Katie a poolside server at the Don Cesar hands down is the best server I have ever encountered. We were there in A resort pass day (that's another review, not recommended). Katie made us feel welcomed and was very attentive and even moved our chairs when a rowdy crowd came in. Don Cesar management give this girl a raise or management position! Thank you Katie!!! read more

I stayed at the Don CeSar for four nights during a work conference, and had a great experience from the time I arrived and the time I left. The resort is huge but not overwhelming. The views are beautiful, and the location is right on the beach. There are plenty of spaces in the lobby for working, plenty of meeting rooms (or ball rooms if you're there for a formal event), and areas to just relax or work. The resort provides live music various days of the week as well. I will say that I was surprised about the lack of dining options. There is a lobby bar (which doesn't open until 3pm), and just two restaurant options. Maritana is only open a few days a week and not open until 5:30pm, although the lobby bar does serve a few small plates. The Society Table has a bar within their restaurant (Rowe Bar I believe), and I experienced both as they both have different menus. The lobby bar menu is small but great; the Wagyu Sliders and charcuterie board were both delicious. The wine list is fairly extensive as well. I dined at the society table for lunch on the day that I left and I got the Gumbo with jalapeño cornbread. This was very delicious; I do feel there should've been more than a few pieces of chopped up shrimp. My waitress was wonderful though and very kind as well as the hostess. For the days we were provided food by the resort for the work conference, I was very impressed! All of the breakfast, lunch, and dinner options were incredibly extensive, fresh, and delicious. The servers were very attentive and helpful. The room service menu although overpriced and included a $5 "delivery charge," is very extensive and tasty. For example, an omelet with toast (small salad included with the omelette), was almost $60 including tip. That being said, it was the best omelette I've ever had. The guest services for room service and the cleaners were incredibly friendly and helpful, especially Evan! Do note that this is a cashless resort. There are a few shops on the first floor for souvenirs, basic necessities for traveling, and then an adorable little shop/café with ice cream, coffee, wine, snacks, and drinks. On to the room! I really enjoyed my room. I feel like for one person or even two, it's a pretty spacious room. The bed was very comfortable as well as pillows. They cleaned my room each day, and provided new towels. The bathroom was clean and a decent size for one person. All of the events that the hotel put on for our conference were outstanding. We had a welcome party and a beach party, and I was incredibly impressed. The food was delicious, the staff incredibly attentive and kind, and the music wonderful! The Don CeSar was the perfect place for our conference and I would highly recommend a company conference there. Between the delicious food, impeccable service, beautiful resort, and location right on the beach, I would recommend this spot for an event, quick getaway, or staycation. read more

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This is a beach resort that is very nice. The rooms are ok somewhat dated. The restaurants are EXCELLENT, but expensive, which is probably expected. The service in this hotel is very good overall. The pools and the beach are superb. We chose this resort as a special anniversary vacation, and this is part of the lower review. We ultimately felt the hotel discount promotion and phone sales was misleading. Ambiguous communication led us to believe we would receive a free night, however we later realized and were told that the discount was already built in to our price, although no sign of discount was found anywhere on our invoice. I'm self employed and I've managed business for 35 years, and I've not seen discounts that don't show on an invoice. Se beware of promotional discount offers as it may not be what you expect, and you'll be left with no way to disprove the phantom discount because it's not on your invoice, apparently is just spoken. Overall service was very good. We had a minor blip in the maritana, which was the wrong dessert brought to us, and presented as "happy anniversary" with a chocolate that said that, but was strangely charged to us. The waitress handled it like a pro. I would advise the chef to either ignore birthdays and anniversaries and that sort of thing, or offer a small free dessert. But definitely don't bring out a "happy anniversary" dessert then charge for it. Also had overcooked hard poached eggs at the society table - no big deal just no runny yolk. If not for the price, who cares? But with such a great menu and fantastic chef, they should get eggs right. No discount offered. But I ate it so... All of our food was great, and really well developed and complete dishes as if it were Michelin rated. Cheers to the chef. Just two very minor fails. Overall it was a nice stay but we won't go back mainly because ultimately they didn't step up over a $600ish discrepancy over a 5 night stay. Look at my reviews. It's very rare I don't write 5 stars. I'm not one of those people that gives a bunch of bad reviews. The highlight of this resort is the beach, the pools, and the menu. Service is good overall. So definitely some good. read more

The hotel is beautiful, but... The first impressions from Valet were lack luster. There was no real warm greeting and my friend and I walked the length of lobby to the back bar and no one spoke to us or greeted us. We visited the only dining option open due the remodel and the food was so disappointing. For the luxury price point I excepted the simplest of meals to be spectacular. I ordered the 'barbique' burger and fries and it was dry and over cooked. When I was eating the burger I recalled that the waiter didn't ask how I wanted my burger cooked which leads me to believe that the beef was frozen. The fries were mediocre. Ho Hum! My beverage was tastey and the company grand which made everything better. After just spending 4 nights at the JW Marriott in Tampa maybe I expected too much from this hotel. The $42 parking fee sealed the deal. I won't be revisiting. read more

The Don CeSar - Pool Ocean View - Resorts Near Me - St. Pete Beach, Florida

Beautiful Historic Hotel - room. though was tiny with an even tinier bathroom and carpet was dirty. For the $600+ price a tiny room was not worth it and many chairs in the hallways by the rooms and some of the doors in the hallways were in need of some fresh paint and new furniture. The location and beach are outstanding and the pools are very nice. The main restaurant was Great and the Lobby bar beautiful. Great food and snack store as well. If not for the tiny room and high prices for tiny room along with some updating needed to furniture and paint I would have given the hotel 4 to 5 stars. read more

Did not stay at the hotel, but enjoyed some truly excellent cocktails and service at the hotel bar. The espresso martini was one of the best I've had and The GOAT dirty martini was truly unique. Goat cheese stuffed Kalamata olives! Different take on a favorite of mine and currently gathering supplies to start self stuffing Kalamata olives. read more

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Had breakfast with family at their Society Table restaurant. It's Easter break so we made sure to make a reservation. We walked up and was greeted right away. The pleasant hostess walked us to our table. We opted for outside and the weather was perfect. Our waitress came right away. Told us about the buffet if we wanted or we could do the menu. She was so sweet and friendly. We got our drinks and orders in. Drinks were great. My 10yr old got the buffet. She loved the fresh baked croissants. What we ordered- Chicken & Biscuit, Biscuit & Gravy, Smoked Brisket & Eggs, and Ranchero. Our order just took a really long time to come out and we noticed a few tables that came after us got their food. I will def come back for sure. read more

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What an incredible stay at the Pink Palace. 10/10 across the board. My husband and I booked our stay to celebrate our wedding anniversary. I don't know how many times throughout our stay we looked at each other and said 'I'm really glad we found this hotel'. From the moment we drove up the hill to the beautiful pink hotel, I knew my palace was waiting for a weekend of luxury & love which is exactly what we experienced. The hotel smelled like serene beach vacation, the interior & exterior decor, the hallways, our room, everything was clean, luxury, spacious, and exceeding our expectations. I had no desire to leave the hotel once I checked in and there are enough things to do and explore to accomplish this. We had a pool day where we ordered lunch from the Beacon pool bar and ate pool side, had a beach day where we walked to their sister property at the Beach House Suites to enjoy lunch at the Sand Dollar bar. We ate at both of the restaurants Mariana & Society table (separate reviews posted). Uncle Andy's market was a nightly stop for my husband to get a blondie cake and ice cream, I enjoyed some pastries and sweets from there as well. One of the evenings before dinner we enjoyed watching the Sunset by the beach with the rest of the guest. Sunset followed by pink skies was so beautiful to witness in person. The only thing we didn't make time to do because we were enjoying our pool & beach days was a couple's massage. We for sure will book another stay & take advantage of the spa. The entire staff from valet, desk receptionist, the entire pool/beach staff, restaurant staffs, everyone including guests were all friendly, kind and happy. We even got to witness some weddings which are all beautiful. We truly enjoyed our stay at the Don CeSar (which we realized we were pronouncing wrong by day 3 haha) and cannot wait to return! What an incredible stay at the Pink Palace. 10/10 across the board. My husband and I booked our stay to celebrate our wedding anniversary. I don't know how many times throughout our stay we looked at each other and said 'I'm really glad we found this hotel'. From the moment we drove up the hill to the beautiful pink hotel, I knew my palace was waiting for a weekend of luxury & love which is exactly what we experienced. The hotel smelled like serene beach vacation, the interior & exterior decor, the hallways, our room, everything was clean, luxury, spacious, and exceeding our expectations. I had no desire to leave the hotel once I checked in and there are enough things to do and explore to accomplish this. We had a pool day where we ordered lunch from the Beacon pool bar and ate pool side, had a beach day where we walked to their sister property at the Beach House Suites to enjoy lunch at the Sand Dollar bar. We ate at both of the restaurants Mariana & Society table (separate reviews posted). Uncle Andy's market was a nightly stop for my husband to get a blondie cake and ice cream, I enjoyed some pastries and sweets from there as well. One of the evenings before dinner we enjoyed watching the Sunset by the beach with the rest of the guest. Sunset followed by pink skies was so beautiful to witness in person. The only thing we didn't make time to do because we were enjoying our pool & beach days was a couple's massage. We for sure will book another stay & take advantage of the spa. The entire staff from valet, desk receptionist, the entire pool/beach staff, restaurant staffs, everyone including guests were all friendly, kind and happy. We even got to witness some weddings which are all beautiful. We truly enjoyed our stay at the Don CeSar (which we realized we were pronouncing wrong by day 3 haha) and cannot wait to return! read more

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Another yearly girls day at the Don beach resort is in the books! Came in for the day from Tampa. Valet parked since self parking was not available. You'll pay $40 to valet. Valet staff is great! Super friendly and honestly help to start the day off right. We walked inside and downstairs to head out to the beach. Now I confirmed with valet that you don't need to stay here to have access to the beach. Since Hurricane Helene the resort is still recovering and there are still some renovations taking place so there are sidewalks that aren't accessible right now. Looks like they are rebuilding the restaurant that was once there. We were able to get thru to the beach and headed to the caddy shack to rent our chairs and umbrella. $50 ($25 each) for the hair and umbrella rental. Koby helped us out with taking us to our chairs and putting our umbrella up. He even got the chairs ready with laying out the towels. He's so friendly and clearly knows how to treat guests. I have to say that he made our stay great! read more

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Great hotel with a life time of history. Excellent staff willing to help and provide great service for your whole stay. Rooms are nice, clean and modern. Pool area is fun and a great atmosphere. Hotel itself is well kept and beautiful. read more

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The iconic and famous Don Cesar didn't disappoint- the hotel renovated post hurricanes is gorgeous, while maintaining historic charm. The beach and pool decks are well maintained and beautiful. The staff were so friendly and helpful with beachside or poolside delivery of drinks and snacks. We loved the live music at the lobby bar at night, which was enjoyable for all ages. Our spa experience was enjoyable but we were a bit underwhelmed by the very limited spa amenities. Definitely not worth a $100 day pass for one plunge pool and one steam room if you don't have a treatment scheduled. Our massage therapists were fantastic and our couples massage was amazing! Our king room was beautifully renovated, but the bathroom was quite small, only one person can get ready at a time. There were several areas roped off for construction I assume because summer is their slow/off season in FL, but sadly took away from the hotel's charm. When we arrived we were very obviously struggling with bags and the bellmen staff didn't offer to help us. We also asked the front desk to have our luggage brought to our room, but we waited an hour and they had not communicated to the bellmen of our request. Overall these are minor complaints for an otherwise lovely stay, but at the price point for a luxurious resort, we anticipated a little additional attention to small details like these. read more

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So happy to see The Don CeSar back open!! We went for some light bites and cocktails and to listen to their live music. The Don's lobby has that old Florida Tommy Bahama decor that just oozes elegance. It was a Friday evening and the place was pretty filled but we were able to score a window seat. We ordered the pear and feta flatbread and it was amazing! Topped with endives and a honey drizzle this dish will keep me coming back. Hubby had the steak tartare. We paired both with a nice New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc which had a nice crisp finish -perfect for a hot summer evening in Florida! Parking is still a challenge because all of their lots are still filled with construction trailers from the hurricanes last year. You can valet for 40.00 or uber if you are local like we did. Looking forward to trying out their restaurant next time. read more

The Don CeSar - Pear and Feta Flatbread - Resorts Near Me - St. Pete Beach, Florida

This place before the hurricane damage was 5 stars all around. Pros: - dog friendly and service animal friendly - welcoming staff and grounds workers. - service is manicured and greetings great - pool and beach is amazing - greeted with champagne - the people that work here are incredible and accommodating, it is really rewarding to feel this. - this place has a private seating beach area and dogs are welcome responsibly. - beach and pool activities, fitness center that is really nice and spa too. - best place in the gulf! Still love this place! - if you've not been here before it's worth every dollar! Wonderful experience! Cons: - front desk workers need to be trained on returning customers history for service animals. It's a bit uncomfortable when it's declared and shown in customer history and then continuously quizzed. Improve customer experience here through personalization - late check out incurs an additional cost most of the time, with 4pm check in it's just not enough time. - since the reopen from the hurricane the limitations of things have really impacted the experience. I can't wait for this place to be restored to its former glory. read more

The Don CeSar - Resorts Near Me - St. Pete Beach, Florida

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I was very disappointed with my experience at the Don CeSar. My friend and I had lunch at the Society Table restaurant. Our meal for two (with water only) cost about $80. We were also charged $37.47 to park our own vehicle. In total, we paid $117.47 for a mediocre meal and parking. Restaurant guests should receive courtesy parking or validation. There are many better dining options on St. Pete Beach without parking fees. Because of this experience, I will not be returning. read more

Had to stop by and check out the reopened Don CeSar. Beautiful hotel and super clean. Staff is really friendly. The only thing that's a shame is there's no longer free parking so you will have to pay or find somewhere a few blocks away that doesn't require permit parking. read more

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This property has retained its beauty throughout the years. The property is clean and the staff pleasant. That said, there is not much around the property as it is out of the way a bit. This allows it to capitalize on convenience through its escalated pricing for even the most basic of amenities. Think of it more like a captive audience. The bathroom showed signs of wear and regardless of the time of day or night, the water pressure in the shower was barely enough to make it out of the shower head. The toilet was extremely close to the wall and would not allow sufficient clearance for a larger person to sit comfortably. The rooms air filter was completely clogged, well past a preventative maintenance change. read more

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do not waste your money especially if you need ADA. you enter the hotel immediately have a flight of 12 steps. Our view (we paid extra for) overlooked the parking lot. Our room was $788 per night...you can sit on the toilet and shower the same time. Very good bathroom counter space, however the shower is very tiny. The soap dispenser in the shower is a one pump and done. You then have to pull the pump up and pump again. For those who like to get out and walk to areas to shop/eat...forget it. Glad I speak a bit of Spanish as the housekeepers cannot speak any English. Very disappointEd. After 5 nights we asked for a 1 hour late check out and were told we don't do that. read more

The Don CeSar - Resorts Near Me - St. Pete Beach, Florida

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Beautiful and historic building with friendly and helpful staff. The beach surrounding hotel is stunning. A great place to stay for vacation or stop by for dinner to watch sunset! read more

Overrated. Booked a room with a balcony, then was told they were all taken, did not check-in late, we were early. Rooms are small for the $$$. Pool areas were nice but food at their restaurants was not that great. They try to make it too fancy cuisine instead of just making it good. Won't be back. Money could be spent much better elsewhere read more

I stay at The Don CeSar for a girls weekend almost every year. We love it! There are usually four of us and we get a virtual suite which fits us nicely. The beach is awesome, the hotel is so nice in every way. It is old so you have to realize that you are staying somewhere that was built over 100 years ago but it is nice considering this. The staff is amazing, you get welcome drinks at check in. The parking situation is a little annoying but we like to take the free beach ride anyway. I love my girls weekends here! read more

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$37 to self park to have drinks and they block access to walking on the beach to hotel guests only. This was always a special spot to have a drink with friends and family but now will not be coming back read more

Coffee maker in our room did not work and was not replaced as promised. Coffee was $7 At hotel shop that takes only credit cards. Over priced blah coffee at that. Staff was nice but overpriced. Got to love the generic response from management. lol obviously they don't read the reviews. read more

You can sit in the toilet and shower at the same time. Rooms are deceiving...we had a bay front room that overlooked the parking lot. Definitely not a place for those using a walker/wheelchair or need ADA accommodations. read more

This review is NOT for the entire hotel but solely for their poolside bar. I don't expect a Michelin star quality meal at a hotel poolside bar. That being said, I also don't expect for my food to be undercooked, bland and so underwhelming that I wished there was a chick fil a nearby. Our chicken wings were very undercooked, still bleeding inside. THe hummus was more like a tin of chic peas in a blender with nothing else added. Burger without a bun was fine. Nothing special. If you're staying at the Don Cesar you deserve a little more attention to quality. The staff were very attentive nonetheless and polite. read more

As a Tampa native, staying at the Don Cesar has always been something I viewed as iconic, especially for a special girls' weekend celebrating my best friend's first time away from her newborn. Unfortunately, our experience was the opposite of the "luxury" the property advertises and the reputation the Don holds in this city. Please let me de-influence you from wasting money at this property when it offers the same experience as many others on the strip for 3x the price. Expect: -Long waits for one of the three elevators constantly -Small, cramped rooms -Delays for basics like toilet paper and pillows -Disappointing and overly expensive meals Lastly, we were given incorrect information about refrigeration options on-site for my friend's breastmilk ahead of checking in, and were told there were no fridges available. Because breastmilk safety isn't something that can be left to chance, my friend purchased a mini fridge and brought a large Yeti cooler as a backup, which, as you can imagine, caused her undue added stress as she prepared for her first trip away from her child. When we arrived, we learned there were in-room coolers and mini-fridges were in fact available with no apology, no acknowledgment - just indifference. When I politely asked the manager Kim if anything could be done to the bill given the misinformation we were given and the stress it caused, all we got from her was a blank stare, directions to return the mini fridge and 0 accountability. Her tone was dismissive, unprofessional, and honestly insulting. We weren't even looking for anything major, just a small gesture or acknowledgment of the inconvenience would've gone a long way. Instead, the attitude made it clear our experience didn't matter. Our time at this property left us feeling like a new mother doing her best to ensure her baby's milk was stored safely was being punished for the hotel's lack of proper training and internal communication. This was especially disheartening to come from a woman in leadership there. For the price, the lack of customer service and basic hospitality was shocking. The Don Cesar may still be an iconic landmark, but it no longer delivers an iconic experience. read more

I've been coming to this hotel since 1975 as a single young woman and eventually with my husband. Over the 50 years of multiple visits, getting married on the beach at the Don Cesar and coming back for our 1st, 5th and 10th anniversaries, we've had wonderful experiences. The hotel is iconic and beautiful and service is top notch. We recently came back to this hotel to celebrate our 20th anniversary. We stayed in a very clean luxury king room, which was a little more spacious than previous visits, but it had a very small bathroom where only one person could get ready at a time. The hotel staff recognized our anniversary by gifting us a bottle of their bubbly, a box of four chocolates and a personalized card. How sweet! They also greeted every guest with a glass of bubbly upon checking in at the front desk. The hotel reopened the week before our arrival after devastating back-to-back hurricanes last fall. A lot of the resort was not fully functional... a pool was closed, the lower level was completely shut off, the restaurant we had where we had our wedding dinner was closed. The negatives that made this visit very disappointing to us...we were disappointed we couldn't have our anniversary dinner in the restaurant we had our wedding dinner; we never got a chair at the pool as it was overcrowded; the water pressure in our shower was nonexistent and the hotel shut the water off for six hours from midnight to 6am; the carpets in some areas were dirty as was elevator C, plus that elevator was rickety and the door slammed each time. Every time we rode it, everybody on the elevator was commenting on how bad it was. Having alerted management how disappointed we were, a manager personally reached out with a phone call to discuss. That's great customer service, plus she wanted to do something to make it right for us. Every staff member that we encountered during our stay was 100% friendly and engaging. That has never changed over the course of 50 years. That being said, unfortunately we left the Don Cesar disappointed. Luckily, we headed to Longboat Key and the hotel we're staying at is certainly making up for the disappointing start to our anniversary trip. read more

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We showed up at 3:00pm. Room was not ready. Check in time was supposed to be up to 4pm. At 4:17pm we received the message (and after serious complain) that door was ready and "it has been ready since 4:06pm when we called you" (never called) Also Front desk said that rooms where going to be ready "FROM 4:00pm" (NON SENSICAL) Room was tiny, dirty carpet, ran down and bathroom was a joke. Nobody came to clean it during the entire next day. We had to call and then around 5 or 6pm they sent somebody. We could not wait to get out of that dump. read more

I had an incredible experience staying at The Don Cesar for my sister's bachelorette. My sister and I found our stay to be very relaxing with all of the amenities offered at the pink palace! There are two pool areas that were beautifully decorated with lush greenery. From the poolside options, we walked over to the beach. The hotel offered many beach activities including paddle boarding and kayaking. The beach staff were excellent and made sure you had a prime spot! The decor at the Don Cesar was absolutely perfect and matched the pink palace theme. Touches of pink everywhere! The first floor of the pink palace has an ice cream shop, marketplace for grab and go options, and a gift shop. The concierge staff also went out of their way to make sure my sister had a great trip. They helped me surprise her with chocolate covered strawberries and a selection of their Don Cesar rose wine. We also got a chance to visit the salon and spa services in the hotel, which were ultra relaxing. The Don Cesar is in a prime location where you can venture out and see the downtown area. The hotel also has options for golf cart transportation to local spots in the area. I will definitely come back to visit the pink palace and all it has to offer! read more

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If you are only staying in St. Petersburg and you don't have any other agenda I suggest to stay here if it is around 1-2 days. I would not come here specifically for this hotel. The front desk tried to tell me they don't participate in late checkouts for the Amex platinum card and I said it says so on your welcome letter. They reread it and said oh well it's a case by case basis. Like that's one of the selling points of the fine resorts and hotels collection. The room was really nice. The bathroom is a little bit tight but we made it work. The beach and pool areas could have been better kept. There was a lot of garbage here and there. The daybeds you have to rent for $300 a day and they don't even fully provide shade. The guys said they couldn't put up umbrellas because of the wind. It was kind of wild. The ladies working in the stores were more interested in talking than assisting us. The parking situation is a little inconvenient. They only have valet. I was just expecting this to be a little more upscale. read more

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Love the Don Cesar! I came with a resort pass and did not stay overnight nor did I interact with the front desk. I had a great experience interacting with the concierge, the Don Club, beach waitress, and beach attendants. The hotel is stately and prominent but the service and vibes are very down to earth as was fitting with St. Pete Beach. The resort pass was wonderful with full locker room, towel service and toiletries all inclusive. The beachfront is optimal and the pools and outdoor bars were nice. I enjoyed a lovely pina colada and dinner service on the beach. Loved it! read more

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Absolutely love the elegance and history of this hotel.....it's incredible and captivating! The Don CeSar Hotel, also known as The Pink Palace, is a historic hotel located in St. Petersburg Beach, Florida. It was built in 1928 by Thomas Rowe and is named after Don Caesar de Bazan, the hero of a romantic opera. The hotel quickly became a popular destination for wealthy patrons and celebrities, known for its luxurious accommodations and stunning beachfront location. During World War II, the Don CeSar was used as a military hospital before being returned to its original purpose as a hotel. In the following decades, the hotel faced financial difficulties and underwent several changes in ownership. However, it has since been restored to its former glory and remains a popular landmark on the Gulf Coast of Florida. Today, The Don CeSar Hotel is known for its elegant architecture, upscale amenities, and exceptional service. It continues to attract visitors from around the world who come to experience its historic charm and beautiful surroundings. You need to definitely check this incredible hotel out, you won't regret it! read more

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I am selecting one because I cannot select zero. Great experience in the social restaurant but went upstairs to the hotel bar. I was served by Dan and it was Shittttttttyy. I will not return. read more

I was really looking forward to staying here but, unfortunately I was met with disappointment. They have a single elevator, recommend the stairs if able, it's faster. Loved the old style vibe just not the linens from that era. Our comforter had a bunch of what looked like oily places on it (I don't even want to know). Asked for a replacement, got an actual blanket. If you like a firm springy mattress, you're all set. Didn't notice until the next morning, blood on the sheets. Had items in the fridge from the previous guest, only warm water with a shower head that sprays everywhere but on you. I can go on but just don't have that kind of time. Bottom line.....NOPE! read more

DO NOT SPEND YOUR MONEY HERE!!! NOT WORTH IT!!! STAY AWAY!!! This is the second time my family and I have been here. The first time was absolutely wonderful, we had great service and a fantastic time. Unfortunately, this time was nothing like that. Upon arriving we found out that the hotel was the set of a movie film and that we would have access to certain locations in the hotel that we are paying full price for. The pool was closed and another area with a fire pit and lounge was also closed but they still had it advertised in pictures on the website and we were never notified about any areas being closed off due to renovations OR the film crew. When asked about this they claimed they sent a message to all guests about the film crew but apparently because we booked through a "third party" that was the reason we weren't notified which is truly enraging. We should have been emailed or called to be notified for the exuberant price of this luxury hotel, not having access to all of its immunities feels like robbery. We also spoke to another guest that booked through the hotel directly and they said they were never notified either, they had received a welcome letter a few days prior but that they were not made aware in the letter of the movie filming either. Along with this unfortunate situation, all of the staff (EXCEPT for patrick at the lobby bar, and scott the valet) were all very rude, condescending, and made us feel as though we were second class citizens. When we tried to express our feelings towards the staff member at the hostess about not being able to be sat outside due to the crew and film members she was extremely facetious, and nasty with us. Also, at the pool bar I was told that I had to get my ID in order to get a drink which is totally fine and acceptable, but I had a problem because I had been ordering drinks from our waiter already on the beach the entire day and had been having no problems. The woman at the bar was adamant that I get my ID and I told her that I didn't have it with me because our room wasn't ready and the front desk had taken our bags so I had left it in my luggage BUT I had a picture of it on my phone back at the lounge chairs on the beach which she told me was fine and to go get. I walked all the way back down to our chairs on the beach to get it, came back, and the male bartender shouted at me that I couldn't use a photo id, I had said the lady has JUST told me to get it which she remained quiet and ignored me at then and they wouldn't serve me. I understand that there are laws but then she shouldn't have even suggested to me to get my phone. We are EXTREMELY disappointed in our service and treatment. My mom had voiced her concerns and complaints and we were unable to receive any compensation for our room, but were only given 40% of our bill comped, which was including drinks & food, and also had INCLUDED a $40 "room fee"???? A room fee?! It is infuriating that you can charge ANY extra for something such as the ROOM you have already paid for. For such a high end hotel, to be treated so poorly and only have access to certain amenities is very very very upsetting and fraudulent. I used to recommend this place to anyone I had the chance to, now I will only warn people to stay far away from it. If I could give it 0 stars I would. It doesn't even deserve 1. read more

Don't Fall for the Don CeSar "Ocean View" Scam. It's a $100 Lesson in Deception. Normally, I try and write a five-stars-and-smiles kind of review, but my stay at The Don CeSar in St. Petersburg, FL deserves the rare and resounding "wish I could give zero stars" label. Consider this your official warning. Don't trust the Pink Palace. During my recent stay, I shelled out an extra $100 for an "ocean view" room upgrade offered by the front desk staff, The upgrade was "sight unseen" relying on the description offered by the staff and back with what I would now describe as the kind of blind optimism usually reserved for scratch-off lottery tickets and first dates. Big mistake!! "Ocean view" must be The Don's code for "technically there's an ocean out there somewhere in that general direction if you lean out the window and squint hard enough." What I got was a solid courtyard view with a microscopic glimpse of the beach in the distance, so far away, that I wasn't sure if I was looking at adult human beachgoers or children. Honestly, if I had John Daly teeing off with a tailwind, a loaded driver, and three miracle shots from the fairway, I still wouldn't have reached the ocean shore. Indeed, I needed binoculars, a prayer, and possibly a NASA telescope to confirm there was even an ocean out there. The whole thing feels like a daylight robbery pulled off perfectly while wearing white gloves and a hotel name badge. Classic bait-and-switch. And I wasn't the only one. Apparently, this "ocean view" scam is as common as sunscreen at The Don. When I raised the issue with the front desk, the staff hit me with the classic shrug-and-smirk combo and said, "You agreed to the upgrade." Oh did I? I also agreed to oxygen, but I expected it to be breathable. As for service, don't expect much unless your luggage can carry itself. There was no bell staff, the valet was part-time magician (now you see me, now you don't), the "security guard" (kid with a fold out chair) placed at the front entrance never looked up from their phone and the front desk gave off the service vibe of the DMV clerk 15 minutes away from her lunch break. At best, they were indifferent. At worst, they were inconvenienced that I dared to ask questions or even exist. The whole place runs on nostalgia fumes and Pepto Bismol paint. It's resting on its pink laurels and coasting downhill fast, charging luxury prices for a Motel Meh experience. Save your money, your expectations, and your sense of humor. Stay somewhere that doesn't rely on optical illusions and apathy to justify a $400+ nightly rate (plus the usual buffet of mystery resort fees). The Don may be The Pink Palace, but this experience was all Red Flags. read more

Just came back from a fantastic stay at the Don. There are not many properties left in the US like this one. The building itself is one of a kind maintained and decorated like no other. The staff is super professional and totally guest oriented. The beach facilities are brand new with a great staff. You must enjoy the Maratana restaurant. Exquisite food, ambience and professional service. We will be back. read more

Terrible hotel, awful customer service, long waits for food orders, food quality is dogfood,disgusting room conditions and extremely OVERPRICED. If you have any standards at all this place isn't for you. It was the worst hotel experience in my 48yrs on earth. Ive stayed in Super 8s better than this place. read more

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Updated to add: The hotel texted us to ask how our visit is. I said "3" out of 5 They asked, how can we make this better? I wrote, "Reimburse the $100/night upgrade fee . That was ridiculous The original room (220) is so subpar. It's extortion to charge to change rooms" They wrote, I apologize for any misunderstanding. However, the $100 upgrade fee per night was not to move rooms but rather as you chose to upgrade to a direct ocean view as these are more expensive rooms. So I wrote: "Okay well then that was a misunderstanding Change our room to not $100 extra l for tonight And not a room that's facing the intersection with construction, I didn't realize that I had an option to change to a room that wasn't an extra $100" This property is not worth the hype although Original review: The service is incredible. They're all working so hard. Don't forget to tip everyone. That being said, I booked our reservation on hoteltonight app, so we were treated like 2nd class citizens. When we checked in, the front desk offered an "upgrade" for gulf view for $100/night. Cough. So I said. Nah we will go to the original room. Well, we schleped our kids up to the 2nd floor And the room was awful. Just awful. The view was of the traffic intersection! And to make matters worse, there was loud construction! It was like a comedy skit! Terrible. So we had to go back down to the front desk and change our keys and pay &100/night for a partial gulf view. The furnishing and light fixtures are very authentic. The resort is packed. I doubt this place pays their workers well, they outsource the cleaning. So please tip housekeeping and all the staff read more

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First of all.. The atmosphere, drinks, food were incredible. But what really brought the experience together at the end was our server Catherine. She really knows what true hospitality and service means. I'll definitely be coming back and recommending this place to my friends and family! read more

The Don Cesar is majestic and absolutely gorgeous and looks just like the pictures you see on line. However, anytime there is construction on a property that absolutely changes your experience, the hotel should share this with you so that you aren't blindsided. The entrance of the hotel was being repaired/remodeled so you entered through a poorly marked side parking lot (vibe killer.) The valet greeting was fine. Valet parking is $40 per night and I believe $28 for self parking. Then you enter the side entrance and are left on your own with poor signage and no instructions to navigate to the Lobby/Front Desk. By the time I made my way there, I was kind of livid. And do not get me started on their weirdo elevators. It is absolutely baffling why one would choose to make something generally so straightforward so complicated. So as majestic as the hotel is, by the time you get to the front desk, you NEED the champagne they hand you. We found the food not great but the wait staff superb. We ate pretty exclusively at the pool bar & Rowe's/Society Table. There were some really good dishes (Stuffed Avocado, Flatbread, Shrimp Roll) and at least one entree that was inedible (Pork Chop). Everything is expensive ($8 black coffee, $20 Pina Coladas.) The good news..everyone is super nice and we had great service throughout. The beach and beach set up is amazing! Pool is comfy and pretty. You can't go wrong when you have the architectural backdrop of the "the Pink Lady" and the Ocean. Also, again, the service was impeccable for the most part, sometimes slow but always friendly and competent. Shout out to Claire and Taylor (new trainee) at the Lobby Check-in! read more

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