The Belleview Inn

LEGEND LIVES ON AT THE BELLEVIEW INN

It was the late 1800s, and Florida was on the brink of its first true economic boom. Resort areas were being developed throughout the state, and wealthy folks from the North were beginning to winter in the quickly growing and desirable cities of the South. Railroads were being built with lightning speed to facilitate this travel.

No two men expedited that growth and built their wealth on it more than Henry Plant and Henry Flagler. And while Flagler worked diligently to fill the need on Florida’s east coast from Jacksonville to Key West, it was the Plant System of railway, steamer, and steamship lines that connected central and west Florida to those seeking the Sunshine State’s mild winters, sandy beaches, and crystal-clear springs. 

Plant knew that “Florida was the future”, so he built destination hotels strategically throughout central and southwestern parts of the state. Some hotels he purchased and renovated: others were built lavishly from the ground up. His Plant System serviced them all – from Ocala and Sanford in the north to Punta Gorda and Fort Myers in the south – giving rise to a winter experience for the wealthy that was unrivaled in the nation. 

Tucked away in the western coastal town of Bellaire, in Pinellas County, lies a property that was once the jewel of Plant’s Florida empire – the iconic Belleview Inn. Originally opened as the Hotel Belleview in 1897 and known as “The White Queen on the Gulf”, the Belleview is situated along a coastal bluff line overlooking what was then called Clear Water Harbor. 

Situated 35 feet above sea level, it was the highest coastal elevation in the state, affording breathtaking western views. The 145 room Hotel Belleview was built in the Queen Anne architectural style, introducing a unique lodging concept to the shoreline of Florida. By 1924, it had been built out to almost 500 rooms and more than 820,000 square feet, making it one of the largest wooden structures in the world.  (Continue reading below photos). 

Hotel Belleview was a vacation haven for royalty, athletes, celebrities, and presidents. Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, and Thomas Edison were regular guests, as was every sitting president of the 20th century. Plant spared no expense while building his gem - even running his railroad line to within a few feet of the expansive front porch terrace. 

The hotel featured steam-generated electricity, with a then-unheard-of three light bulbs in each room. He tapped his friend Louis Tiffany to create and install 96 of his world-famous Tiffany leaded-glass panels in the ballroom. 

It also included a six-hole golf course (oldest holes in the state today), which was added to at the turn of the century by the most famous course builder in history, Donald Ross. The two natural springs on the property, Clear Water Spring and Bathtub Spring, were enclosed by wooden bath houses and were popular for their “therapeutic powers”. 

Sadly, after decades of neglected maintenance, two world wars, and subtle changes in the landscape, the hotel fell into disrepair and closed in 2009. Enter JMC Communities, which purchased the hotel property in 2015, intent on preserving the central core of the original hotel. 

Renovations were completed in just a few years. In 2018, it reopened as the Belleview Inn, with the original lobby, 35 luxury rooms - and pride in the renovation’s attention to remarkable detail. In fact, the hotel’s century-plus history is showcased in Mort’s Reading Room, an eclectic area filled with displays, artwork, and information about the hotel’s legacy. 

Upon arrival at The Belleview, the main lobby greets guests with its pine-plank flooring, its original grand staircase, a communal fireplace, and elegant artwork by famed local artist Christopher Still. The Grand Lawn – more than 5,000 square feet of beautiful space situated between the porch and pool – conjures up visions of turn-of-the-century outdoor activity.

The Belleview’s rooms and suites harken back to Victorian design and are constructed to show off the hotel’s classic Gilded Age architecture. Much is original, but that doesn’t mean that it’s lacking in any way.

Rooms have upscale amenities one expects from a first-class hotel, including spectacular views of the pool and local community. Add in original high-end features such as 10-foot-wide hallways, oversized windows, quarter-sawn wood floors, and 5-foot eaves, and it’s easy to see why the Belleview showcases the best of the era in which it was built. 

Guests find classic touches from the original Hotel Belleview at every turn: the pre-Columbian heart-of-pine lumber used to build the first structure is visible in the wall cut-out on the fourth floor, along with blueprints from its construction. Doors to each room are the original Victorian ones installed in 1897. Hidden stairways and dumbwaiters abound. 

In addition to on-site features such as Maisie’s Marketplace and a fully equipped fitness center, The Belleview’s guests have access to amenities at adjacent Belleair Country Club. Privileges include access to play Florida’s historic Belleview Biltmore Golf Club, the 36-hole course built by Ross. The Club has five dining and lounge areas, including the cozy 1897 Lounge, with a private, full-service restaurant and bar open daily for breakfast and lunch. 

Guests are also welcome to visit, eat, and play at the Belleview Inn’s sister property on Clearwater Beach, The Sandpearl Resort. With access to its extensive private beach and the elegant Caretta on the Gulf restaurant, The Sandpearl is worth the short drive from The Belleview Inn. 

The legend of this remarkable hotel now lives on at The Belleview Inn.  Visit it soon and find out why.

The Belleview Inn

25 Belleview Boulevard, Belleair, FL 33756 

727.441.1774

www.TheBelleviewInn.com