ICYMI: What’s New at Belleview Inn
Why this is the year to reacquaint yourself with Belleview Inn and its surrounding attractions in Clearwater and St. Petersburg.
New at Belleview Inn
Friday Evening Entertainment
During the fall, winter, and spring season, starting around 5:30 p.m., local pianist Rod Keiser tickles the ivories on the Baby Grand that sits at the foot of the grand staircase in the lobby. Beer and wine and a spread of charcuterie and cheese complete the picture of a social evening, encouraging mingling in the lobby and out on the verandas.
Quarterly Wine Dinners
Each quarter, the resort selects a featured wine partner that Sandpearl Resort’s executive chef creates a four-course dinner around, pairing the wines with different dishes. Past featured wines have included Napa’s Caymus Vineyards and Opus One Winery, and dinners are served under the iconic curved ceiling in the inn’s Tiffany Room.
Summer Ice Cream Socials
In the summer – often during special holidays like the Fourth of July or Father’s Day – the inn treats the community and guests of the hotel to ice cream. But they don’t just sling out something from a box bought in the grocery store, but freshly made flavors of strawberry, praline pecan, and something called “Superman” hand-scooped into cones from St. Pete’s Clara Rose Ice Cream Truck. The powder-blue, vintage ice cream truck pulls up in front of the porte-cochere and is the ultimate selfie opportunity with a creamy treat in hand.
Special Holiday Events
Belleview Inn knows how to treat their guests right during various seasonal holidays. On Mother’s Day, expect a special “high tea” in the Tiffany Room and on the verandas, featuring scones, quiche, and teas from Belleair Coffee Company; and during Christmas, Santa is a regular visitor for photos in the lobby.
New in Clearwater & St Petersburg, Florida
New Creations at William Dean Chocolates
Chocolate-covered jellybeans – featuring combinations like yuzu and coconut, passion fruit and mango, and strawberry with strawberry cheesecake – are one of the newest confectionary creations to come out of William Dean Chocolates. Ranked number 10 out of “Tampa Bay’s 50 Best Restaurants of 2019” by acclaimed food critic Jon Palmer Claridge, the shop and production kitchen located in Belleair Bluffs is known for its unique chocolate flavor creations, including lemongrass, raspberry, and earl grey treats. So much so, you never know what William Brown, founder and chief artist, will think up next. Get inside his head during his specialty spring and summer candy-making classes.
Expanding the Ruth Eckerd Hall Experience
While the multi-phase $34 million renovation and expansion started on this 73,000-square-foot performing arts venue in Clearwater in 2015, the cultural institution just revealed its most extensive facelift to date in November of 2019. We’re talking about the $12-million 6,000-square-foot Grand Lobby. Designed by Clearwater’s Klar and Klar Architects, the airy, high-ceiling space features flowing lines, buxom swoops, glass walls, and a small cabaret stage surrounded by lounge tables. But perhaps the most Instagram-worthy feature? The splashy mural by Seminole artist Stephen Palladino that depicts a wall of paparazzi snapping shots as if the viewer was a celebrity walking down the red carpet – perfect for iPhone-toting patrons.
Digital Experiences at The Dalí Museum
As if St. Petersburg’s Salvador Dalí Museum wasn’t impressive enough with its unparalleled collection of more than 2,400 Salvador Dalí works (including nearly 300 oil paintings, watercolors, and drawings), now there’s even more to be amazed by. New in 2019, on the 30th anniversary of the artist’s death, the iconic museum unveiled “Dalí Lives,” an exhibit that brings the iconic artist back to life using augmented and virtual reality. Essentially, visitors have the opportunity to learn more about Dalí’s life and work from the person who knew him best – the artist himself – through high-tech offerings that create a version of Dalí’s likeness.
©2020 – Salvador Dalí Museum, Inc., St. Petersburg, FL
26 New Mural Artworks
Each year, in conjunction with downtown St. Pete’s annual two-week long SHINE Mural Festival, roughly 15 new murals are commissioned and produced. In 2019, however, a whopping 26 local and international artists were selected, with a call going out to the St. Pete art scene for local artists to be featured and selected. While it includes new work from international artists like Germany’s Low Bros, Jamaica’s Taj Tenfold, and Mexico’s Paola Delfin, some of the locally produced pieces you’ll want to seek out are by Palehorse, Princess Smith, and David Charlton. Want help finding them? Book a guided tour with St. Pete Mural Tour, offered every Saturday morning and visiting over 30 murals found in a four-block stretch.
Where to Stay Belleview Inn
