The Don Cesar aka the Pink Palace in St. Petersburg, Florida is a beautiful place to escape, especially for us Floridians. It is the ultimate staycation! No flying necessary or making sure our luggage is at the appropriate weight.
During this time of quarantine, we made sure to do our research before venturing out. Our beautiful hotel had strict measures in place to ensure the health of their staff and guests were their number one priority. They had sanitizers placed all along the hotel. The hotel was immaculate, and every staff member wore a mask 😷. Guests that were in any of the public areas of the hotel, were also required to wear masks.
We absolutely enjoyed our 4-day stay at the beautiful, Pink Palace! We had so many activities planned out—thanks to hubby!
Taking advantage of the free non-motorized equipment included for all guests, we went kayaking in the beautiful Gulf and spotted a porpoise (similar to a dolphin) for the first time ever! It passed by us so close that we were almost able to reach out and touch it. We also rented jet skis at the hotel. It was our kids first time enjoying them. The speed of the jet skis was exhilarating for our kids! They spotted big, beautiful turtles out in the clear water of the Gulf.
Pool side was soooo eventful, especially for me and my hubby while enjoying the refreshing margaritas on the rocks! Kids swam and played with the hotel floaties while hubby and I “chillaxed”. Thank you to Paul, one of the waitstaff, who was superb! You also have to try their mac and cheese and fries by the pool. I’m not a mac and cheese person, but we ordered it every day for lunch. It was deliciously made. Totally an amazing time!
Do you love ice cream!? If you love ice cream as much as we do, you have to try Uncle Andy’s Ice Cream Parlor at the Don Cesar. My kids and I had the Superman on a waffle cone and WOW!!!! Super delicious!!!!!
We roomed at the Don Cesar Beach House Suites (it’s the sister hotel of the Don Cesar) ½ a mile away. They provide free shuttle services to the Don Cesar where you can use all of their amenities. Beach House Suites has amazing amenities too! We decided to stay here rather than the Pink Palace, because of their kitchen. When you’re staying with children, it’s so much easier having a kitchen to prepare small meals and snacks. The rooms had been beautifully remodeled, and we decided to splurge on an ocean view! The view was absolutely breathtaking. We woke up at sunrise every morning, slipped into the coziest robes that the hotel provided and sipped our coffee while welcoming the beautiful rising day.
As I mentioned before, the hotel has free shuttle service to and from the main Don Cesar Hotel. However, we opted to drive to the Don Cesar since they have FREE electric chargers. We were able to enjoy all the amenities at the Pink Palace while our Tesla was getting charged.
If you’re looking to pamper yourself, their spa services are amazing. Keep in mind, you might not want to leave.
In terms of weather, we had the occasional summer afternoon rain. As Floridians, we just planned around it or you can just dance in the rain, as I did! lol
The staff at the Don Cesar and Beach House Suites was especially friendly and accommodating. We needed to get away after being confined at home for months because of the COVID-19 restrictions, and we thank everyone at the Don Cesar and Beach House Suites for making our summer staycation EPIC! We are already thinking about when to go back!
