COVER STORY OCTOBER 2004 |
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| DON CESAR grandness has been re-sculpted its stands today as the prima donna of florida |
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| F. Scott Fitzgerald's infatuation with the Don was so intense, he referred to it in many of his novels, once as a "hotel in an island wilderness." He also relied on the Don as a safe harbour to dry dock soused wife Zelda. Since 1928, the Don has served as a luxury hotel, navigational landmark, New York Yankees Spring Training base, hurricane shelter, hospital, army convalescent center, government office building, graffiti canvas and revitalized luxury resort -- again. The Don Cesar Beach Resort, a Loews Hotel recently completed a $20 million enhancement project that includes a revitalized lobby with rich mahogany accents and vibrant upholsteries, a grand makeover of guest rooms with custom made rod iron furniture, luxurious bedding and completely renovated bathrooms as well as a continued commitment to enhance guest services. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Don CeSar Beach Resort, a Loews Hotel continues to charm discriminating guests with gracious service preserved from the Great Gatsby Era of pampering. |
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By Terry Herman
In failing health and under the advice of his physician, Thomas Rowe decided to settle down on what is known today as St. Pete’s Beach, Florida and recuperate. The warm salty sea air off of the Gulf of Mexico, no doubt reminded him of his many travels to European resort and spa towns, where he idled his time resting and getting rejuvenated. In 1928, Thomas Rowe built a magnificent pink hotel, fashioned after many of the Spanish Villas and Mediterranean styled structures he had frequented while abroad, and named it after an opera character, “Don CeSar”. As a tribute to his new surroundings and his hotel’s natural inclination towards health, he had inscribed on the arch over the hotel’s main entrance for all of his guests to see: “Come all ye who seek health and rest, for here they are abundant”. The very fact that this fabulous hotel attracted the “well heeled, upper crust, moneyed” American society (or infamy) during the “Roaring Twenties”, including F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, Lou Gehrig, and Al Capone (the hotel was often referred to as the “Don”, with one wondering if this was an indirect reference to the notorious Capone, Chicago’s infamous mob “Don”, who thoroughly enjoyed staying at the hotel for “obvious” reasons while in the sunshine state). The notorious and infamous guests that the hotel attracted became a part of the hotel’s legacy and charm, as would the hotel nearly falling to ruin and decay over the years, because of either financial difficulty or just plain neglect. Another enchanting part of the hotel’s colorful past includes ghost citings; the ghosts roam about freely in the resort’s spirit world, including the spirit of Thomas Rowe, who loved his “Pink Lady”. In terms of North American spa history, it is important to note that when Thomas Rowe built what was often referred to as a “Pink Palace” or “Pink Lady”, he had the foresight to position its structure near water, a naturally healing property, which many Europeans had known the importance of for decades. For health reasons, Rowe would travel to resort and spa towns in warmer European climates, seeking healing in warmer climates, such as coastal areas in Spain and other parts of the Mediterranean. In addition to the seawater’s inherent healing properties for those who either bathed in it, or who may have received specialized treatments (known at that time) comprised of its water, the fresh sea air also has inherent healing properties. Not only is fresh sea air exhilarating, inhaling the water’s residue of salt (saline), offers the added benefit of cleansing the upper respiratory tract. Many European spas, for example, have offered this type of inhalation therapy for many years. Of course, just having this hotel in a warm humid climate was also thought to be a further aid to healing many maladies. © SPA MANAGEMENT JOURNAL - OCTOBER 2004 |
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