Hotel Facts
The Beginning

In  1912, the  St.  Petersburg  Investment  Company platted the Davista subdivision, named in honor of Frank A. Davis, at the western  end of the Central Avenue. As part of the development, the company donated Sunset Park, situated at the west end of Central Avenue along Boca Ciega Bay, to the City of St.  Petersburg in 1913.  Across from the park, on the northeast corner of Central Avenue and Park Street, the Company leased land to developer Robert Grigg in exchange for his promise to build a hotel.
Grigg initiated construction of the hotel in 1915 originally called the Bella Vista Hotel, designed by architect George Feltham and built by contractor Hardy William Bryan.
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In an April 7, 1915 article, the St. Petersburg Times noted that the facility would be a “modern hotel in every particular” with several of the “apartments” already contracted for by seasonal residents.  The L-shaped hotel would be “four stories in height featuring the top floor as a roof garden dining area and refreshment parlor of the pergola type.” An elevator could access each room, and would feature a folding bed, a telephone and hot and cold running water.  Accommodating parties and dances, the facility would also feature a billiard room and tennis and croquet courts.”

Healing & A New Life

In 2015, marking the 100 year anniversary of the Sunset Hotel, a total renovation has finally been completed and a healing transformation has taken place. This historic resort hotel now breathes with new life as the Crystal Bay Hotel. Lovingly restored as a special place for relaxation, Crystal Bay is a beautiful retreat to unwind and renew.

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The Sunset Hotel was listed as a local landmark in 2007.  On November 24, 2014, the Sunset Hotel was added to the National Register of Historic Places.