wesley Chapel, 813-973-1111
$25-$125
For $25 you can access the storied resort’s 500,000 gallon “superpool” with games like volleyball and basketball, as well as the adults-only pool for a more laid back vibe. Lounge chairs, complimentary Wi-Fi and access to the Poolside Cafe come with the day pass and you can upgrade to a reserved cabana in the shade for $100 more.
Photo via Saddlebrook Resort/FacebookHotel Haya
1412 E 7th Ave., Ybor City, 813-568-1200
$20-$100
Hotel Haya’s day pass offers pool and fitness center access as well as poolside service and showers. For the same price as the day passes, more party-oriented folks can join Hotel Haya’s Swim Club–a series of pool parties throughout the spring and summer every Saturday and Sunday featuring curated tropical house DJ sets 1 p.m.-5 p.m. (complete with complimentary welcome drink). For $100 you can have all the amenities of the day pass plus a shaded daybed.
Photo via Hotel Haya/GoogleLe Méridien Tampa, The Courthouse
601 N Florida Ave, Tampa, 813-221-9555
$10
For just $10 downtown Tampa’s Le Méridien offers their pool and fitness center for the day. Day guests must be 21 or older. Food and drinks available for purchase from Bizou Restaurant & Bar. There’s also discounted valet if you can’t find street parking.
Photo via Le Méridien Tampa, The Courthouse/WebsiteHotel Tampa Riverwalk
200 N Ashley Dr., Tampa, 813-223-2222
$20
Along Tampa’s Hillsborough River lies Hotel Tampa Riverwalk, where day passes are just $20. Get a quick workout at the fitness center before you hit the pool and bar. The hotel restaurant River’s Edge offers food and drink in addition to the poolside bar. Valet parking is discounted for day pass holders.
Photo via Hotel Tampa Riverwalk/GoogleThe Beachcomber St. Pete Beach
6200 Gulf Blvd, St Pete Beach, 727-367-1902
$50-$250
Beach bums look no further—for $50 The Beachcomber offers beach access with two reserved shaded chairs with complimentary Wi-Fi and parking. Jimmy B’s bar offers food and drink available for purchase and live music every day. For your general Beachcomber Day Pass at $65 you can access all of the above, as well as both the family and adults-only pools.
Photo via The Beachcomber/GoogleDolphin Beach Resort
4900 Gulf Blvd, St Pete Beach, 727-360-7011
$60-$99
For those 21 or older, your Dolphin Beach Resort Day Pass comes with a reserved lounge chair by the pool and access to the beach for $99. Flipper’s Beach Bar offers discounted drinks and snacks, and passholders also get discounts on watersports and lounge chairs. A beach cabana with two lounge chairs is available for $60.
Photo via Dolphin Beach Resort/Google
691 S Gulfview Blvd., Clearwater Beach, 727-677-6000 $75-$250 The JW Marriott on Clearwater Beach’s Day Pass offers pool, hot tub and beach access, plus poolside service with food and drinks is available for purchase. Lounge in a reserved daybed for two by the pool with the Daybed Pass at $250. Both passes offer complimentary Wi-Fi and discounted valet parking.
Photo viaJW Marriott Clearwater Beach Spa & Resort/FacebookFenway Hotel
453 Edgewater Dr., Dunedin, 844-569-9879
$20-$45
Need an alternative to the Clearwater Beach chaos? Dunedin’s historic Fenway Hotel has got you covered. Pool passes, which include complimentary parking, lounge chair reservations, Wi-Fi and access to the hotel’s heated pool, restaurant and rooftop bar, start at $10 for children and $20 for adults—for complimentary lunch and a drink, children and adults can upgrade to the $40 lunch and pool pass. The hotel also offers a bottomless brunch and pool pass, which includes mimosas and a fruit plate for two hours, or a day drinking pass for $45, which allows five complimentary drinks per ticket.
Photo via Fenway Hotel/FacebookEpicurean Hotel
1207 S Howard Ave., Tampa, 855-829-2536
$20
Before your night out in SoHo, unwind on a lounger or take a dip for $20 at the Epicurean Hotel. Day passes come with amenities like access to the outdoor heated pool, one reserved lounge chair per ticket, available food and drinks at the newly opened Lobby Bar and complimentary Wi-Fi and self-parking. Craving a sweet treat? The popular Tampa ice cream chain Chill Bros. is just a minute-walk from the pool.
Photo via Epicurean Hotel, Autograph Collection/FacebookPostcard Inn On The Beach
6300 Gulf Blvd., St. Pete Beach, 727-367-2711
$31-$300
Spend some time at the pool and the beach with a retro-chic twist at the Postcard Inn. Day passes start at $31 and include pool access, food and cocktail service and access to the fitness center. The kid-friendly hotel hosts the largest heated pool in St. Pete Beach and a wide variety of games like beach volleyball, ping pong and life-sized board games. If you prefer to lounge on the sand you can reserve a beach chair and umbrella with food service for $50. Daybeds for two with two complimentary beverages go for $150 and bottle-service cabanas are available for $300, up to 10 people.
Photo via Postcard Inn On The Beach/GoogleHotel Alba
5303 W Kennedy Blvd., Tampa, 813-289-1950
$20-$750
Tampa residents looking for a stylish resort experience can save a trip across the Howard Frankland and go to Hotel Alba. Starting at $10 for children and $20 for adults, a day pass gives you a day on a lounger or in the hotel’s heated pool. For an upgraded experience, tiki cabanas for up to five people ($100) and meeting rooms for seven ($750) are also available. All experiences include poolside food and drink service, and complimentary Wi-Fi and parking.
Photo via Hotel Alba/WebsiteHilton Tampa Downtown
211 N Tampa St., Tampa, 813-204-3000
$12
For $12, get access to Hilton Tampa Downtown’s rooftop pool, fitness center and whirlpool hot tub with amenities like discounted poolside food and drink service and free Wi-Fi. Entry is free for infants. Park at the hotel using valet for $25 or use hourly self-parking at the nearby Fort Brooke parking garage.
Photo via Hilton Tampa Downtown/Facebook
513 S Florida Ave., Tampa, 813-769-8300 $12 In the heart of downtown Tampa you can enjoy views of the city while relaxing in the hotel’s outdoor heated pool. Taste Restaurant provides guests with food and beverages and day pass holders receive 10% off their orders. Wi-Fi is complementary and valet parking costs $30 for the day.
Photo via Embassy Suites by Hilton Tampa Downtown Convention Center/GoogleDoubleTree by Hilton Tampa Rocky Point Waterfront
3050 N Rocky Point Dr W, Tampa, 813-888-8800
$15
Take in Tampa’s gorgeous waterfront poolside with the DoubleTree’s $15 day pass. Guests receive 10% off food and drink as well as access to water sport rentals. Wi-Fi and parking are both complementary.
Photo via DoubleTree by Hilton Tampa Rocky Point Waterfront
Suzanne Townsend is a senior at the University of South Florida, dual majoring in Digital Communications and Multimedia Journalism, plus art history. She’s also Arts & Life editor at the Crow’s Nest,...
More by Suzanne Townsend
