Banyan Tree Cottage in historic beach town

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Entire home

Overview
Amenities
Policies
Location
Host

Exceptional

2 bedrooms2 bathroomsSleeps 4

Popular amenities

Parking available
Dryer
Washer
Fireplace
Barbecue grill
Air conditioning

Explore the area

St Pete Beach, FL

Eckerd College
‪10 min drive‬
Upham Beach
‪13 min drive‬
Fort De Soto Park
‪23 min drive‬
St. Petersburg, FL (SPG-Albert Whitted)
‪16 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

2 bedrooms (sleeps 4)

Bedroom 1

1 Queen Bed

Bedroom 2

1 Queen Bed

2 bathrooms

Bathroom 1

Bathroom 2

Spaces

Deck or patio

Porch or lanai

Dining area

About this property

Historic Pass-A-Grille

Located at the southernmost tip of the chain of Gulf beaches, the
historic village of Pass-A-Grille provides a quiet retreat from the
highrise beaches to the north. Settled in 1884, Pass-A-Grille is
the
oldest and most storied beach village on Florida's west coast.
Roughly 2 miles in length and 200 yards in width, Pass-A-Grille is
surrounded by the beautiful waters of the Gulf of Mexico and Boca
Ciega Bay. The famous jazz era hotel, the Don Cesar Resort and Spa,
provides the northern boundary of this quaint town. An authentic
turn of the century beach village, you will never need your car upon
arrival in Pass-A-Grille. Shaner's Corner Grocer and Delicatessen,
catering to all your needs, is one block away. Historic 8th Avenue
and pier, the 1920's heart of Pass-A-Grille is also just a stroll
away. On 8th Aveune you can relax and people watch, enjoy beach
taverns, restaurants, shops and art galleries.
There is a new addition to 8th avenue, the Dewey restaurant and rooftop bar located in the new 6 suite bed and breakfast Inn,The Berkeley Beach Club. Operated by local hospitality maven Maryann Ferenc with a menu designed by her James Beard Award winning partner Chef Marty Blitz , It is a fabulous place for your guests to stay and enjoy a magical night or special event. it is now our favorite local hangout spot.In Pass-A-Grille, there is never a dull moment. You will fall in love with this town!

Banyan Tree Cottage

Abstracts of title show that this beautiful 1920 Pass-A-Grille
cottage originally belonged to Carrie Phillips, the confirmed
mistress of President Warren Harding. So, while it's true that
Washington never slept here, it's a sure bet that one of our
presidents did. Over the years, the cottage has been lovingly
restored and cared for. Additions and
renovations were completed in the Fall of 2003 by its architect
owners, and recently in 2021 the kitchen appliances were replaced.
Settle in on the whimsical front porch and enjoy a view of the beach
275 feet to the west. On cool, breezier days retreat to the painted
wood sun room, the original front porch of the cottage now enlosed
with 12 fabulous wood windows. If privacy is what you prefer,
choose
the cozy rear screened porch that opens to a wonderful wood terrace
surrounded by tropical plants and shaded by a 100 year old Banyan
tree. For a unique tropical experience shower in the private outdoor
shower cabana with hot and cold water-under the Banyan's
canopy!

Banyan Tree cottage is our families weekend retreat first and
foremost and therefore is furnished and cared for unlike other
rental properties! We offer an unparralled experience in terms of
tropical style,character and comfort for those with discerning
tastes.
Note:If you would like to take a look at the house in person,it is
located at 102 18th ave.

Property manager

Stephen F. Smith

Add dates for prices

Amenities

Washer

Dryer

Air conditioning

Outdoor space

Parking available

Barbecue grill

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Just steps to powdery soft sand between your toes

Kitchen
Washer
Dryer
Free WiFi

House Rules

Check in after 4:00 PM

Minimum age to rent: 25

Check out before 10:00 AM

Children

Children allowed: ages 0–17

Events

No events allowed

Pets

No pets allowed

Smoking

Smoking is not permitted

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy

Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges

Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed

On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited

Host has not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector with you on the trip

Host has indicated that there is a smoke detector on the property

Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher and a deadlock

About the area

St. Pete Beach

Located in Pass-a-Grille, a neighbourhood in St. Pete Beach, this holiday home is near theme parks and on the waterfront. Shoppers can check out John's Pass Village & Boardwalk, while everyone can enjoy the natural beauty of St. Petersburg - Clearwater Beaches and Tampa Bay. Looking to enjoy an event or a game while in town? See what's going on at Tropicana Field, or consider a night out at Jannus Live. Make sure you get close to the area's animals with activities such as game walks and birdwatching.

St Pete Beach, FL

What's nearby

Pass-a-Grille Beach - 2 min walk - 0.3 km
Merry Pier - 10 min walk - 0.9 km
Eckerd College - 10 min drive - 7.7 km
Upham Beach - 13 min drive - 4.9 km
Fort De Soto Park - 23 min drive - 20.1 km

Getting around

St. Petersburg, FL (SPG-Albert Whitted) - 16 min drive

Restaurants

‪Chick-fil-A - ‬5 min drive
‪Paradise Grille - ‬9 min walk
‪Billy's Stone Crab - ‬10 min drive
‪Hurricane Seafood - ‬10 min walk
‪Don CeSar - ‬20 min walk

Frequently asked questions

Is Banyan Tree Cottage in historic beach town pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

What time is check-in at Banyan Tree Cottage in historic beach town?

Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.

What time is check-out at Banyan Tree Cottage in historic beach town?

Checkout is at 10:00 AM.

Where is Banyan Tree Cottage in historic beach town located?

Located in Pass-a-Grille, this holiday home is within a 5-minute walk of St. Petersburg - Clearwater Beaches and Pass-a-Grille Beach. Gulf Beaches Historical Museum and Merry Pier are also within 10 minutes.

9.8

Exceptional

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.

Learn more

9.6/10

Cleanliness

9.8/10

Check-in

10/10

Communication

10/10

Location

10/10

Listing accuracy

10/10 Excellent

Marianne H., Atlanta, GA USA

13 April 2019

Relaxing vacation

The house is great for relaxing and visiting the beach and the bay. Perfectly situated for an easy walk to the water and restaurants. We bought our fresh meat and fish from Shaner's Market every night and prepared delicious dinners at the house.

Stayed 7 nights in Mar 2019

10/10 Excellent

don h.

11 March 2020

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great property

Just like the pictures... Exceptionally clean-on a quiet street- close to beach and restaurants- Very comfortable furniture-Cant go wrong here..

Stayed 10 nights in Feb 2020

10/10 Excellent

Donna L., Cave Creek Arizona

29 November 2021

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great location in Pass-A-Grille

Nice place to stay in Pass-A-Grille. Great sun room in front and front patio was nice. Nice functional kitchen. Would have loved more comfy furniture in sun room - spent a lot of time in there reading. Host was very nice and quick to respond when I had questions.

Stayed 7 nights in Nov 2021

10/10 Excellent

Julie H., Mattapoisett, MA -- USA

30 April 2022

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great Spot in Passa Grille!

Stayed three weeks in April. House is well equipped, very close to the beach. Quiet neighborhood. Easy check in. Host was in touch during our stay to be sure everything was going well. We had a fine time. Recommend with 5 stars.

Stayed 21 nights in Apr 2022

10/10 Excellent

Keri N., Indianapolis

1 March 2020

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Beautiful History

I love the history of this house and island! The house is in great condition and still retains the historic touches. The location is easy access to the beach, restaurants, shops and main roads but is quiet and private. The owners are great and very responsive to any questions. Without a doubt, we will book this property again.

Stayed 7 nights in Feb 2020

10/10 Excellent

Vicki T.

31 May 2021

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Old Fashioned Comfort

This property worked out great for me. I am a woman alone who appreciated the history and convenience of this property. I spent hours on the large front porch. Many friends stopped by and admired my choice.

Stayed 11 nights in May 2021

10/10 Excellent

Adam P., Providence, RI, USA

9 January 2022

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

A real gem!!

Perfect place for a home away from home just steps from the beach. The house is a rare remnant of bungalow days with all the modern amenities. The beach is steps away, The bigger trappings of St. Pete's Beach including dozens of restaurants, supermarket, etc., are a short hop away up the road but you get to hide away in the tranquil setting of Pass A Grill. Can't wait to go back if the opportunity arises.

Stayed 7 nights in Dec 2021

10/10 Excellent

Jill P., Merrimac, MA

4 June 2021

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Easy comfy relaxing stay!

Rented banyan tree house for a week away with my hubby, daughter and her boyfriend and we loved everything about our stay! Host was so concise in his communications and low key with checkout directives (unlike some hosts). The house is so comfortable and perfect for two couples...plenty of space to spread out. Photos on VRBO do not do the place justice. It’s so clean and “beachy”. Plus the location is perfect for beach and just a short walk to downtown PAG. We will most certainly be back!!

Stayed 7 nights in May 2021

10/10 Excellent

Angela S.

29 September 2021

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Charming Pass-a-Grille Cottage

Lovely property and great location. One bed is very firm, while the other is very soft-take your pick! Really cute decor and well-equipped kitchen. It feels lived-in and comfortable and was sparkling clean. Stephen was very responsive to all my questions and concerns. I had no prior contact regarding entry code or where to park, so I had to figure those things out. Once inside, parking instructions were available, but would have been nice to know in advance where we were supposed to park. These were not huge issues, and Stephen was quick to respond as noted. The front porch was a nice place to just hang out, but bring your bug spray! We really enjoyed seeing the flock of wild, Nanday parrots every morning. So cool! The back, screened-in porch was really too small to use and no furniture was available for use there. If that front porch was screened, I may never have left! Another bonus was only 1 block from the marina where we got to rent our own small speedboat. What a thrill. Loved this place, truly a great stay!

Stayed 9 nights in Sep 2021

This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

4/10 Poor

Sue T.

5 May 2017

Great Location But...

Apparently, we are the outcasts on reviews of this cottage when compared to what others had to say. I cannot explain why as I do not feel we are all that picky. We have stayed in multiple VRBO properties in recent years and rarely have written negative comments. Notes on our stay: 2 couples shared the cottage for 8 nights Upsides: • Great location; walking distance to bars, restaurants and Pass a Grille shops • Charming “old Florida” atmosphere with a lovely front porch • Appreciated the availability of beach chairs • Owners were very responsive when we lost the Internet connection and in response to another issue • Nice collection of books if you need a beach read The downsides: • Hall bathroom was not clean (floor, tub, window sill) • Refrigerator was really dirty • Cleaned the counters myself before we started using the kitchen (film of dust/sand?) • The door handle to the hall bathroom fell off repeatedly; couldn’t close the door all the way the entire week after having been locked in once when the handle fell off. • Uncomfortable beds – mattresses are very old with major craters (both bedrooms) • One comfortable sofa in living room • Very old and small TV • Wi-fi service is limited – must sit in the living room to use it with any confidence it won’t cut out (not a problem if you don’t need it for work but two of us needed it daily for work issues) • Front room is lovely but 2-seat wicker sofa very uncomfortable • Could not use the gas grill; bought a new tank (owner reimbursed us) but just couldn’t get it to work. Both couples have owned gas grills for years so it wasn’t a matter of not knowing what we were doing. If a grill is that difficult to start, a new one is needed. Please note that we did not inform the owners of the issues noted in our “downsides” as we didn’t feel they could be addressed immediately so there was no point.

10/10 Excellent

Ken M.

21 March 2025

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Stayed 30 nights in Jan 2025

10/10 Excellent

Lynn P.

17 April 2022

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Comfortable stay in PAG

We’ve visited PAG several times over the years and usually stay at Inn on the Beach. We wanted to try something different this year and are very happy the Banyan Tree Cottage was available. The location was perfect, the cottage very pretty, and we were all comfortable. We especially appreciated the privacy afforded between the bedrooms and the rest of the house. Already looking ahead to next year there!

Stayed 7 nights in Apr 2022

10/10 Excellent

Nancy B., Madison, WI, USA

1 April 2022

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Sweet, historic bungalow near the beach and historic 8th Avenue.

A very comfortable 2 bedroom, 2 bath house with a nice front porch on a quiet street. You can see a peek of the Gulf and bay from the porch. The kitchen is well equipped with all you need. Beach toys and chairs also provided. The outdoor shower was our favorite amenity, we never showered inside.

Stayed 10 nights in Mar 2022

8/10 Good

Sandy L.

30 October 2021

Liked: Check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

October in Pass-A-Grille

Property is walking distance to the beach. Love Pass-A-Grille.

Stayed 14 nights in Oct 2021

10/10 Excellent

Matthew R.

19 October 2021

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Beach House

Great experience at this beautiful home close to the beach. The property is well maintained and very picturesque.

Stayed 7 nights in Oct 2021

10/10 Excellent

Nora B., Brooklyn, NY

29 July 2021

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Wonderful house!

This beautiful house was perfect in every way. Attractively decorated, comfortable with all necessary amenities, steps to the beach, stores and restaurants. The only negative of our trip had nothing to do with the house. Unfortunately, we arrived during “red tide” season which made for unpleasant odors and views of dead fish outside. Air conditioning in the house fortunately filtered out the odors. Despite the red tide, we’d happily come back to Pass-a-Grille and the Banyon tree house anytime!

Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2021

10/10 Excellent

John G.

25 July 2021

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Comfy and Cozy

We felt right at home at the Banyan Cottage. Tastefully decorated, well appointed, and very close to the beach! We were here during the red tide and the city just cleaned the dang beach on the day of our departure. We still had a blast. Lots of fun things to do all over the area. Stephen was a great host and the bungalow was wonderful! Lovely front porch, cute den, cozy living room with a ceiling fan, both bedrooms were good size with ceiling fans, and two bathrooms were key with our family of four. I would definitely recommend this cottage to anyone interested in a low key, relaxing vacation without the crowds. Thanks for having us!!!

Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2021

10/10 Excellent

Katie B.

7 May 2021

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Excellent place to stay!

We loved the cottage. Perfect location, very homey. We can’t wait to come back!

Stayed 10 nights in Apr 2021

10/10 Excellent

Steve S.

5 May 2021

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great week!

Wonderful house in a great neighborhood with a beautiful beach! We truly enjoyed it and hope to return someday. Felt very at home, almost washed the windows! Thanks for a really nice getaway.

Stayed 7 nights in Apr 2021

8/10 Good

Catherine (Noyes) M., Temperance MI

14 April 2021

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Nearly perfect

I originally booked the property for four of us to stay there. Because of conflicting work schedules only my youngest daughter and I ended up being able to go. The check in process was easy, the owners were very responsive and the property was very clean. The main living area is well appointed including the kitchen. (Although I could never get the microwave to not burn my popcorn lol). My daughter and I were very comfortable, but if all four of us have been there it would have been way too small. The beds are very small (double?) for a week vacation and two people per bed. The couch is comfy but the other seating options are very narrow wicker chairs. We are slender... but on the taller side. The TV is small and outdated. The bathrooms were clean and spacious. Laundry area is great with a door to outside. Outside shower ans ample parking are nice adds. Super close to beach, and other amenities. Loved it, but would really suggest larger beds for visitors.

Stayed 7 nights in Apr 2021

10/10 Excellent

Kristen H.

9 April 2021

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

We loved our stay!

We had a wonderful spring break and enjoyed our stay in this beautiful home. We loved being so close to the beach, and had everything we needed to walk over and spend long days playing in the ocean. Everything is within walking distance of the property, so we rarely used our rental car. Our kids loved taking walks to the beach and to get ice cream. The owner is extremely helpful, and overall we had a wonderful experience. We hope to visit again in the future 😊

10/10 Excellent

Bob M., 46184

8 March 2021

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

The house was like staying in a HGTV house. Nicely decorated and remodeled! Super close to everythin

A great week, walking distance to beach and restaurants!

Stayed 7 nights in Feb 2021

10/10 Excellent

Robert M.

27 February 2021

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Oasis in Pass a Grille

A hidden jewel. Secluded but less than a block to the beach. We will be back.

Stayed 5 nights in Oct 2020

10/10 Excellent

Rick W.

24 February 2021

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Escaping winter

Great cottage wonderfully located just steps from the beach & inter coastal. Loved the front porch for evening drinks & morning coffee

Stayed 6 nights in Feb 2021

10/10 Excellent

Nancy R.

12 February 2021

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Winter Getaway

Such a perfect getaway from our MN winter. This bungalow is stylish, comfortable and includes all amenities needed. We love the location in the heart of Pass-A-Grille where we could walk to beach, shopping and restaurants. We highly recommend this property.

Stayed 7 nights in Feb 2021

About the host

Hosted by Stephen F. Smith

Owners Stephen and Betsy Smith are nearby Tampa natives. Stephen is an architect and partner of Cooper Johnson Smith Peterson Architects. The firm specializes in coastal architecture around the hemisphere . Betsy has recently retired from directing the non-profit Voices For Children (benefitting the Guardian Ad Litem program of Hillsborough County), and spends her days as the architecture firm's marketing director and playmate to their rambunctious rescue greyhound Leia. The couples happiest times are spent reading or snook fishing along Florida's magnificent beaches .

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Banyan Tree Cottage in historic beach town

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Reviews

Popular amenities

Explore the area

Rooms & beds

2 bedrooms (sleeps 4)

Bedroom 1

Bedroom 2

2 bathrooms

Bathroom 1

Bathroom 2

Spaces

About this property