Guest Author - Rachel Rome
The gorgeous "Pink Palace," aka Don CeSar Resort, a Loews Hotel, is a historic, refurbished elegant, waterside spa resorts -- one in New Hampshire, the other in St. Petersburg, Florida (untouched by hurricanes) -- offer north and south choices to vacation and pamper yourself.
In May, I was invited to visit the St. Pete Beach’s fabled restored 1920s “pink palace,” Don CeSar Beach Resort, a Loews Hotel, to enjoy a spa treatment, stroll the white sandy beach on the Gulf of Mexico, and sightsee in nearby St. Petersburg, where I toured the wonderful Salvador Dali Museum, some outdoor malls, and waterfront. Fortune smiled on the hotel, and area, and neither one was damaged during the horrendous hurricane season. If I have a chance for a Florida sunshine trip this winter, this is where I would go because the area is so gorgeous.
And the hotel, a romantic, classic treasure, is the crowing jewel on Florida's stunning Gulf Coast. The Don CeSar Beach Resort & Spa, on quiet Pass-a-Grille Island, is a monument to more romantic times. Opened in 1928, the Legendary Pink Palace is a much deserved member of the National Register of Historic Places and Historic Hotels of America. While here I observed twooutdoor weddings in the “bridal” courtyard as I leaned out of my ocean-view fourth floor window.
Best of all, the European-style seaside spa specializes in rejuvenating body wraps, massages and reflexology. A writer from Canada enjoyed a two-hour massage (I was jealous, you bet!) on the beach, under a little open-air hut. Uncle Andy’s, an old-fashioned ice cream parlor (buy chocolate alligators); mini-mall of boutiques on the beach level. We enjoyed meals and Mojitos at the outdoor Beachcomber Bar & Poolside Grill. Indoors, the topnotch Maritana Grille served fresh seafood and other specialties, cooked to perfection.
We also learned about the ghostly lore of the Don CeSar -- a good Halloween story -- about the owner’s ghost roaming the rooms and halls.
The Don CeSar Beach Resort, a Loews Hotel, features 275 guestrooms, including two luxury penthouses and 43 spacious suites. While The Don is famous for its majestic archways, elegant furnishings and soaring ceilings, just a short stroll down the shore, The Beach House Suites, owned by The Don CeSar, is an ideal place for families and extended stays. If You Go: The Don Cesar, 3400 Gulf Blvd., Saint Petersburg Beach, FL, For reservations, call 800-282-1116; loewshotels.com/hotels/stpetebeach.
