Planning for the beach...HELP!

I know...I'll be competing in the St. Anthony's Triathlon. But I'll be at the beach, too! So it's time to start planning.
My boyfriend, Chris, is meeting me down in St. Petersburg, Fla., for the weekend. In all my foresight, I did not reserve a room for the two of us. Instead, I'm stuck rooming with another TNT teammate. So to keep him from sleeping on the street, I'm now in a panic looking for a hotel room.
This task...well, it's not easy. Everything that looks close to the race, and safe enough to sleep in, is all booked. So what do I do? Where do I stay?
Any advice on inexpensive, hip little places to stay near the beach? Please comment. I'm begging you.