Don Cesar Beach Resort & Spa

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  • 3400 Gulf Blvd
    St. Petersburg, Florida 33706
    (727) 360-1881 Website
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Tideone
First Reviewer
5 out of 5
Avg. Member Rating
3
Reviews
14
Photos

A Local Landmark

  • October 21, 2008
  • Rated 5 of 5 by Travel'in Gal from Mantua, Ohio
A Local Landmark

The Don CeSar Hotel and Resort was built by Thomas Rowe and opened in1928. It was designed in the Moorish style with a huge courtyard bedecked with fountains. Rowe died in 1940, and after his death, the hotel was sold to the military and turned into a Veteran's Administration hospital in 1945. Numerous renovations took place after this and the vast lobby and its fountains were destroyed. Finally in 1973, a serious effort to restore the great structure was made and the Don CeSar became an operating resort hotel once more.

It was the renovations in the 1970s that the ghost of Thomas Rowe made his first appearance. He has been sighted in many locations throughout the hotel, including the dinning room, the lobby and the elevator-only to disappear into the crowd. He has frequently been seen talking to the quests and asking them if their dinners were fine and if the accommodations were satisfactory, just as he liked to do in life.

From journal Our Really. Big Florida Adventure!

Editor Pick

Don Cesar Beach Resort and Spa

  • May 30, 2005
  • Rated 5 of 5 by m2fernandes from North Attleboro, Massachusetts
Don Cesar Beach Resort and Spa

There are fantastic rooms, shops, restaurants, several pools, a Jacuzzi, a spa, a salon, etc. It was phenomenal! I can't speak highly enough about it! The beach is right there as you walk out the back of the hotel. Check out the ice-cream parlor for a place to cool off from the hot Florida sun. We found this as a deal on Expedia for an excellent rate.

The "bellboys" were so nice as well. As we walked up the ramp to the main lobby, they took our luggage to the front desk for us and even offered to take it to our rooms. The concierge staff was so friendly and accommodating. We decided to go see a movie and they told us the times of the exact show we wanted to see as well as the directions on how to get there. The pool-area staff was very helpful when we wanted to drag the umbrella over to the other side of the pool to shade us. Throughout the day, they offered to get us drinks and/or food.

The rooms were about the size of your typical hotel room, but there was more to offer, like two queen-size beds with fabulous sheets tucked in so very tightly. I love that feel of being snug in a comfortable bed. There are bathrobes for you to lounge around the room in as well as an ironing board and iron. The bathroom is that typical bathroom type, but the tiling made it look much more upscale.

From journal St. Pete: Can't be beat

Don CeSar Beach Resort and Spa

  • September 28, 2000
  • Rated 4 of 5 by Tideone from Huntsville, Alabama
Known as the Pink Castle, the Don CeSar Resort and Spa is truly luxury at its finest. This is not your typical run of the mill resort hotel. It costs money to stay here but it is an experience you will never forget. Built in 1928, the resort has recently undergone extensive renovation and a new addition the Beach House has been added. To get the feel of old Florida one must stay in the Don CeSar with its majestic archways, elegant furnishings and soaring ceilings. The Don CeSar is located on the beach and all of its rooms feature along with the usual amenities of a resort hotel, a mini bar. Even if you can't afford to stay at the Don CeSar it is worth a visit just to view this magnificient place, which is named after a character in the Italian opera Maritana. If the hotel looks like you may have seen another one like it somewhere else - you would be right. The Don CeSar was patterned after the Royal Hawaiian Hotel on Waikki Beach.

From journal St. Petersburg - not just for senior citizens anym

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