Clearwater Beach Tourism Archives »

Don CeSar Hotel Ranks on Top 10 Historic Hotels List

The Don CeSar Hotel on St. Pete Beach was recently named on a list of the “Best Historic Hotels” by USA Today.

The 277-room “Pink Palace,” which has been an icon on St. Pete Beach for decades, was built in 1928. The hotel was recognized by USA Today for its history and restoration. It ranked No. 7 on USA Today’s Top 10 list. The No. 1 historic hotel was the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, Mich.

USA Today employed a panel of experts to pick the initial 20 nominees. The top 10 winners were then determined by a popular vote, according to a press release.

In 2015, the Don CeSar was named the “Best Historic Hotel” in its size category by the Historic Hotels of America organization. Historic Hotels of America, which was founded in 1989, is an official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. It recognizes more than 260 historic hotels in the U.S., Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.

Host Hotels & Resorts purchased the Don CeSar for $202.6 million earlier this year. Prudential Insurance had been the majority owner of the historic 277-room hotel on St. Pete Beach for more than 12 years, and Loews Hotels managed the property and owned a 20 percent stake.

The hotel is now managed by Davidson Hotels & Resorts.

“The Don” has taken many forms over the years. In the 1940s it served as a hospital for the U.S. Army throughout the duration of World War II. Not long after, the building was turned into a regional office for the Veteran’s Administration.

USA Today ranks a variety of tourist destinations every year. Clearwater Beach was named the No. 2 best beach in Florida last year and in 2013 it was deemed the No. 1 best beach town by USA Today.

Tampa Bay Times August 9, 2017

Our Newest Hotel – Welcome to the Edge

The Edge Hotel is open for business on Clearwater Beach. The hotel offers 155 guest rooms, each with a view of the Gulf of Mexico or Intracoastal Waterway.

“Between the view and all the amenities, it’s just a gem on the beach,” said Wendy Bouffard, who lives in Island Estates. “A lot of times the new hotels coming in on the beach tend to be very expensive, where this one is more of a family hotel and something within everybody’s price range.”

According to hotel representatives, The Edge will cater to families to meet the demands of people flocking to the area in recent years. The tourism boom is partially credited to Clearwater Beach being ranked as a top beach in the nation.

“Clearwater Beach over the years, I’ve had a home here for 30 years, was always a Mom and Pop beach. It’s really evolved into a destination spot,” said Jeff Keierleber, President of Decade Properties, the company that owns the Edge.

Mayor George Cretekos said the goal is to protect the beaches during the city’s growth.

“I want to make sure that we preserve the beach so that our sugar sands remain for generations,” said Mayor Cretekos.

City leaders said they’re confident that the Edge will benefit other businesses on the three-mile island as well.

“Restaurants support restaurants, hoteliers support hoteliers,” said Darlene Kole, President of the Clearwater Beach Chamber of Commerce. “The beautiful thing about it is, if one hotel is full, they call immediately next door or down to their neighbor, and they say, ‘Can you help these people?'”

The Edge

The ten story Edge Hotel offers 155 rooms that have spectacular views of the Gulf of Mexico, the Intracoastal Waterway, Clearwater Harbor and the City of Clearwater Beach. The Key West-style sixth floor lobby opens out onto Edge’s signature pool that provides the illusion of swimming off the edge into the Gulf of Mexico. A 17,000 square foot sundeck surrounds two pools with lush tropical landscaping and waterfront Tiki Bar. The Edge Hotel also offers a complimentary breakfast buffet, a state-of-the-art fitness center and a business center.

For information on booking a stay, visit the Edge.

Fox 13 News, May 2017

St. Petersburg Named One of 20 Best Places to Live

St. Petersburg Named One of 20 Best Places to Live and Visit by Coastal Living Magazine

Coastal Living Magazine has featured St. Petersburg as one of the 20 “best places to live,” while touting it as an ideal vacation spot for those not looking to make Tampa Bay their home.

“Nestled on the bright blue waters of Tampa Bay, this cosmopolitan city just keeps getting better and better,” the article says.

The article highlights many of Pinellas County’s biggest attractions: The Dali Museum, St. Pete Beach, Clearwater Beach, Fort DeSoto Park and the Don CeSar Hotel.

For food and drinks, Coastal Living directs visitors to cocktail bar Mandarin Hide, local coffee chain Kahwa, and Locale Gourmet Market.

The writers say St. Pete strikes a balance between historic, small-scale neighborhoods and big-city pleasures.

“With mild winters, this is a year-round city of outdoor play, and the proximity of 35 miles of white-sand beaches adds a quality-of-life layer that few other sophisticated enclaves possess,” the article says.

From Coastal Living Magazine

“Nestled on the sharp blue waters of Tampa Bay, this cosmopolitan Gulf city just keeps getting better and better, with a downtown arts and culture scene that may best be exemplified by the recent (and spectacular) Dalí Museum anchoring the waterfront. Historic, small-scale neighborhoods balance the big-city pleasures. With mild winters, this is a year-round city of outdoor play, and the proximity of some the finest white-sand beaches in the state add a quality of life layer that few other sophisticated enclaves possess.”

Tampa Bay Times April 21, 2017

New Lifeguard Tower added to Clearwater Beach

With a recent rating as America’s No. 1 beach, and the addition of new resorts and hotels, more visitors are expected to stick their toes in the sugar sand beaches on Clearwater Beach. To help keep all those visitors safe, the city of Clearwater has constructed a new lifeguard tower, and is adding more lifeguards. Clearwater Beach prides itself on being one of the only beaches along the Gulf Coast with lifeguards.

Designed by Fisher Architects and built by Certus Builders Inc., the new tower will look much different from the other beach towers. The design is reflective of mid-century modern architecture that also was incorporated into the design of the newly opened Opal Sands Resort. The new tower is located north of the rock jetty near parking lot 32, and will bring the number of lifeguard towers on the beach to six.

The Beach Patrol provides lifeguards at designated areas on Clearwater Beach 365 days a year between the hours of 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. During spring and summer, the times are later.

There are six guard towers staffed during the season, March 1 to Labor Day, and three towers staffed the rest of the year. Currently there are six full time lifeguards. The remaining staff is made up of part-time and “seasonal” lifeguards, the number of which varies based on the season. All are under the direction of the water safety supervisor.

Clearwater Beacon April 6, 2016

Clearwater Beach Working to Handle Boom of New Hotels

New Hotels

new hotels The boom days never seem to end in Clearwater Beach. Even as a new resort, the Opal Sands, has just opened, several other hotels are under construction and are due to open in the year ahead. They will bring even more people to the already crowded beach.

That is not a bad thing, according to the CEO of the Clearwater Beach Chamber of Commerce Darlene Kole.

“Our beach is the number one beach in the USA and with the popularity of the beach come people,” she said. “The new accommodations on the beach will just offer more options for people to stay.”

There are five new hotels already under construction and a sixth that has gotten approval to begin.

Underway are:

Hampton Inn
The Windham Grand Resort
Springhill Suites
Fairfield Inn
Clearwater Beach Guest House.

A Courtyard by Marriott is the one with approvals in place but has yet to break ground.Observers might think that with all the new rooms coming on line, roughly 800 new ones this year, that Clearwater Beach will have more rooms than ever before. Not so. There were more rooms on the beach in 2002, but then the condo craze hit and many hotels were converted into condos or demolished to make way for condos.Geri Lopez, Clearwater’s director of Economic Development and Housing, said condos are not good for a tourist economy; hotels on the other hand are.

“It is important because tourism is such a big economic driver,” she said.

A condo resident will buy groceries and stay home; they might eat out once a week, whereas a hotel guest will spend money on all sorts of activities. Hotel rooms bring in more taxes; they help keep the economy going.”

For those who might argue that there is already enough congestion on the beach Lopez said the new construction is well within legal guidelines.

“It is all allowed by the city zoning laws and code,” she said. “And there are property rights for property owners. No one is doing anything they shouldn’t be doing.”

Back in 2002 there were 4,400 hotel rooms on Clearwater Beach. Then hundreds were lost because of the condo conversions. The numbers are just getting back to that level now nearly 15 years later. When all the new hotels are up and running, the total number of rooms on the beach will be 4,300, nearly but not quite the level of 2002.

Michael Delk, Clearwater’s director of Planning and Development, said the next big challenge is managing all the new development.

“We move now from a situation where we try to encourage an upgrade of the current product and expand it. I call it managing the success phase,” he said.

Part of managing the success is finding ways to make the guests comfortable.

“We’re looking at a new parking garage that is due to open on the north beach in a few months,” he said. “Now it is a matter of developing the transportation options and technique to help manage the success.”

Delk says little things are starting to happen on the beach, which make things more pleasant for the visitors.

“On the south beach the owner of the Surfstyle bought the old Walgreens pharmacy and turned it into a Surfstyle, then turned his own store into a neighborhood market, a brilliant idea,” he said.

Delk said the beach has become very pedestrian friendly.

“There is no back-out parking on our beach which makes it pedestrian safe,” he said. “If you are staying here you can park your car for a week and never need it. Everything is within walking distance.”

Chamber of Commerce CEO Kole agrees.

“We are a small island, there is no need of a car,” she said. “All the new structures that are being built include parking so once you arrive you can leave your car. We’re the only pedestrian friendly place in Pinellas County and perhaps in all of Florida that once you arrive you don’t need a car.”

A concern, however, is that there are too many vehicles in and around Clearwater Beach. There is a lineup on the Memorial Causeway every day of motorists trying to get to the beach, then clogging local roads trying to find places to park.

Kole said the remedies are coming.

Ferry Service

“The ferry service is what we are pushing now,” she said. “We’re trying to make it easier for day-trippers to come over and shop and eat and spend the day on the beach. The ferry has been operating for over a year now. There are already two of them and they are very popular.”

Ferry users can leave their cars on the mainland side of Clearwater and retrieve them on the return trip. The same holds true for the hundreds of employees who work in the hotels and restaurants and resorts.

Kole said the activity and success of Clearwater Beach is because everyone involved works hard to keep it that way. She pays particular tribute to the city of Clearwater.

“The city works very hard at keeping the beach clean and safe,” she said. “That is why we’re number one.”

Clearwater Beacon March 26, 2016

Florida Breaks Tourism Record for Fifth Consecutive Year

Tourism Record

Florida welcomed 105 million visitors last year, making 2015 the fifth consecutive year where tourism records were broken.

The new record exceeded the previous high of 98.5 million in 2014 by 6.6 percent, according to Visit Florida, the state’s tourism promotion arm.

The total number of visitors to the Sunshine State last year exceeded the populations of most of the world’s countries. It was about 3 million more people, for example, than inhabit the Philippines.

Meanwhile, the average number of direct travel-related jobs in 2015 also was a record high, with 1,199,200 Floridians employed in the tourism industry, up 4.7 percent compared with the same period last year.

“Tourism plays an important role in supporting our economy, and we will continue to make strategic investments in the tourism industry to keep Florida on track to becoming first for jobs,” said Gov. Rick Scott, who revealed the preliminary tourist count Thursday at Walt Disney World in Orlando. “With five consecutive record years for tourism, it is time to set our goal even higher, and I look forward to welcoming 115 million visitors to the Sunshine State this year.”

Visit Florida estimates that a record 89.8 million domestic visitors traveled to Florida in 2015, reflecting an 8 percent increase from 2014. Estimates also show that 11.2 million overseas visitors and 4 million Canadians came to the Sunshine State last year. The number of people boarding planes at 18 Florida airports during 2015 increased 8.2 percent when compared with the previous year, representing a record 6.1 million more passengers than in 2014.

State Collaboration

Five years of record-setting visitation does not happen by accident, said Visit Florida CEO Will Seccombe, who credited the success to the agency’s global marketing strategy that focused on maximizing the economic impact of Florida tourism.

The collaboration with destination marketing organizations and the money the state has continued to pump into Visit Florida has made all the difference, said Elliott Falcione, executive director for Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.

“You’ve got to thank the Legislature and the governor for believing in Visit Florida,” Falcione said. “It’s now proven four years in a row that as the budget increases that visitation increase.”

In pushing to continue the increases, Scott has asked lawmakers to set aside $79.3 million for Visit Florida in the budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1. The funding would be an increase of $6 million from the current year. The House and Senate have each budgeted $80 million for Visit Florida. Of that money, the House has proposed that $1.8 million go to a contract with the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association to craft an in-state tourism campaign. The Senate has pitched $2 million for the marketing contract with the Tallahassee-based hospitality trade association.

Tourism and recreation taxable sales for Florida as a whole increased every month year-over-year from January through November 2015, representing an 8.6 percent increase over the same period in 2014.

The state is aiming to bring in $100 billion in total tourism related spending by 2020.

2015 FLORIDA TOURISM BY THE NUMBERS

Total 2015 Visitors: 105 million, up 6.6%
Total Floridians employed in tourism: 1,199,200, up 4.7%
Domestic visitors: 89.8 million, up 8%
Overseas visitors: 11.2 million
Canadian visitors: 4 million
Number of people boarding planes at 18 Florida airports: 74.3 million, up 8.2%
Taxable sales increase January to November 2015: 8.6%
Average daily room rate increase: 5.9%
Number of rooms sold increase: 4.5%
Average room occupancy rate: 72 percent, up 3.2 percentage points

Source: Visit Florida

Herald Tribune February 18, 2016

Clearwater Sculpture 360 Exhibition

Three new sculptures were recently installed in downtown Clearwater’s Cleveland Street District as part of the city’s Sculpture 360: Season VII exhibition.

The program, sponsored by the city’s Public Art and Design Program, is a rotating display of large-format sculptures. It has featured the work of artists from Florida and other parts of the country for the last seven years.

This year’s lineup includes “Slices of Heaven,” by Craig Berube-Gray from Key West, Fla.; “Mountain Landscape,” by Hanna Jubran from Grimesland, N.C.; and “Leap,” by Claudia Jane Klein from Lake Worth. The sculptures of Season VII will be on display through April 2017.

What is Public Art?

Public art is artwork that is in the public realm, regardless of whether it is acquired through public or private funding. Public art can include anything from more traditional art objects like sculptures, paintings, fountains and mosaics to manhole covers, paving patterns, lighting and other functional elements created by an artist.

The Clearwater Public Art and Design Program recently completed the Public Art and Design Master Plan, establishing the criteria, policies and priorities that will be used to successfully manage and direct the public art program for years to come. In utilizing the Master Plan, the public art program will identify important places for public art throughout Clearwater and generate a shared vision of public art for both City Capital Improvement Projects and private development projects alike.

There are approximately 350 municipalities with public art programs in North America that actively commission artists to create public art for all types of public infrastructure. Some cities, where art in public places is plentiful, have become known as “museums without walls” as their artwork has become so accessible to citizens and visitors.

Sculpture 360 is part of the Clearwater Public Art and Design Program and is funded through a partnership with the Downtown Development Board, and brings high-quality public artwork to residents and visitors. Visit Scuplture 360

Florida Record-Breaking Tourism

The Sunshine State welcomed an estimated 79.1 million visitors during the first nine months of 2015, the most of any such period in Florida’s history.

The nine-month count was a 5.5 percent increase when compared with the same period in 2014.

Gov. Rick Scott has set a goal of drawing more than 100 million tourists to Florida this year, and that now seems within fairly easy reach.

VISIT FLORIDA estimates that 22.1 million domestic visitors traveled to Florida in the third quarter of 2015, reflecting an 8.2 percent increase over the same period last year.

Estimates also show that 3.4 million international visitors came to Florida in quarter three of 2015. Preliminary figures for the first three quarters of 2015 show 67.4 million domestic visitors, 8.3 million overseas visitors and 3.4 million Canadians have come to the Sunshine State.

Will Seccombe, President and CEO of VISIT FLORIDA, said, “With three record quarters and a fifth consecutive record year on the horizon, it’s clear that this continued growth does not happen by accident. It’s the direct result of a global marketing strategy focused on maximizing the economic impact of Florida tourism.

“Today’s announcement shows tourism marketing works and we have Governor Scott and the Florida Legislature to thank for their unparalleled support that will enable us to reach our goal of generating $100 billion in visitor spending by 2020.”

Tourism and recreation taxable sales for Florida increased year-over-year for January through August 2015 (last reported month), representing an 8.2 percent increase over the same period in 2014.

For quarter three of 2015, the average daily room rate (ADR) rose 5.1 percent, the occupancy rate for Florida hotels increased 3.6 percent and the demand in rooms sold grew 4.8 percent compared to quarter three of 2014.

John Tomlin, Chair of the VISIT FLORIDA Board of Directors, said, “The continued growth of tourism for the third quarter, including a record number of tourism-related jobs, puts Florida on pace for a fifth consecutive record breaking year.

“These records also emphasize the power of tourism as an economic leader and job creator for the state. Outcomes like these are the direct result of the vision and support of the Governor, Legislature and our amazing tourism industry, as well as world-class strategies and execution by the VISIT FLORIDA staff.”

Bill Talbert, Vice Chair of the VISIT FLORIDA Board of Directors and President & CEO of the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau said, “Florida’s tourism continues to make history with another record-shattering quarter. New and established hotels, attractions, restaurants and hospitality-related businesses are fueling strong industry job growth and increased tax revenues.

Those who enthusiastically welcome and serve our visitors continue to deliver great experiences, contributing to our state’s growing popularity. We are fortunate to have a Governor and Legislature that support our industry and VISIT FLORIDA so that we can share the diverse treasures of our state with the world.”

Florida is fortunate to have the strong support of Governor Scott and the Legislature, as well as funding matched by dollars from great industry partners. This support allows VISIT FLORIDA to reach even more markets and potential visitors with compelling reasons to visit Florida and create memories that last a lifetime.”

Sun Sentinal/Sarasota Herald Tribune November 2015

25th Annual Suncoast Jazz Classic

25th Annual Suncoast Jazz Classic
Friday, Saturday and Sunday – 11/20 – 11/22/2015

Location
Sheraton Sand Key and Marriott Sand Key

The festival provides opportunities for both professional musicians from all over the United States as well as aspiring young musicians from our community to perform and share their music with enthusiastic and very appreciative audiences.

Thursday, November 19, 2015

THURSDAY NIGHT VIP GALA

Exclusively for sponsors, benefactors and four day ticket holders.

6:00 PM Lobby Opens

6:45 PM Buffet

8-10:00 PM Music and festivities

FESTIVAL FAVORITES with Bob Draga, Bill Allred, Dave Tatrow, Jason Wanner, Ron Jones, Billy Pillucere and Pepper.

ROSIE O’GRADYS GOODTIME JAZZ with Bill Allred, Don Johnson, Dave Bennett, Jason Wanner, Ron Jones, and Billy Pillucere, featuring Miss Ruth Crews.

Special Events

Friday Poolside Parasol Parade

Saturday 18 piece BIG BAND afternoon & evening – check your schedule

Saturday FESTIVAL DIVAS in the afternoon

Saturday CLARINET CLAMBAKE

Sunday Morning GOSPEL

Dedicated TRAD venues both Friday and Saturday – Friday, Zorch’s at the Sheraton……. Saturday, Al Downing at the Marriott

Swing Dance Party – Friday night at the Sheraton – dance the night away

Two Jam Sessions led by Dr. Jim Gover, Naples Dixieland Jazz Band – Saturday & Sunday

AFTERGLOW on Sunday

5:30 PM – Rusty’s in the Sheraton

Buffet

Music from 7-9PM

Featuring Festival Favorites!

Bob Draga, Bill Allred, Dave Tatrow, Jason Wanner, Billy Pillucere, Ron Jones, Pepper

PLEASE MAKE RESERVATIONS DIRECTLY AT RUSTY’S (727) 593-6000 X 2023

http://www.suncoastjazzclassic.com/

http://www.suncoastjazzclassic.com/festival-schedule/

FLORIDA TOURISM HITS RECORD HIGH FOR 2015

Florida tourism is on pace to pass the highly anticipated 100-million visitor mark for 2015, with more than 54.1 million visitors coming to the Sunshine State in the first half of 2015.

New quarterly numbers released Wednesday from Visit Florida, the state’s tourism arm, show a 5.8 increase from last year and the highest amount of visitors of any six months in the state’s history.

In just the second quarter of 2015 ending June 30, 25.8 million visitors came to Florida, an increase of 5.5 percent from the same point in 2014.

With the fifth record-breaking year, the higher tourism is also bringing a record average number of direct travel-related jobs.

In a prepared statement from Gov. Rick Scott, Florida’s tourism industry now employs 1,213,500 people – a number up 4.9 percent from the previous year.

Encouraging tourism helps Florida become the “best place in the world for jobs,” Scott said. “We look forward to exceeding our goal of 100 million visitors to Florida this year.”

Visit Florida also estimates more than 2.7 million overseas visitors, 1.2 million Canadians, and 21.9 million domestic visitors traveled to Florida in the second quarter of 2015, a 6.8 percent increase.

Totals for the first half of 2015 show 45.7 million domestic visitors, 5.5 million overseas visitors and 2.9 million Canadians have come to the Sunshine State, an increase of 6.7 percent, 1.7 percent and 1.1 percent respectively. Top U.S. states for Florida tourism are New York (10 percent), Georgia (8 percent), Texas (6 percent) and Illinois (5 percent).

Most international visitors in 2014 came from Canada (4.2 million), followed by the United Kingdom (1.6 million) and Brazil (1.6 million).

Continued growth of tourism, as well as tourism-related jobs, is putting Florida on track for a fifth consecutive record-breaking year, said Visit Florida Board of Directors Chairman John Tomlin. He emphasized the power of tourism as an economic job creator, crediting the vision of Scott, the Legislature and his staff for “world-class strategies and execution.”

As the number of people visiting Florida increases, so does the amount collected in taxes on sales from recreation and related activities. From January through May 2015, the state enjoyed a 9.0 percent increase in tax revenue.

Visit Florida also estimates the average daily room rate (ADR) for the second quarter of 2015 rose 4.7 percent, with occupancy rates for Florida hotels increasing 2.9 percent and the demand for rooms sold grew 4.4 percent compared to the same period last year.

“This continued growth does not happen by accident,” said Visit Florida CEO Will Seccombe, who thanked Scott and the Legislature for their “unparalleled support.”

Tampa Tribune August 19, 2015

St. Petersburg Named One of 20 Best Places to Live and Visit by Coastal Living Magazine

Tourism Record

State Collaboration

25th Annual Suncoast Jazz Classic Friday, Saturday and Sunday – 11/20 – 11/22/2015

25th Annual Suncoast Jazz Classic
Friday, Saturday and Sunday – 11/20 – 11/22/2015