Mari Jean Hotel - All Adults Welcome

Adults-only and firmly urban, Mari Jean Hotel suits you if you want your Florida base close to restaurants, evening entertainment and the centre of St Petersburg rather than tucked away on a beach resort strip. The mood is more city break than barefoot hideaway, with a bar, live music, comedy, karaoke and a nightclub on site.

There is practical comfort here rather than theatrical luxury. Air conditioning, free WiFi, a lift and private bathrooms cover the basics after a long day out, while the year-round outdoor pool and sun terrace give you somewhere to sit with a drink before deciding whether the evening needs a second wind.

The adults-only policy keeps the setting aimed at grown-up travellers. Couples can walk to nearby bars and restaurants, or stay in and let the hotel provide the soundtrack.

You are in central St Petersburg, within a short walk of Tropicana Field and Artpool Gallery. That puts the hotel in the useful part of town for eating, drinking and getting around, with Cocktail St Pete and Saint Speakeasy almost outside the door and several restaurants within a few hundred feet. No expedition required; sensible footwear will do.

The main sights sit further towards the waterfront. The Chihuly Collection and The Dali Museum are both around 2.4 miles away, while The Pier and The Pier Aquarium are roughly 2.6 miles away. The Fred Marquis Pinellas Trail-Tropicana Field Trailhead is about 1 mile from the hotel if you fancy some time on foot rather than another vehicle journey.

This is not a beachside address. Spa Beach is about 2.4 miles away, with Bermuda Bay Beach around 4 miles and Gulfport Beach around 5 miles. St Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport is about 10 miles away by road; Tampa International Airport is about 18 miles away.

The room categories are built around the same central idea: a super-king bed, private bathroom and air conditioning in a compact space. The Standard Double Room is the straightforward choice, while the Deluxe King Room and Superior King Room give you the option to choose between the available categories rather than paying for a sprawling suite you may not use.

These are rooms for sleeping, showering and resetting, not for staging a full expedition indoors. Each has a wardrobe, carpeted floors, a television and a flat-screen TV, with towels, toiletries, a hairdryer and a shower in the private bathroom. A fan is also available, useful when you want a little air movement without turning the room into a refrigerated storage unit.

The maximum occupancy reaches three in the listed room categories, but the beds remain centred on one extra-large double bed. Children are not allowed, and cots and extra beds are not available, so choose the room for the adults actually travelling rather than treating that third place as a guaranteed separate bed.

Food is handled in several ways on site: three restaurants, American cooking, pizza and barbecue grill dishes. That gives you a choice between a proper plate and something more direct when the day has left you hungry enough to consider eating the menu. A continental breakfast is available, including a breakfast-to-go option for mornings when sitting down feels unnecessarily ambitious.

There is a bar as well as a pool bar, so you can keep the drink indoors or take it outside by the water. Wine and champagne are available, and happy hour adds a more social option to the evening. The hotel does not need you to plan every meal around a timetable; central St Petersburg also puts Matteo Trattoria & Pizzeria, Lala St Pete and Floribbean within an easy walk.

Evenings can carry on beyond dinner with live music, stand-up comedy, karaoke or the nightclub and DJ. That is a useful distinction from a hotel that closes down once the plates are cleared, although light sleepers may prefer a room away from the livelier areas.

The year-round outdoor pool and sun terrace are the obvious places to spend a non-diving afternoon. Outdoor furniture and pool or beach towels are available, giving you somewhere to sit without turning the room into a drying rack for every item you brought with you. The pool is also handy when the Florida heat has made the idea of sightseeing sound like unpaid labour.

If you want more than a lounger, the hotel offers live music, stand-up comedy, evening entertainment, karaoke and a nightclub with DJ. Bingo is available too, while live sports broadcasts take place off site. Cycling is also available off site for a change of pace.

For quieter culture, the Dali Museum and Chihuly Collection are both within about 2.4 miles, and Sunken Gardens is around 2.9 miles away. The Pier and its aquarium are further out, at roughly 2.6 miles, making them manageable outings rather than attractions you can reach in flip-flops from the lobby.

Check-in runs from 15:00 to 22:00, and you need to tell the hotel your expected arrival time. Photo identification and a credit card are required at check-in. The minimum check-in age is 21, which fits the adults-only setup and is worth keeping in mind when arranging a late arrival.

Check-out is from 07:30 to 11:00. Express check-in and check-out, luggage storage, daily housekeeping, laundry and an on-site cash machine are available. Free WiFi covers all areas, and upper floors can be reached by lift.

Private parking is available on site and requires a reservation. A refundable damage deposit is collected by credit card before arrival and returned after check-out, subject to an inspection. Airport transfers are not listed among the hotel services, so plan your arrival around the airport distance and your chosen transport.