The best part about living in Florida is that I can take a short drive and end up in a gorgeous vacation area that most people spend a lot of money to fly to. For our friend’s birthday we headed to Shephard’s on Clearwater Beach for the weekend.
Shephard’s used to be known as the rundown, anything goes party hotel in Clearwater. But they recently renovated and it’s really nice.
Our Gulf view room. It’s always worth the extra price to look at water.
Can you really put a price on that view?
The bed was pretty comfortable and the shower was fantastic. I liked all the little siting areas in the room and on the balcony, even though I didn’t spend much time there. There are way better areas to hang out.
When you call to make reservations they make sure you know its a party hotel. They have live music in the afternoon and at night. The bar is (almost) always open and there is a night club.
The pool is pretty big, which makes up for the tiny patch of beach. But Clearwater’s public beach is right down the street, so really no need for a large beach.
I have no idea why there were so many kids there. There usually aren’t any.
The stage is over the water and it’s almost as fun to watch from your balcony as it is on the dance floor.
The only downside is that it is very loud in your room. But you only go to Shephard’s to party, so no reason to go bed until the music is over!
We tried to go to the club, but the Husband had my ID, and I lost him somewhere, so they wouldn’t let me in. I was so ecstatic that I was 31 and being denied entry to a club that I just had to tell the bouncer, who proceeded to tell me that if I was 31 I was probably too old to go in anyway. Talk about mood swings! He went from my favorite person to my arch nemesis. The girls I was with checked the club out and said it looked lame anyway. They were probably just trying to make me feel better.
Anyway, there are a few bars at Shephard’s and lots of places within walking distance to get a little hair of the dog after a long night of partying. We headed to Jimmy’s at the Holiday Inn next door and got some lovely mimosas and pretty epic Bloody Mary’s.
Cheers!
There are sports bars for the guys, shopping for the girls, and mini golf for the kids all within walking distance. Shephard’s really is in a nice central location and it’s a whole lot of fun!