Hotel: Don CeSar Hotel

Address: 3400 Gulf Blvd, St. Petersburg, FL 33706

Website: www.doncesar.com

TraveLife ranking:

Rooms: 277 – newly renovated

Room rates: $186+

Awards: Regularly rated among the top 5 hotels in Florida by AAA.

Highlights: The hotel looks so good that it’s been used as a backdrop in lots of movies and many Hollywood and sports stars have made this their home while visiting St. Petersburg. During the heyday of baseball, it was common to see such New York Yankee greats as Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth hanging around the lobby or lounge, which still looks majestic and inviting off the main entrance. F. Scott Fitzgerald, of Great Gatsby fame, was also a regular visitor at the Don CeSar. It overlooks St. Pete Beach and the soothing ocean waves will lull you to sleep each night. You can also get walking tours of this historic property.

History: Known as the Pink Palace, the Don CeSar Hotel was built by a man named Thomas J. Rowe in 1927. Rowe named the hotel the Don CeSar after the main character, Don Caesar DeBazan, in his favourite opera, Maritana, by Vincent Wallace. The hotel could also be called a “Love Palace” because Rowe apparently built the property to honor a singer named Lucinda, whom he fell deeply in love with while attending one of her opera performances in London. Rowe, smitten by Lucinda’s good looks and charm, arranged secret meetings with her but when the woman’s noble family found out they sent Lucinda away and the two never met again. Heart broken, Rowe returned to the United States and set about building his lasting tribute to love lost. In 1940, Rowe suffered a heart attack and died later that year. Romantics, however, will have us believe he succumbed to a broken heart. There are rumors that the ghosts of Rowe and Lucinda now meet in the grand lobby of the hotel from time to time. A very interesting “history wall” on the lower floor of the hotel displays artifacts and newspaper accounts of what life at the Don CeSar has been like over the years. The hotel is now a National Historic Building and was closed during World War II and used as a hospital for returning troops. Many of those soldiers have since returned in their senior years to share the wonderful impressions the Don left with them.

Interior highlights: The hotel’s stunning lobby is one of the most fascinating in the world. A place where people who are not staying at the Don CeSar come to soak up the luxurious atmosphere, highlighted by windows looking out on the beach and a double pool area. While the hotel has undergone several makeovers, Rowe’s intended splendor is still very much evident everywhere. In fact, the property seems to be getting better with age and most of its rooms, three large suites and two enormous penthouse suites have been updated to today’s four-star standards.

In the next room: Because the hotel is used regularly as a movie backdrop, famed directors, actors and movie moguls can be seen walking its stately corridors.

The rooms: Don CeSar’s are a bit small by today’s standards but the ocean and beach views they offer prove that size doesn’t really matter in hotel rooms.

Amenities: The Don offers a first-class spa that’s gotten better since moving closer to the beach. The spa offers couples’ massage lessons, which has become one of its most popular features. The bedrooms come filled with the latest in beauty products and some of the higher-end rooms are filled with pink roses. The hotel even offers a rose pedal drawn bath.

Restaurants: The main dining room offers guests local specialties served in European elegance.

Shopping: The hotel boasts some luxury shops but there’s little else in this area dominated by hotels and restaurants.

Close by: St. Pete’s famous beach is just a few steps away from the hotel.

Tips: It’s love at first sight when you check into this pink beauty. It’s also affordable luxury, which makes it a favorite with families. The hotel’s pool and beach area are among the best TraveLife’s staff have ever enjoyed. Take the historic tour of the hotel – it’s a fascinating step back to a romantic time in U.S. history.