In 1924, it was called the Lantern Lane Apartments. More recently, it was Grayl’s Hotel until Chuck Prather bought the historic property on a whim and turned it into a four-piece ensemble of rooftop bar, fine dining, ballroom, and hotel, which will open soon as The Birchwood.
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Right next to Moon Under Water on Beach Drive, The Birchwood is almost ready to open its sturdy teak doors to the ‘Burg. Most of the historic building was kept in tact, though two floors were added. The bottom floor features fine dining at Birch & Vine which includes indoor, private and sidewalk dining. A tiled wall of various shades of green with “The Birchwood” in elegant silver lettering will serve as a continuous waterfall to add to the already “fine” dining experience.
The Birchwood theme is obvious throughout the building, though the detail is impressive. The art is all Birch tree related, with earth tones offset by a deep magenta, or wine color. The backsplash behind the lobby bar features birchwood trees stenciled on frosted glass. Portions of the wall look like gray bricks with golf ball sized holes, creating an interesting 3D Swiss cheese effect. Many of the historic features of the building were salvaged, including the original crystal door knobs. They can no longer be used due to handicap accessibility laws, so they were repurposed as decoration in the lobby.
“We wanted to have juxtaposition of old and new,” Prather said.
The Birchwood excels in staying true to both.
The hotel hallways are moody and haunted in an elegant way, not at all reminiscent of “The Shining.” The numbers corresponding to each room illuminate an eerie white glow. Hanging along the gray halls are photos from when St. Petersburg was a young lass in the 20s and 30s. Crowds gathering on the Million Dollar Pier and people playing shuffleboard remind us that our great city has been “around the block,” so to speak.
Once inside the rooms, the earth tones and red wine color scheme from the lobby come back into play. Suite 201 overlooks Beach Drive, with a close enough view to see the morning sun sparkling off the Bay. Prather says the rooms facing Beach Drive will be the most popular for this reason. There is definitely a romantic feel to the Birchwood hotel rooms and it has something to do with the four poster beds, the modern lanterns providing soft lighting and the wine colored bathrooms with modern claw foot tubs. Is the opening of The Birchwood and newest Great Gatsby movie excellent timing, or what?
“We tried for the boutique quality that Beach Drive deserves,” Prather said. Don’t worry Chuck, it’s in the bag.
The elegance of the hotel is especially noticeable in the ballroom, a room with the right amount of class and just enough chandeliers that adds swank without trying too hard. “These aren’t your grandmother’s chandeliers,” Prather said, mentioning that they’re modern retro, but definitely energy efficient.
The last buildings Prather completed were LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified. He did not apply for LEED certification for this building, but says every fixture is energy efficient. “We’re an honorary member.”
The ballroom has an open air balcony, perfect for guests who want to escape the noise of the ballroom. From the rooftop lounge to the patio dining overlooking the street, all railings are made of glass. Prather said the objective was to preserve the view. And preserve it they did, especially noticeable from The Canopy, Birchwood’s rooftop lounge.
Unlike other downtown bars with rooftop views, like PUSH Ultra Lounge where the view is nice but doesn’t have prime waterfront access, The Canopy provides an incredible view of the Bay. Ample seating is available on comfy couches, elegant white chairs or private cabanas. The center of the rooftop area looks like the “loungiest” part of the bar, with couches atop a strip of astro-turf surrounding rectangular glass boxes of crushed glass. Prather says they’re fire boxes with crushed glass inside that will reflect the light, sure to cast a beautiful glow.
The floor of the rooftop lounge will be lit up with LED lights. The music and overall tone of the rooftop bar will be extremely… chill. “I want no one to think of this as a club,” Prather said. He does want live music, but will limit the volume and the house music won’t be “any one genre so we don’t alienate anyone.”
He says he expects the rooftop bar to stay open until 1am on Fridays and Saturdays and until midnight during the week.
Prather hopes Birchwood will be open within the next week, but he said it depends upon when the Fire and Health Departments give the go-ahead. “I can’t wait to share it with St. Petersburg.”
The Birchwood is located at 340 Beach Drive. Whether you dine on the sidewalk under the large green umbrellas or visit the rooftop lounge for a late-evening cocktail, this historic building turned mod vintage charm is worth the trip. As if we needed another excuse to love the ‘Burg, Beach Drive’s newest/oldest gem has raised the bar for downtown St. Pete before its wooden doors even open.
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