The Don CeSar

Recent Reviews: 7242

• User:Judy B

  Trip type: Couples

  My piece of paradise

  07 Jun 2026

  My hubby and I thoroughly enjoyed our 5 day stay at the Don. They have an amazing staff, including Andrea, Katie, Jackie and Mike at the pool area to Pat and all the other Lobby bar staff. Ana at the check in desk was very accommodating and even was able to allow us to check in early upon arrival! We're already planning our return trip in October.

• User:pattimV5309QE

  Trip type: Family

  Don’t miss The Don CeSar experience!

  06 Jun 2026

  Loved our experience at the Don. The people that work there made our stay so enjoyable! Katie and Jackie at the pool, Darian and Nicole, the bartenders that waited on us, all so friendly and accommodating! The hotel was clean and the grounds were beautifully manicured! The pools and the beach were icing in the cake !

• User:Dan B

  Trip type: Couples

  Perfect

  28 May 2026

  Experience was amazing. Beautiful hotel with significant history. Beaches and food was great. Concierge named Julian was delightful! You Have to get the history tour of the hotel. Julian was an incredible tour guide as well. General Manager, General Manager at The Don CeSar, responded to this review Dear Dan,It was a pleasure having you stay with us. We're delighted to hear that your experience was so memorable, and that our rich history, beautiful surroundings, and delicious food helped make it a special visit. It's especially wonderful to know that Julian made such a positive impression through both his service and the tour. Providing warm hospitality while showcasing the timeless elegance and unique story of The Don CeSar is something we take great pride in. Thank you for your kind words, and we look forward to welcoming you back for another unforgettable stay.Barbara Readey – General Manager

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• User:Kimi K

  Trip type: Couples

  Save Your Money

  25 May 2026

  We booked the The Don CeSar expecting a luxury experience based on the website and pricing, but unfortunately it felt far more like a cash extraction machine than a true luxury hotel.The positives: the location is excellent, directly on the beach and convenient to nearby restaurants and attractions. The staff were consistently polite and professional throughout the stay (although not actually helpful, just pleasant). The hotel is generally clean overall Having said that, the overall experience simply did not justify the premium pricing (We paid $1,442.84 for one night in an oceanview room with a king bed, valet parking, and dinner for 2 with one round of drinks. This includes the room fee, resort fee, sales tax, occupancy tax, and occupancy and sales tax on the resort fee). Here are the challenges we faced:1) NOISE:The noise level was extremely high throughout the property, and made it difficult to relax (I wore noise reduction ear plugs so I didn't hear all the noise in the hallway during the night, but my partner didn't sleep a wink because it was so noisy). Even just sitting on the teeny-tiny balcony was a disappointment given the high noise level from the pool (every time the pool gate closed yielded a loud crashing/clanging noise) and the roar from the air handling units on the roof next door, of which we had a birds-eye view. 2) SPACE:LOBBY: When you arrive, you realize you have to walk down a set of stairs and cram your way into an extremely small reception space that is simply too small to accommodate the crush of guests at the front desk. People were on top of each other cueing at the front desk. The luggage area on the other side of the hallway was overflowing with baggage. Not a great first impression, but we were willing to overlook it in anticipation of a nice stay (and it was a holiday weekend, so I would imagine traffic was greater than normal).SMOKING: The hotel is supposed to be a non-smoking hotel, but our room (#242) had clearly been smoked in, and it just made us want to puke every time we walked in. When we reported it to the front desk, they said sorry, would you like us to spray the room? What they should have said is, let us make it up for you somehow -- a room change, a discount, something, anything. The smell was not a minor inconvenience; it was absolutely disgusting. ROOM: The room, its bathroom, and balcony all were also much smaller than expected (see pictures). Let's talk about the bathroom: It's a one person bathroom; there is no way two people are brushing their teeth together! It's so small, you have to close the door to use the shower (because the shower is behind it) and when you close the door to use the toilet, you will find you have an excellent view of yourself peeing because there is a full size mirror on the back of the door. STORAGE: There were just a few drawers of storage in the closet (see picture) -- which was fine since we were just staying for one night, but I feel bad for anyone staying longer, because there is very little space to store your clothes.3) FOODThe food was surprisingly inconsistent for a hotel at this price point, both in quality and value. We ate at Society Table and my chicken, though flavorful, came in a bowl with enough gravy that made it impossible to cut with a butter knife without it sliding out, so I asked for a plate and steak knife. Fine. The real issue was with the noise level (cacophanous!), the appetizer ($20 for 5 medium shrimp that were just thrown into a little bowl), and my partner's meal, which were a few skewered bites of very dried out chicken on rubbery rice. My partner is the stoic type and for him to complain means it's really bad. It's the only restaurant we've eaten at recently where we didn't finish our meals (or my glass of wine) because we just wanted to leave. 4) SERVICESWe paid to valet our car ($38, included in the total above), but the valet could not pick up the car on our way out because it's a stick shift, and so he pointed out to my partner where it was in the parking lot. Okay. But when my partner went to get it, there was no way for him get out of the parking lot, so he got locked in for about 10 minutes before the valet realized he needed to let him out. Oh, and after all that, I also had to remind them to email my receipt...I did not receive it until I asked, which was more than 48 hours after checking out. Why not just email it when we checked out, like other hotels do? No one else was checking out or needed services when we clocked out at 6:30 a.m. the next morning so we could get away from the smoke smell.SUMMARYLuxury-priced hotels are supposed to deliver comfort, calm, and attention to detail. In this case, the experience felt overcrowded, overpriced, and underwhelming. We left feeling that we had paid for the brand and location rather than an actual nice experience. TL;DR: Shame on us for falling for the expertly written marketing copy on the website (it's really quite evocative) and actually believing it. But the copy turns out to be aspirational, not actual. In other words, the experienced promised did not materialize in reality, and we strongly feel that this hotel is not a good value for money. In fact, we feel duped. General Manager, General Manager at The Don CeSar, responded to this review Dear Kimi,Thank you for taking the time to review your stay with us. We sincerely regret that your experience did not meet your expectations. We do appreciate your kind comments regarding our beachfront location, the cleanliness of the property, and the professionalism of our team. However, your feedback makes it clear that aspects of your visit fell short of the experience we strive to provide. We are especially sorry for any noise and odor concerns in the room. Your comments regarding room layout, public space congestion during peak periods, and overall comfort have also been shared with our team. If you have any lingering concerns, please consider reaching out to us at any time. We hope to hear from you soon.Barbara Readey – General Manager

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• User:travelgator56

  Trip type: Family

  Family of 3 getaway

  17 May 2026

  Family of 3 needed a respite from the cold. So off to the pink palace we went.Arrival was neat and orderly with Kim helping us check-in. Everything was a breeze from here on in at this 5 star resort. General Manager, General Manager at The Don CeSar, responded to this review We're thrilled to learn you and your family had such a wonderful time from check-in to check-out. If you're back in St. Pete Beach, it'd be a true privilege to welcome you again to The Don CeSar.Barbara Readey – General Manager

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