ST. PETE BEACH, Fla. — The Don CeSar hotel in St. Pete Beach welcomed overnight guests back a few days before their scheduled 6 month re-opening of April 1, according to General Manager Barbara Readey.

What You Need To Know

  • The Don CeSar welcomed overnight guests back on March 28

  • Hurricane Helene sent a 2-to-3 foot storm surge inside the building on Sept. 26, 2024 

  • The reopening of the iconic Pink Palace will boost bed tax collections, which have been down in St. Pete Beach

  • The general manager said 34 of 277 rooms are still out of service but expected to come back in a couple of months

“We just opened our doors on Friday and people are really wanting to come back,” she said. “They missed us, and the community has really embraced our reopening.”

Readey said the iconic Pink Palace had been closed for renovations after Hurricane Helene sent a 2-to-3 foot storm surge inside the building on Sept. 26.

“Our pools were entirely filled with sand. It was incredibly surreal,” she said. “Now we’re more resilient. Our electrical and mechanical are now raised. So the next storm won’t take us down.”

The Pinellas County Tourist Development Council has been anxious to see The Don CeSar reopen, with its 277 rooms, as data have shown a significant decline in bed tax collections in St. Pete Beach since the storms.

The December data, released at a TDC meeting in February, showed a 50% decline in Tourist Development Tax collections compared to the same month the previous year.

“A significant decline still remains in St. Pete Beach. In those more southern beach communities,” said Eddie Kirsch, VSPC Dir. Digital and Data. “One positive note that I do want to point out here is that we’ve been seeing the demand really return at a faster click than the available supply.”

January data showed a 38.4% decline in TDT collections.

“We’re still seeing some deflation in our southern beach areas,” said Kirsch. “St. Pete Beach, Treasure Island and Madeira Beach.”

At least four more hotels in St. Pete Beach, with a combined 627 rooms, are scheduled to reopen before the end of the year, according to Kirsch.

“We’re paying close attention to the hotels and the projects that are reopening,” he said. “To make sure that as those start to reopen, we’re focused on driving demand.”

The Don CeSar already got a jump by hosting a wedding this past weekend when the hotel opened early, according to Readey.

“Our very first night on March 28, we did 153 rooms. It was at a very high average rate,” she said. “It’s worth every penny because you’re going to love it here.”

The GM said 34 rooms where electrical lines had to be moved are still out of service but expected to come back in the next couple of months, along with the shops on the ground floor.

“In mid-May our ground floor partially will open,” she said. “Including four retail stores and Uncle Andy’s Ice Cream and Coffee Shop.”

Readey said nearly all the hotel staff has returned too.

“We have the most loyal team members. We had 100 percent of many departments return after 6 months of being closed,” she said. “It’s amazing. I mean, Mother Nature was strong, but our steadfastness was even stronger.”  

Following hurricane recovery and extensive renovations in 2017, Readey said the Pink Palace has never looked so good in its long storied history.

“We’re 97 years young, and this is the best we’ve ever looked,” she said. “We are better than ever in product and, most importantly, service.”