Girls’ Weekend in St. Petersburg, Florida: Where to Stay, Eat & Explore

Planning a girls’ trip to St. Petersburg, Florida? From a spontaneous Orlando road trip to boutique hotels, rooftop cocktails, and waterfront views, here’s how we spent the perfect getaway in downtown St. Pete.

Sometimes all you need is a little sunshine, good food, and quality time with your bestie! My girlfriend and I had been trying to plan a girls’ getaway for months, but our busy schedules never lined up. So when I was back in Orlando, I spontaneously suggested a road trip to St. Petersburg, Florida, and she was IN! We packed our bags, turned up our favourite throwback tunes, and headed to downtown St. Pete for a much-needed escape. From boutique hotels and rooftop cocktails to beautiful waterfront views, here’s how we spent our girls’ getaway and some of the best things to do in St. Petersburg, Florida!

1. Take a Girls’ Road Trip From Orlando to St. Petersburg

One of my favourite things about Florida is how many amazing destinations are just a short drive from Orlando! For our girls’ getaway, Toyota provided me with a Toyota Avalon Hybrid, and I was SO excited to try a hybrid for the first time. Between its impressive fuel efficiency, comfortable seats, and spacious interior, it was perfect for our road trip. And at 5’10”, I especially appreciated all that LEGROOM! Our drive from Orlando to St. Petersburg took about 2.5 hours, making it an easy weekend escape without needing to hop on a plane.

2. Make Your Road Trip Comfortable and Stress-Free

What’s a girls’ road trip without a good throwback playlist?! Ashlyn and I are HUGE music lovers, so we loved using the Toyota Avalon Hybrid‘s touchscreen entertainment system to stream our favourite songs on Pandora. The car also featured a backup camera, blind-spot monitoring, and a pre-collision system, making our drive to St. Petersburg feel a little less stressful. We especially appreciated the traffic and weather updates, because Florida thunderstorms are NO joke! My favourite feature? The wireless phone charger! As someone who loses phone chargers like bobby pins, being able to charge my phone without a cord felt like pure luxury. It’s the little things, girlfriend!

3. Explore Downtown St. Petersburg, Florida

Once we arrived in St. Petersburg, we were ready to explore! One of my favourite things about downtown St. Pete is its relaxed coastal atmosphere. It’s the kind of place where you can spend the afternoon walking around, discovering restaurants, enjoying the waterfront, and simply soaking up the Florida sunshine. Unlike trips where you feel pressured to squeeze in every tourist attraction, we wanted this getaway to be easygoing. We didn’t have a packed schedule, and that was honestly part of the appeal. Sometimes the best travel memories happen when you leave a little room for spontaneity. If you’re planning your own girls’ weekend in St. Petersburg, I’d recommend making time to explore the downtown waterfront, browse the local shops, and enjoy a leisurely lunch or coffee date. You can also look into the city’s museums, art galleries, and waterfront attractions if you want to add a few activities to your itinerary. One of the best parts about a girls’ trip is getting to spend time together without rushing from one place to the next. Whether you’re exploring a new city or simply sitting outside chatting over coffee, those little moments are often the ones you’ll remember most.

4. Enjoy Dinner at Stillwaters Tavern

Let’s be real: good food is an ESSENTIAL part of any girls’ getaway. Ashlyn and I both love trying new restaurants, so we knew we wanted to make time for a delicious dinner while we were in St. Petersburg. During our drive, we browsed restaurant options and made a reservation at Stillwaters Tavern through OpenTable. Having our dinner plans organized before arriving made the evening feel so much more relaxed. No wandering around hungry, no debating where to eat, and no last-minute scrambling for a table. We were especially excited to enjoy fresh seafood during our visit. There’s something about being near the Florida coast that makes a seafood dinner feel like the perfect choice! If you’re planning a St. Petersburg girls’ weekend, I highly recommend making dinner reservations in advance when possible, especially on busy weekends. It’s a simple way to make your trip feel a little more organized without having to plan every minute.

5. Stay at The Birchwood Boutique Hotel in Downtown St. Pete

Now let’s talk about where we stayed, because this was one of my FAVOURITE parts of the trip! A friend had previously stayed at The Birchwood and couldn’t stop raving about it, so we decided to book our getaway there. And I’m so glad we did! The Birchwood is a charming boutique hotel in downtown St. Petersburg, located near the waterfront. If you love hotels with personality, beautiful interiors, and a more intimate atmosphere, this is definitely the type of place worth exploring. At the time of our visit, the hotel had just 18 rooms, which made the experience feel especially personal. The staff were incredibly welcoming, and everyone we encountered seemed genuinely happy to be there. From the moment we arrived, we felt right at home.

6. Relax in a Beautiful Boutique Hotel Room

Can we take a moment to appreciate a gorgeous hotel room?! Because honestly, sometimes half the fun of a girls’ getaway is staying somewhere beautiful. Our room at The Birchwood had the prettiest vintage-inspired decor with a glamorous 1920s feel. Think elegant details, a gorgeous canopy bed, and an atmosphere that felt both luxurious and cozy. The bed was incredibly comfortable, which was exactly what we needed after a busy day of exploring. Ashlyn and I are both constantly hot, so naturally, we turned down the air conditioning and enjoyed one of the best nights of sleep we’d had in a while. And the bathroom? OH. MY. GOODNESS. The marble details and beautiful bathtub were absolutely stunning. The hotel provided bubble bath during our stay, so we took turns enjoying a relaxing soak. It was basically the definition of #BathGoals. Sometimes a girls’ weekend isn’t about doing a million activities. It’s about staying somewhere comfortable, taking a long bath, sleeping in, and enjoying a little break from everyday responsibilities.

7. Enjoy Rooftop Drinks at The Canopy

If you’re looking for a fun girls’ night out in downtown St. Petersburg, a rooftop bar with beautiful waterfront views is ALWAYS a good idea. One of the highlights of staying at The Birchwood was visiting The Canopy rooftop lounge. Located at the hotel, The Canopy offered gorgeous views overlooking Tampa Bay, making it a beautiful place to unwind after a day of exploring. During our visit, we settled into a cabana, enjoyed a glass of wine, listened to music, and soaked up the atmosphere. The cabana was air-conditioned, which felt like an absolute dream in the Florida heat. Once the sun started setting and the temperature cooled down a little, we moved over to a fire pit and spent the evening catching up on life. And by cooler, I mean approximately 75 degrees. Florida problems, am I right?! I love rooftop lounges because they feel a little more special than an ordinary night out. Add beautiful waterfront views, great company, and a sunset, and you’ve basically created the perfect girls’ night. If you’re planning a visit, check The Canopy’s current hours, seating arrangements, and reservation policies ahead of time, since these can change.

8. Make Time to Reconnect With Your Girlfriends

As much as I loved the beautiful hotel, rooftop views, and delicious food, the best part of our trip was getting to spend quality time with my friend. We’d spent months in different countries, and between travelling and our busy schedules, we hadn’t had much time to catch up properly. This little getaway gave us the opportunity to reconnect, laugh about old memories, and simply enjoy being together.

Thanks to The Birchwood for hosting our stay and Toyota for providing the Toyota Avalon Hybrid rental. As always, all opinions are my own.