The Don CeSar
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Our take
By Matt Spaulding, Founder and writer
Here's the thing about the Don CeSar: it's the most famous hotel on this beach and one of the lowest rated of the big names, and both are true for the same reason. The 1928 Pink Palace is a genuine bucket-list building, a candy-colored castle sitting on the widest sand in St. Pete Beach, with two heated pools, the lovely Spa Oceana, and Maritana, a legitimately great restaurant. It also charges icon money, tacks on a resort fee and paid parking, and a lot of guests walk away feeling the standard room and the front desk didn't quite live up to the invoice. That's the whole story behind the 4.0: the complaints repeat, and they're about service that runs hot and cold, slow check-ins, and entry-level rooms that feel kind of ordinary once the fantasy wears off. Now the part that matters right now: the Don took a beating from Hurricanes Helene and Milton in 2024, closed for six months, and reopened in March 2025 with a rebuilt pool deck, redone lobby, and freshened-up waterfront spaces, so the tired-room reviews from before the storm don't really describe the new areas anymore. Where it shines is the whole reason it exists: the architecture, a spa day, a special-occasion splurge with the Gulf out your window. Book a renovated or Gulf-front room and the room finally matches the address. For a value beach night, or a kid-focused resort with waterslides, the properties up the beach fit the bill. Treat it as the landmark it is and it delivers the postcard.
Quick facts
- Beach access
- Direct, on the widest sand in St. Pete Beach
- Parking
- Self $28/day, valet $38/day (plus tax); no free parking
- Pets
- Dogs allowed, fee applies
- Check-in
- 4:00 PM (guests report it can run late in peak season)
- Pools
- 2 heated pools + private beach
- Reopened
- March 2025, after Helene/Milton repairs
Where you are
📍 3400 Gulf Blvd, St. Pete Beach, FL 33706Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Open in Maps →The south end of St. Pete Beach, a short walk from the old-Florida main street of Pass-a-Grille and its sunset bars. Its all-suite sister property, Beach House Suites, is a mile up the beach and shuttles guests over to use the Don's pools.
Still thinking about it?
Last-minute rates move fast, and the small beachfront places sell out first. Check the live price and judge the deal for yourself — no countdown-timer tricks here.
Check tonight's price →The Don CeSar FAQ
Is the Don CeSar worth the money?
For the right trip, yes. The money buys a 1928 landmark, the beachfront, the spa, and the dining, so the value comes down to how much you want those specific things. Guests who come for the icon and book a renovated or Gulf-front room tend to feel it was worth every dollar. If a good-value beach night is the goal, the smaller places up the beach deliver that for less.
Is the Don CeSar fully open after the 2024 hurricanes?
Yes. It closed for about six months after Hurricanes Helene and Milton and reopened in March 2025 with a rebuilt pool deck, restored lobby, and refreshed waterfront areas. A few finishing touches rolled out through 2025, but the hotel, pools, beach, and restaurants are open.
What are the extra fees at the Don CeSar?
Expect a daily resort fee plus parking ($28 self, $38 valet, before tax) on top of the room rate. Both get added at the property rather than shown up front, so factor them in when you compare the Don against the smaller motels up the beach, which mostly skip both.
Which room should I book at the Don CeSar?
A renovated or Gulf-front room. The most common letdown in reviews is a standard, non-view room that feels ordinary for the price. Paying up for the view, or asking for a recently renovated room, is what makes the stay live up to the building.