Shephard's Beach Resort

What Shephard's Beach Resort does

Shephard's Beach Resort is a privately held, single-property beachfront hospitality company founded in 1977 and headquartered on Clearwater Beach, Florida. It operates two towers — the Sand Key Tower and the Gulf Tower — offering approximately twelve room categories ranging from standard Pool View and Island View rooms to Studio rooms with kitchenettes and three premium suites (King Suite, Sunset Suite, Two Bedroom Suite). The resort also features ADA-accessible room types, an on-site Tiki Beach Bar and live-music venue, a heated pool terrace, a fitness facility, and an adjacent Makin' Waves watersports operation providing jet ski, kayak, paddleboard and beach equipment rentals.

The core product is the lodging experience itself, sold predominantly through a direct-to-consumer booking channel built on a TravelClick reservation engine embedded in the company's website (shephards.com). The company emphasizes a 'Book Direct for Best Rate Guaranteed' policy to recapture bookings from third-party OTAs and reduce commission leakage, while premium suites are routed through direct phone reservations to support higher-value, higher-touch service. Distribution is otherwise narrow: a single physical property, domestic-only market, and reliance on its own website and a small set of co-marketing partners (Tropic Boat Tours, Paddle Pub, Way 2 Go Rides, Enchanted Florist) for cross-promotion and ancillary services.

Revenue mechanics combine nightly room rentals (dynamic-priced based on date and availability), on-site F&B and entertainment at the Tiki Bar, commission or revenue share from on-site watersports, and partner-promoted excursions. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and requires date selection in the booking system. The business is operated with 51-100 employees and has no disclosed parent company, funding rounds, M&A activity, mobile app, or proprietary technology platform beyond standard hospitality booking infrastructure.

Name

Shephard's Beach Resort

Legal name

Shephard's Beach Resort

Website

https://shephards.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Shephard's Beach Resort is a privately held, single-property beachfront hotel in Clearwater Beach, Florida, founded in 1977, offering rooms, suites, on-site dining at a Tiki Bar, and watersports amenities to leisure travelers and vacationers via direct online and phone bookings.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Beachfront Resort Accommodations

NAICS

Restaurants and Other Eating Places (72251)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Beachfront & Coastal Full-Service Hotels (THAGAAAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Rooftop Bars & Beach/Pool Bars (THAFAEAJ)

Keywords

• Beachfront resort accommodations
• Waterfront hotel rooms
• Vacation lodging hospitality
• Leisure travel stays
• Beach resort amenities

Headquarters

HQ city

Clearwater

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Hotel Room Accommodations: Nightly and weekly rental of hotel rooms and suites ranging from standard Pool View and Gulf View rooms to premium suites like the King Suite and Sunset Suite. Revenue generated through direct bookings via the TravelClick reservation system embedded on the resort's website.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Shephard's Beach Resort operates a beachfront hotel property on Clearwater Beach, Florida, offering nightly and weekly accommodations across multiple room categories (Pool View, Gulf View, Studio, Island View, Cabana, and premium suites) in two towers (Sand Key Tower and Gulf Tower). The resort provides on-site amenities including the Tiki Beach Bar, heated pool terrace, fitness facility, and an on-site watersport rental operation (Makin' Waves) for jet skis, kayaks, paddleboards, and beach equipment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pool View Room Standard hotel room located directly over the heated pool and tropical terrace with 2 Queen beds, private balcony facing the Tiki Bar, band stage, and beach. Targeted at leisure travelers seeking a central, activity-rich location.
• Gulf View Room Most popular room category offering views of the Gulf of America, Tiki Bar, band stage, and beach. Available with 2 Queen beds or 1 King bed and a private balcony.
• Studio Queen Room Studio-style room with 2 Queen beds, pullout sofa, fully equipped studio kitchen, breakfast bar, and private balcony with partial Gulf views. Located in the Gulf Tower.
• Studio King Room

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Tropic Boat TourcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerRecommended boat cruise partner located at Clearwater Beach Marina. Offers dolphin watching and sunset cruise excursions. Shephard's guests receive discount codes (SHEP1 for $8 off single ticket, SHEP2 for $17.92 off two tickets, SHEP6PARTY for $57.60 off party bookings). Also offers private charter events. Phone: 727.442.7433.
• Paddle Pub Clearwater BeachminorGTM or Marketing PartnerInteractive BYOB party boat cruise experience. Shephard's guests receive BOGO (Buy One Get One) deal using code SBR when booking. Features onboard restroom and sound system. Seats available individually or full boat reservations. Phone: 833.386.3862.
• Way 2 Go RidesminorOthersRecommended transportation partner with fleet of vans and town cars for island transportation. Services available for airport transfers to local airports for a nominal fee. Phone: 727.424.5458.
• Enchanted FloristminorOthersFlower ordering service recommended for guests wishing to send flowers, likely for special occasions during their stay.
• Makin' Waves (Watersport Rentals)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOn-site watersport rental operation at Shephard's Beach Resort. Offers 2024 Yamaha Wave Runners (jet skis), kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, and beach umbrella/chair rentals. Website: www.clearwaterbeachjetski.com, Phone: 727-466-9543. Provides online booking capability. Revenue-generating amenity that enhances guest experience.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Sandpearl Resort: Luxury beachfront resort on Clearwater Beach directly competing for the same leisure, honeymoon, and family traveler segments with Gulf-front accommodations, multiple dining outlets, and on-site amenities.
• Hyatt Regency Clearwater Beach Resort & Spa: Branded full-service beachfront resort on Clearwater Beach offering Gulf-view suites, multiple restaurants, pool deck, and spa — directly comparable in product offering and target guest, with the advantage of a global loyalty program.
• Clearwater Beach Marriott Resort on Sand Key: Beachfront Marriott property on Sand Key immediately adjacent to Shephard's Sand Key Tower, offering comparable Gulf-view rooms, F&B outlets, and event space to overlapping leisure and group markets.
• Opal Sands Resort: Full-service beachfront resort on Clearwater Beach offering Gulf-view rooms, multiple dining venues, and a spa — competing for the same premium leisure guest with similar upscale positioning.
• Hilton Clearwater Beach Resort & Spa: Direct beachfront Hilton on Clearwater Beach offering comparable accommodations, dining, and pool amenities, with Hilton Honors loyalty distribution that an independent operator cannot match.
• Sheraton Sand Key Resort: Large beachfront resort on Sand Key immediately adjacent to Shephard's, offering comparable Gulf-view rooms, conference space, and dining — competing for both leisure and group business.
• Pier House 60 Clearwater Beach Marina Hotel: Independent beachfront hotel on Clearwater Beach with marina access, comparable mid-tier room product, and similar target market — closely overlapping with Shephard's positioning as an independent operator.

Regional players

• Don CeSar (The Don CeSar): Iconic historic beachfront resort on St. Pete Beach with a similar legacy heritage story and independent-plus-affiliation model, competing in the broader Tampa Bay Gulf beach leisure market.
• TradeWinds Island Resorts: Large beachfront resort complex on St. Pete Beach offering multiple towers, watersports, F&B, and family activities — directly comparable in product mix but operating on a different barrier island in the same Tampa Bay market.
• Sirata Beach Resort: Independent beachfront resort on St. Pete Beach with multiple towers, dining venues, and on-site activities — analogous in scale, ownership structure, and target market to Shephard's but in a neighboring submarket.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/shephardsresort

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Shephard's Beach Resort