The Don CeSar

We had a great stay even though the weather wasn’t great. We did get to spend a couple of days at the pool. The pool staff was amazing! Thanks for being out serving us in the wind and chilly weather.

The room was really beautiful. I agree with a lot of the other reviews; the bathrooms are small. We are small people, so we had no problem, but I imagine that larger sized guest could have a harder time. We had issues with the coffee maker being broken, but it was quickly replaced, and we were credited back for the coffee that we purchased that morning. I didn't even ask for that; it was just done. That was very nice.
The staff was always upbeat and very helpful. It was a great experience. Expensive, but that is expected for this type of property. I would love to go again. I love the history and story of the hotel.

We love the Don Cesar!! Excellent service all around! Stayed there the end of January 2026 for work and friends trip. Great to see that many of the staff from before the hurricane are still there and they do remember returning patrons!! The pool staff, including Jackie, Katie, Andrea and Mike, always go the extra mile with a smile on their faces! Even when it's a little cool out the pool area is always warmer so take advantage of it!! Love the new shops. Even getting coffee in the morning at Uncle Andy's - the staff coordinate and work well together to give great service to all! And the cleaning staff are exceptional too. We did have an issue with our a/c but called the front desk and it was taken care of quickly. I highly recommend this beautiful and historic pink palace on the beach at St Pete!

We just returned from the Don. Our room was a bit dated but the experience was divine. We had fabulous food, service and sunsets!

The location is great.. West facing so you get to see the sunset, and if your room isn’t ocean view, you also get to see the sunrise!

Back to the beloved Don Cesar for the first time since the reopening and nothing disappoints. The same glam elegance meets beach-casual chic vibe. Spectacular beachfront, lovely rooms, excellent dining options and the most courteous staff in the hospitslity industry. All the good stuff that great memories are made of.

Everyone was extremely friendly. helpful, and kind, and everything was easy to find! The staff was wonderful and very helpful!

My wife and I stayed there for 3 nights in late January of 2026. This is a very large and old hotel with a lot of history. It's clean and nice. Accessing the lobby for checkin is odd - you have to go up hill from across the street. Self parking is $28/ night and valet parking is $38/ night. The room is small but nice. The elevators are really set up nicely - you hardly ever wait for one. It's quite expensive to stay here. Everything is very expensive. But, it's unusual and fun for a few nights. You can actually see the hotel from quite a ways away. It's on an island. The island has almost all hotels and not much else on it. We went off the island for every meal. Probably wouldn't stay there again but it was interesting for a short stay.

I stayed at the Don the last week of January for an annual work trip, that is also a great week spent with friends. The hotel has made an amazing comeback from Hurricane Helene and is better than ever! Spent some time in the spa, highly recommended, the new shops are beautiful and the service is top notch. I was so happy to see some familiar faces when we got to spend some time at the 2 pools. Jackie, Katie, Andrea and Mike weathered the storm and are back in force! They really make lounging at the pool a five star experience!! Very attentive, great drink and food suggestions (the Coco Solstice is a Must if you like Coconut like I do) and so friendly! They always remember me, and that, in my book, is truly professional. I always feel like I am coming home when I go back to the Don. Not just because I have been going there for years, but because of the staff who really make it the Wonderful Experience that it is.

We have been going to the Don for 22 years. It is our absolute favorite! The service there is AMAZING!! Andrea, Katie, and Jackie are the best! They are so attentive and take care of everyone at the pool. Reggie is awesome, too! Our cleaning lady, Mimi (I hope I spelled that correctly) was excellent and so sweet! Staying at the Don is an absolute MUST!

Gorgeous

The staff are so professional and nice. The response time to any requests was prompt.

We were only given a couple of days to plan our granddaughters surprise engagement party .The staff was able to reserve a beautiful private room for our celebration after her boyfriend's proposal on the beach at sunset.
All of the staff was so helpful and friendly. The venue was perfect.
The atmosphere at Don Cesar is very special and the pool and beach area is perfect.
Our guest room was average and rather small but we only slept there.
Our A/C wasn't operable but the problem was quickly resolved.
It was a special place to share a memorable event in our family's life together.

We had a disappointing check-in. We noticed three couples that checked in before us were welcomed with glasses of sparkling wine. After a wonderful conversation with the front desk clerk, we realized that he didn’t offer us a glass. Hmm.

There was no hand soap in the barroom and we had to call room service to bring up some.

Otherwise, room service was fine, although they called early. If you weren’t ready to leave for breakfast yet, they didn’t come till early evening.

We purchased our two-day stay through Chase Travel program. The suites were described with a water view, which I incorrectly assumed was the Gulf. For eight-hundred and fifty dollars, you will primarily see the parking lot and Tampa Bay off in the distance.

I had called the hotel to ensure that what I reserved was a Gulf view. I also called a second time to make sure the property had (1) a hot tub; (2) a Keurig coffee maker ( I am fussy about my coffee and have specialized coffee I bring along).

When I complained to Kim, the manager, the evening of January 20th, she went into the back room and checked the call log for my cell# to ensure I did, in fact, call. She claimed I did not. When I returned home and had access to my passwords and call log, I was able to find the records. Getting to the front desk is a feat of patience. You first get an AI person, then a central call location, and finally a live front desk person. Kim's approach to my situation could have been handled better. She made me feel like a liar. When I shared the price point of the room, Kim looked at me and stated, "you know rooms start here start at $600". Again, I was made to feel like my concerns were trivial and not worthy of consideration.

There was a "re-insurance" conference going on on the second day of our stay, which sold out the property. At 9:30 a.m. my shower hot water did not go past warm.

I was told on my 2nd call that the hot tub was outside, it is not. We tried to use the bike rentals, but the Don Cesar subcontracts out the rentals, and my husband's phone app did not work even after working 20 minutes with an overseas, online tech person to try to fit it.

We have stayed in many historic hotels, both domestically and abroad. We pay extra for the environment and service. We live three hours from the Don Cesar. It's too bad we feel the value is not there. The grounds and location are beautiful, but be careful about specialty suites.

Beautiful location. We took advantage of the heated pool since the ocean water was a tad cold at this time of the year. Sunset views were gorgeous and the hotel did not feel overly crowded. We received a glass of champagne at check in to enjoy and the staff was very professional and friendly.

Did not experience Maritana restaurant. Not hotel guests Reaching staff for reservations was exhausting. Tried for two days unsuccessfully. We gave up not worth the aggravation of Resy or hotel staff