The Don Cesar

St Pete Beach, Tampa and Clearwater/St Pete

Virgin rating

Luxury Room
Luxury Room
Maritana
Maritana
Maritana
Uncle Andy's Ice Cream Parlour
Sea Porch Restaurant
Rowe Bar
Rowe Bar
Society Table
Deluxe Junior Suite
Grand King
Rowe Bar
Luxury Junior Suite
Luxury Room
Luxury Room
Maritana
Maritana
Maritana
Uncle Andy's Ice Cream Parlour
Sea Porch Restaurant
Rowe Bar
Rowe Bar
Society Table
Deluxe Junior Suite
Grand King
Rowe Bar
Luxury Junior Suite

The hotel

The stomping ground of celebrities past and present (think F Scott Fitzgerald in earlier years and Justin Timberlake more recently), The Don CeSar Hotel is regarded as Florida’s legendary Pink Palace. Registered with the Historic Hotels of America, it effortlessly blends the Great Gatsby era of pampering with modern European grandeur. Picture-perfect in every way, the beach is a wonderful place to relax or indulge in a variety of exciting water sports – kite surfing anyone? There are also 2 beautifully furnished, recently renovated, beachfront swimming pools to take advantage of, so grab a good book and some sun cream and enjoy! Whilst you’re busy, chilling out or enjoying a pampering session at the spa perhaps, the kids will be having at ball at Camp Cesar. Enjoy the family-friendly touches – there are kid’s menus and even a cupboard full of toys to play with! Even a dedicated retail shop carrying all the essentials to keep kids and teens happy and active. At Camp Cesar, however, they’ll have the time of their lives, participating in beach crafts, seashell hunting, castle contests and pool games. Dine around The Don at one of our many restaurants or lounges. Enjoy dining al fresco for Breakfast, Lunch, or Dinner at Sea Porch, experience an exquisite evening at Maritana Grille, or take in the stunning sunset views with coastal cuisine and cool cocktails at Rowe Bar.

Amenities

  • Golf
  • Sailing
  • Tennis
  • Kids Club
  • Wheelchair access
  • Families
  • Bar
  • Fitness Centre/Gym
  • Restaurant
  • Room Service
  • Spa
  • Beachfront location

Where is it

Facing the Gulf of Mexico and overlooking the white sand dunes of St Pete Beach.

Hotel information

277 fully renovated rooms and suites. All with air-conditioning, satellite TV with pay-per-view films, telephone, WiFi, mini-bar*, tea/coffee maker, hairdryer, radio alarm clock, iron and board. Luxury Rooms are 250 sq ft and have 1 king-size bed or 2 queen-size beds, sleeping maximum 4 adults or 2 adults and 2 children.

Grand Rooms are 250 sq ft and have views of the beach and Gulf of Mexico, with 1 king-size bed or 2 queen-size beds, sleeping maximum 4 adults or 2 adults and 2 children.

Deluxe Junior Suites are 400 sq ft and have city views, with spacious living area with sofa bed and 1 king-size bed, sleeping maximum 3 adults.

Luxury Junior Suites are 400 sq ft and have partial views of the Gulf of Mexico, with spacious living area with sofa bed and 1 king-size bed, sleeping maximum 3 adults.

  • Free night offer: Stay for 4 nights, pay for 3 (stay for 8, pay for 6) for stays completed between 1 Jun–20 Dec '22. Any applicable offers have been calculated into the prices shown. Offers may not be combinable.

Close by attractions include Busch Gardens®, the Dali Museum and downtown St Petersburg – just 15 minutes away. Self-parking $24 plus tax per day, and valet parking from $31 plus tax per day (payable locally, subject to change).

Maritana (fresh seafood dishes with an extensive wine list, dinner), Society Table (Florida Gulf cuisine), Beacon Pool Bar & Lookout (poolside bites), Rowe Bar, Uncle Andy's Market (ice creams, shakes, pastries and coffee), Lobby Bar.

2 recently renovated, beachfront swimming pools, whirlpool. 24-hour fitness centre. Spa Oceana* with salon and rooftop lounge. Water sports* including kayak and paddleboard rental. Beach yoga, beach track, water yoga, restorative yoga and zumba. Camp Cesar* (4-12 years) complimentary for 3 hours — activities include scavenger hunts and weekly dive-in movies. Bicycle rentals*.

Room service*. Concierge service*. Shoppes at the Don (sundries to swim-wear). Complimentary WiFi throughout. Laundry/dry-cleaning service*.

This hotel has a resort fee of $38 plus tax per room, per day (payable locally, subject to change).

Resort fee includes use of the following amenities - Premium Plus WiFi Plan - Complimentary bicycle rental - Daily rental of up to 3 beach loungers and one umbrella per day - Fitness Center access - Family and children activities. ** Subject to change, adhering to COVID safety protocols** - Yoga and aerobic classes daily - Non-motorised watersport rentals (between 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM) - Two bottled waters daily - In-room coffee - Pool & beach games - Airline boarding pass printing - please see hotel check-in for current inclusions available to you upon arrival.

Wheelchair accessible rooms available on request. Please note that these rooms are subject to availability and may be restricted to specific room categories and bedding arrangements. Rooms and facilities vary between hotels so please check at the time of booking. To discover all the special assistance services we offer please see additional information below.

*Denotes local charge

Special assistance

Rating summary

  • Location Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Sleep Quality Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Rooms Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Service Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Value Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Cleanliness Image of the Tripadvisor rating

Traveller rating

  • Excellent (3612)
  • Very good (1191)
  • Average (643)
  • Poor (378)
  • Terrible (371)
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Beach getaway

Aug 19, 2022 castellano203 Tampa, Florida

Beautiful hotel with great amenities and a wonderful beach with picturesque sunsets every night! Several on-site restaurants to choose from with great food, and a service staff that is friendly and eager to cater to all of your needs! Highly recommend this hotel!
Image of the Tripadvisor rating A great place to celebrate a birthday!

Aug 18, 2022 KennethPages Tampa, Florida

We were here two years ago for Ryne's birthday and had a fabulous time. There were still some COVID restrictions then that took away from the fun but that was not the case this time. everything was open and renovated and the rest. I chose the 3 bedroom Penthouse and I will say that the bay view is superior tot he gulf vies (which we had 2 years… Read more
We were here two years ago for Ryne's birthday and had a fabulous time. There were still some COVID restrictions then that took away from the fun but that was not the case this time. everything was open and renovated and the rest. I chose the 3 bedroom Penthouse and I will say that the bay view is superior tot he gulf vies (which we had 2 years ago). The pool, the beach and the bar were all great venues. Special shout outs to Luke at the beach cabanas, Jake at the Pool Bar, Alissa at the lobby bar and of course our Ambassador Amy! Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating A Memorable Anniversary

Aug 18, 2022 Kathy186338 Sarasota, Florida

y husband and I stayed at the Don CeSar recently to celebrate our 41st wedding anniversary. We enjoyed the pools, and the beach was fantastic. Service was very good, and the pool/beach staff were attentive and personable. The grounds are beautiful and well-maintained. It is an older hotel, so the guest rooms are smaller but well-appointed. We… Read more
y husband and I stayed at the Don CeSar recently to celebrate our 41st wedding anniversary. We enjoyed the pools, and the beach was fantastic. Service was very good, and the pool/beach staff were attentive and personable. The grounds are beautiful and well-maintained. It is an older hotel, so the guest rooms are smaller but well-appointed. We chose a room with a balcony but never sat on it because it was small and unappealing, overlooking the parking lot. We had a wonderful time and enjoyed our brief stay and will recommend this hotel to others looking for a restful, pampered getaway. Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Save yourself some frustration, book elsewhere

Aug 17, 2022 HotelAficianado Columbus, Ohio

The a/c units from the hotel is the only sound you hear at the pool while staring boringly at everyone else sitting around. Come to find out, the speakers went out a month ago and they’ve not prioritized fixing them. Let me put it more clearly, every single person at the pool was complaining about this and when I spoke to the front desk they are… Read more
The a/c units from the hotel is the only sound you hear at the pool while staring boringly at everyone else sitting around. Come to find out, the speakers went out a month ago and they’ve not prioritized fixing them. Let me put it more clearly, every single person at the pool was complaining about this and when I spoke to the front desk they are oblivious to the idea that for $500/night people would like at least some low decibel classic rock while sitting at the pool all day. When I talked to the front desk they could care less and said “this is the Don Cesar” some guests may want to relax I. Silence, but they are clueless. This hotels hay day has long passed. Do not buy in to their “newly renovated” claim either, the hallways, fixtures, doors and more or less the details are just covered with thick sloppy coats of paint over and over. We thought this was the nicest hotel in St. Pete/Clearwater but this is not it, and if it is we recommend heading to Fort Lauderdale instead. We had booked a long weekend here but are cutting our stay short and staying at the Seminole instead. I cannot express enough, I’m tired of hotels hotels claiming to be “luxury” and jacking prices up but cut corners and amenities and expecting customers to accept the subpar service. It’s pretty ridiculous, I’d love to hear some folks input that have stayed here recently so future guests can make a better choice than we did. Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Fantastic Staff ... BUT it remains an old hotel!

Aug 16, 2022 jlichty2022

The staff is Ritz Carlton level but the renovation of the Pink Palace is disappointing. I understand it was a huge project to renovate a property of this size but I expected more. Having recently stayed at the READ Hotel in TN and the Plaza in NYC The Don doesn't measure up. Our room 417 was too small to be called luxury; it didn't have a closet,… Read more
The staff is Ritz Carlton level but the renovation of the Pink Palace is disappointing. I understand it was a huge project to renovate a property of this size but I expected more. Having recently stayed at the READ Hotel in TN and the Plaza in NYC The Don doesn't measure up. Our room 417 was too small to be called luxury; it didn't have a closet, the size of the bathroom was about 3 sq ft. , it had an adjoining door to another room, which I am guessing was the larger of the suite, is NOT soundproof! In a word our stay was CRAMPED! The public spaces are NOT professionally painted or finished. The hotel overall needs a "fresh" look! And the room sizes need to be enlarged! The walls in the rooms and baths need to come down and spaces enlarged to earn THE DON name and live up to your advertising! Read less