The towering palms, dolphin fountain and gated entry monitored by a smiling safari-clad attendant hint of magnificence as I pull into Island Grand, one of TradeWinds Island Resorts' two hotels on St. Pete Beach. Inside the gate, deadlines, traffic and the chores of daily living are far away, while beauty and accommodating hosts appear at the end of the drive. A courteous valet opens the car door, a bellman places my bags inside a brass cart, and I walk inside a grand hall of tropical palms reaching for a towering ceiling.

The requirements of a grand luxury resort, of course, go beyond magnificent entry. Beautiful landscape, tastefully decorated rooms complete with home comforts, the convenience of on-site amenities, an excellent spa and salon, leading sporting facilities, sumptuous fine dining and personalized service define the best high-end resorts.

On our weekend getaway, my husband James and I find the Island Grand Resort and Sandpiper Suites offer this and more.

Our spacious Island Grand room overlooks the white sugar sand beach and sparkling blue Gulf of Mexico. Beneath our balcony, swans, ducks and paddleboats float in the hotel's Venice-like canals that run in and around the resort.

The kitchen is well-appointed (no plastic cups); our bed is topped with a deep, featherweight comforter; fresh thick towels hang in our bathroom and our living room TV comes with web access.

Despite the comforts and air-conditioned view, we can't wait to hit the pool. The Island Grand has five - one for kids only, three for all ages and one just for adults that overlooks the beach.

A stroll to the adult pool is like a return to Gilligan's Island. Planked paths wind through palms and blooming plants, across fish-filled pools and around Capt. Red Beard's Sharktooth Tavern. A couple steer their paddleboat beneath the Flying Bridge restaurant and beach bar. Pirates play guitar and sing to a pool of kids, whose eyes glow with awe. We pass Salty's, a tiki hut beach bar, and can't resist sipping a piña colada from a coconut. We cool off in the Island Grand's adult pool, and then take a short beach walk to the Sandpiper Suites, TradeWinds' other on-site hotel. TradeWinds' guests have access to both properties, which allows for a range of diversions. The Island Grand Resort, with its bungee trampoline, glow-in-the-dark volleyball, mini golf and tennis courts, is the action-packed property. Sandpiper Suites, tucked within a seaside hammock, is more laidback with spacious suites, romantic rooms and penthouses, and a tranquil pond filled with Koi fish and water lilies.

A courteous valet opens the car door, a bellman places my bags inside a brass cart, and I walk inside a grand hall of tropical palms reaching for a towering ceiling.


We take advantage of the Sandpiper's recent renovations and unwind in one of the hotel's new whirlpools in the lush Oasis Courtyard (where the adult pool is) until we're almost too relaxed to leave. Thank goodness our Island Grand suite is just a few steps away.

I learned long ago that the less you have to travel outside your resort the higher it moves up the luxury barometer. At TradeWinds Island Resorts you can leave your car keys at the front desk and not ask for them again until you leave the resort. You can eat pizza by the pool or gourmet grouper under the stars, sip daiquiris at a tiki bar or have a beer at B.R. Cuda's sports bar, improve your tennis or nap in a beachside hammock. We find the numerous activities serve our different moods.

Late in the afternoon, the golf concierge enthusiastically books a tee time for James and arranges his transportation to a nearby premier course while I succumb to slacking and self-indulgence. In the Island Grand's Bodyworks Salon, a warm stone massage and a red wine facial relax my fine lines while the resort's exclusive lemon-scented products condition my skin and hair. A manicure and a pedicure leave me polished for a sumptuous moonlight dinner at the Island Grand's award-winning Palm Court restaurant. A suited waiter pulls back my chair, and I am reminded that it is the small personal touches that distinguishes one upscale resort from the rest. It's the valet who opens your car door, a warm smile at check-in, a local newspaper left on your doorstep, complimentary beach towels by the pool and a knowledgeable concierge that exceeds your expectations.

We end our evening snuggling in one of the resort's most romantic details - double hammocks sheltered amidst the sand dunes and sea grapes.