Resort photo tour: St. Petersburg’s classic Don CeSar

When it opened in 1928 on the Gulf of Mexico in St. Pete Beach, Fla., the Don CeSar quickly became a playground for the then-glitterati, including F. Scott Fitzgerald, Babe Ruth, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Al Capone. The elegant “Pink Palace” was later bought by the U.S. Army in 1942 and used as a hospital to convalesce airmen returning from World War II. After a few decades as a Veterans Affairs office and recreation center, a restoration project began in the early 1970s and the Don CeSar opened its doors as a hotel again in 1973.

Today, the hotel’s 277 recently renovated guestrooms feature flat-screen TVs and premium Wi-Fi to stay connected during your stay, if need be. On the resort’s grounds, guests will find two pools, an expansive beach, an 11,000-square-foot spa and three restaurants from which to choose; there’s even an old-fashioned ice cream counter! Oh, and the Don is pet-friendly, too, so you can bring Fido along on vacation.

A quarter-mile, or four blocks, up the beach, the Don’s little sister, the Beach House Suites by Loews Don CeSar, recently completed $8 million in renovations, and the 70-room, all-suite resort is simply stunning. Each ocean-view suite — all have vistas overlooking the Gulf of Mexico — has a bedroom, living room with sofa-bed, dining room, two bathrooms, over-sized balcony and appliances to make longer stays possible, and comfortable (think washer/dryer, stovetop, dishwasher, mini-fridge). A complimentary shuttle service runs between the Beach House Suites and Don CeSar, so guests can enjoy the amenities at both properties.

The gallery above showcases the resorts’ highlights, including rooms, restaurants, pools and, of course, the beach.