“St. Pete Beach Resorts Face Delayed Reopening Until Summer, Sparking Employee Concerns Over Storm Damage and Furloughs – Tampa Bay Times”

Two iconic hotels in St. Pete Beach, the Beachcomber and the Bellwether Beach Resort, will remain closed until summer due to extensive damage from last year’s storms, according to notices filed with the state and shared with employees.

The state was informed last week that 107 employees from the Bellwether — including bartenders, servers, housekeepers, and front desk staff — will remain out of work until at least July 1. These workers have been furloughed since Hurricane Helene struck four months ago, according to staff.

Both hotels, which together offer 258 rooms, are managed by Pyramid Global Hospitality. The company also oversees the Clearwater Beach Marriott Resort on Sand Key and two hotels in Tampa. Employees at the Beachcomber received a similar notice, stating their furloughs would continue until the hotel’s anticipated reopening on June 1.

These revised reopening dates have come as a disappointment to employees. Initially, workers hoped to return by December. In mid-November, the company announced an April reopening, but that timeline was pushed back again in late January.

The repeated delays have left employees like Bill Pruitt, a bartender at Jimmy B’s Beach Bar located in the Beachcomber, in a difficult position. Pruitt had been relying on his savings while waiting to return to work. However, after learning this month that the reopening wouldn’t happen until summer, he’s been forced to search for another job. Despite nearly 30 years of experience, he has yet to secure a new bartending position.

“Everyone is scared, nervous, and angry,” Pruitt said. “And they have every right to be because we’re not being told much.”

Shaun Kwiatkowski, managing director for the Bellwether, acknowledged the challenges in a statement. He said the hotels have supported employees through food drives, extended health care benefits, and job placement assistance.

“Like so many of our friends and neighbors, Bellwether Beach Resort and The Beachcomber were severely impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton,” Kwiatkowski said. “The significant damage to the resorts has caused delays in reopening, and we deeply regret the impact this has had on our associates. Our goal is to welcome them — and our guests — back as soon as possible.”

The closures have also affected other businesses in the area. Musician Melissa Mayeaux, who performed regularly at Jimmy B’s, said other St. Pete Beach venues like the Toasted Monkey and the Don CeSar remain closed as well. The Don CeSar is tentatively scheduled to reopen in late March.

According to Visit St. Pete-Clearwater, Pinellas County had about 1,000 fewer hotel rooms available in November 2024 compared to the previous year, with the losses concentrated in the St. Pete Beach and Madeira Beach areas.

For performers like Mayeaux, the closures have been financially devastating. She has lost more than half her income due to the lack of open venues and suspects delays in obtaining rebuilding permits are contributing to the slow recovery.

On Pinellas County’s barrier islands, which rely heavily on tourism, the situation feels reminiscent of the pandemic, Mayeaux said — but without the global scale of disruption.

Out-of-state visitors have also been impacted. Haylee Hobson, a teacher from Texas, had planned her wedding at the Bellwether for November 7 last year. After storm damage forced the cancellation of her plans, she requested a refund in October. It took three months of persistent follow-ups before she finally received her $8,000 refund in January.

While Hobson acknowledged that natural disasters are unavoidable, she expressed frustration over the lengthy refund process. “They had such great reviews, and I was just really disappointed,” she said. “This was supposed to be my once-in-a-lifetime thing.”

For local workers and businesses, the timing of the closures is particularly painful. Venues like the Bellwether and Beachcomber won’t reopen until after spring, which is typically the busiest season for tourism and weddings. Small business owners in the area have said they rely on those months to recover lost income from the storms.

“Spring break is always huge down there,” Mayeaux said. “And it’s just not even happening for us this year.”

Instead, she expects her performances to pick up during the slower summer months, just before the region enters hurricane season once again.

Source: tampabay.com

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