Post #134870 by Kailuageoff on Mon, Jan 10, 2005 7:17 PM

St. Petersburg had a Trader Vics restaurant, but other than a matchbook I was unable to find a postcard or other visual evidence that identified the location: the Sheraton Bel-Air hotel in St. Petersburg.

I finally found what I was looking for on e-bay. This postcard...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=6255446022&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT

The postcard reads in part, "The world famous Trader Vic's restaurant with delightful American and Oriental menus is here, too."

When I saw this postcard, I sensed there was something familar about it. When I compared it to the images below, I realized it was the same place.

This hotel started out as the the Sheraton Bel Air with a Trader Vics restaurant and at some point became the Outrigger Inn. They had "Four Exotic Cocktail Lounges - Polynesian and American Foods in Tiki, South Seas or Kona Rooms or in Beefeater Restaurant."
Bigbro points out that some of Trader Vics original properties were called Outrigger restaurants.

In my opinion this must have been one hell of a setting for a Trader Vics. Not too far from Tiki Gardens and MGM's Bounty either. Too bad it didn't last.

Tiki Gardner figured out this hotel is now the Holiday Inn Sunspree Resort. Someone needs to find out if any traces of the tiki past are still there.
KG

[ Edited by: Kailuageoff 2006-03-16 18:37 ]