If you find yourself enjoying the sun, sand and surf on St. Pete Beach, you can’t miss the lovely Don CeSar Hotel. With its pink glory, this grand hotel is a striking contrast against the city’s clear blue skies. The Don CeSar is a mélange of the Royal Hawaiian Hotel on Waikiki Beach and Thomas Rowe’s vision of a castle-like hotel. This 1920s hotel was originally planned to be a six-story 110 room hotel, but the project evolved into a 220 room hotel.

During the Great Gatsby era, the Don CeSar was a hotspot for high society. Its famous guests have included F. Scott Fitzgerald, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Lou Gehrig and Al Capone. After the high life of the Jazz Age, the Don survived the Great Depression due to a contract with New York Yankees owner, Jacob Ruppert. After a brief period of abandonment in the late 1960s, the hotel was purchased and remodeled by a Holiday Inn franchise owner.

Today, the pink lady is in sync with its original glamor and offers upscale accommodations, fine restaurants, spas and banquet rooms for weddings and business gatherings. The rooms are inspired by the beach that surrounds them and are decorated in soft blues with plantation-style shutters. Patrons can enjoy stunning vistas of the city of the Boca Ciega Bay. The Maritana Grille serves up delicious American cuisine with a focus on local seafood in addition to its chic dining atmosphere. At the Sea Porch, you can enjoy Caribbean and Jamaican cuisine along with gorgeous water views. This grand hotel even has an old fashioned ice cream shop serving up homemade ice cream. If you’re in the mood for a delicious banana split, shake or sundae, the hotel’s Uncle Andy’s Ice Cream Parlor is sure to delight the taste buds.

All in all, the Don Cesar Hotel is the ideal venue to curl up with a copy of “The Great Gatsby” and a refreshing martini.

For more information on Estelia Mesimer and her team, and to learn more about the high-end homes she represents, visit www.estelia.com.

You can reach Estelia at (727) 686-2859 and at estelia@estelia.com. Her office is located in downtown St. Petersburg at 111 2nd Ave. NE, Suite 400.