Treasure Island's Ramada Inn will soon no longer see the light of day as it's demolished to make room for new beachfront condos, according to today's St. Petersburg Times.

"It was one of the first Ramada Inns east of the Mississippi," said Michael A. Conley, general manager of the 121-room hotel. He has been there two years.

The hotel will be replaced by Sunset Vistas Condo/Hotel, which will be 160-unit condo/hotel. Condo/hotels are great for people who usually want to own a smaller condo, stay there for some parts of the year, then rent the condo to vacation-visitors during other parts of the year.

The City of Treasure Island mandated that units in this particular condo/hotel to be rented out at least six times a year, according to the Times article.

While it may not be surprising, hotels keep disappearing as they're bought out by developers seeking to build condos.

Several longtime beach hotels are being torn down and replaced by condominiums. The 1950s-era Surf Motel will disappear to make way for the Surf Beach Resort. The Holiday Inn in Madeira Beach is scheduled to be torn down in June to make way for a condominium project. And now the Ramada Inn.

With condos being popular purchases for vacationers, investors and people who desire to live on or close to the beach, this is no surprise at all.

For more information on this particular development, see the article in today's St. Petersburg Times.

-John Mudd
"Mr. Real Estate"