A Pink Palace

The Don Cesar Hotel is quite visible from all directions on the St. Pete Beach skyline. It is such an attractive old, historic building that looks so lovely at night. I thought I would attempt to capture it. This was taken right after sunset.

"The "PINK Lady" opened in 1928. The hotel quickly became a favorite romping ground for the rich and famous of the Jazz Age including F. Scott Fitzgerald, Clarence Darrow, Al Capone, Lou Gehrig, and Franklin D. Roosevelt. The hotel continued to attract the rich and famous throughout the Great Depression, thanks in part to a deal made with New York Yankees owner Jacob Ruppert to house his team during spring training for three year." (thanks wikipedia)

It fell into disrepair after the owner's death and was purchased by the U.S. Army during WW II and used as an Air Force Hospital. After the war it was used as Veteran's Administration offices until 1967 when they moved out and the government was going to raze the graffitti covered buiding. Locals fought to save it and it was purchased by a developer and reopened in 1972 once again as a hotel. Between 1985 and 2001 it has undergone major renovations and additions and is now know as the Don Cesar Beach Club and Resort.

The Don CeSar was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 and became a founding member of the National Trust Historic Hotels of America in 1989.