At Don CeSar on St. Pete Seaside, the 1920s meet up with 2020s

The landmark Don CeSar Hotel has additional a two-story pool bar and rooftop lookout to its sprawling beachfront residence, completing a a few-12 months renovation job aimed at connecting the Roaring ’20s to the 2020s. At the Beacon Pool Bar and Lookout, visitors can sample a menu of bites and beach-influenced cocktails whilst enjoying the expansive and unobstructed views of the Gulf of Mexico.

The watch “is what draws everyone in this article,” said Todd Gehrke, director of gross sales and internet marketing for the resort. He mentioned the renovations were being made to fork out homage to the hotel’s determination to well being and wellness — from the tranquility of the sunshine, sand and surf to the history of the lodge as a one particular-time armed service medical center and WWII convalescent center. “It has form of appear whole circle,” Gehrke said.

The multimillion-dollar renovations at the 93-year-old hotel consist of a comprehensive makeover of lobbies, lounges, rooms and restaurants, made to draw site visitors back again to the 1920s vibe that inspired the original hotel.

The foyer bar was moved to the heart of the lodge and seating went from 8 bar stools to 30. The aged large banana leaves and eco-friendly and pink decor have been muted to softer tones of taupe and brass. Gehrke said the decor is a nod to Havana Evenings or the Excellent Gatsby period of 1928.

Alongside with the scenic pool bar, the remaining section of the makeover included refreshing the hotel’s 277 rooms, together with 36 luxurious suites. Designers included wicker furnishings, white-washed headboards and material and wallpaper with flamingo prints in grey and blush tones.

“We needed to produce a whimsical seaside theme,” explained Kayla Gordon, associate director of marketing. The dimension and configuration of most of the hotel rooms was expected to keep on being the exact same given that the resort was put on the National Register of Historic Spots in 1974. But quite a few of the rooms connect to enlarge the bedroom place for families.

“To me, this just feels seriously at ease and I enjoy the beach theme and the Old Florida common really feel,” Gordon said.

The resort, managed by Davison Motels of Atlanta, also renovated its retail area, transferring the 1950s-themed ice cream store from Gulf Boulevard to the to start with-ground beachfront wing. The ice product counters are now inside of Uncle Andy’s Marketplace, a entire-company sundries store that is new to the lodge. The boutiques nevertheless involve clothes and swimwear outlets.

On the same stage are the transformed Modern society Desk restaurant, previously the Sea Porch, open for all-working day “Florida Gulf” fare, and the out of doors Rowe Bar, a nod to the hotel’s original developer, Thomas Rowe.

Maritana, the hotel’s signature fine-dining restaurant, was transformed to mirror a additional “classic and modern” motif, Gehrke stated. Some of the booths ended up eradicated to enlarge the dining space, and a private place was extra for little gatherings. CeSar, the renowned moray eel that used to live in a large fish tank alongside the Maritana’s lobby wall, was relocated to an aquarium in Kentucky.

Emily Ferrari continues to be as executive chef at the Maritana, supplying a fluctuating menu that involves every thing from refreshing, local fish to steaks and Mediterranean fare. “We call it coastal cuisine,” Gehrke reported.

The majestic Pink Palace has welcomed presidents, such as Invoice Clinton, George Bush, Jimmy Carter and Franklin D. Roosevelt. Movie stars Robert DeNiro, Harrison Ford and Jack Nicholson have stayed there. So have Cher, Coretta Scott King, Elton John, Billy Joel, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Britney Spears and Babe Ruth. It has served as the backdrop for several movies and productions.

In 1942, the resort was procured by the U.S. Army as a navy medical center for veterans returning from the war and later on grew to become a Veterans Administration headquarters. It was about to be razed in 1971 when a team of preservationists lobbied for its rebirth. Hotel developer William Bowman Jr. acquired the dilapidated home for $460,000 and spent $3.5 million to refurbish the lodge. It reopened in 1973.

The lodge was a founding member of Historic Inns of America in 1989 and afterwards opened 30,000 square toes of celebration house and, in 2008, Spa Oceania. Gehrke said the spa likely will get some added refurbishing in the subsequent calendar year.

The last restoration stage also involved repainting and replanting alongside the palm tree-lined front drive to the hotel entrance.

The resort is presenting discounted guest deals to rejoice the completion of the renovations. For data, connect with 844-338-1501 or check out doncesar.com.