Thanks! How was the Fenway? I was looking at that too since I could use our FNC. How far is it from the beach?
It's an older hotel, done up in a boutique style. I would say comfortable but you get the echo from the older doors and hallways. The food was decent. I did a dinner (room service) and a breakfast in the dining room. There was a wedding the first night I stayed and it sort of took over the whole place - it was a weekend. I think it's suited to this kind of thing as it's a nice venue, but I will avoid weekend if I go again. It's service oriented, with staff being friendly and fairly plentiful. There is a nice rooftop bar with a great Gulf/water view if the weather cooperates, and it's music themed with live music quite often.
It's also all valet parking as their parking is smaller.
It's across the street from the water and a sidewalk/walking trail and small park area but that's not a beach. You would have to drive to a beach, either towards Clearwater or up to Dunedin area where I go to the Honeymoon Island State Park. I don't go for sunbathing; just walking and enjoying the birds and nature. I actually don't care for the sand/shells of the Gulf beaches - I prefer the Atlantic beaches. (I don't think I'm the norm here.)
Anyway, for me it would be 2 nights max and maybe even just one. My intention would be to eat, sleep, take a morning walk, check out and go to the State park for a few hours and then move to another area, maybe Sarasota for a change of pace, but might stay a night or two in Clearwater as well, then crossover and do a couple of nights in Vero Beach before driving north again. Fort Myers/Sanibel could be an option also. I could cross over and visit my Turtle hospital in Jupiter.
I'm basically looking at a circle trip. Maryland to Florida, Disney for a few nights, Gulf Coast, back to Atlantic coast (Vero DVC) then back up to Maryland via a couple of studio nights at Hilton Head DVC.
I have Disney tickets but doubt I'll be interested in any parks. In January and February trips I could care less. I go when I'm on an AP because I have the AP, not because I'm hungry for a park. Later on the Garden festival is nice, but then I'm pretty much good until food and wine in the fall. It's the nicer weather that attracts me in winter. I'm really a snowbird at heart.