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

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

Dr. Beach Names Caladesi Island as No. 9 on Top 10 List

Caladesi State Park in Dunedin ranks No. 9 on the Top 10 List of U.S. beaches released May 26 by Dr. Stephen Leatherman.

Leatherman, a professor at Florida International University, better known as Dr. Beach, has been making his top 10 list for 26 years. He uses a long list of 50 criteria to pick the top 10, including water, sand quality, safety, management, presence of lifeguards, noise, amenities and others.

New this year is a bonus for beaches that prohibit smoking. More emphasis is being placed on environmental management and beach safety. According to a press release, the list of best beaches is “beginning anew, so all beaches have a chance of making the list.”

Under the comments for Caladesi Island, Dr. Beach writes, “Caladesi is reached by pedestrian ferry boat, private boats or a long walk north from Clearwater Beach – the inlet is closed so Caladesi is no longer a true island, but still a great getaway.

“The white beach composed of crystalline quartz sand which is soft and cushy at the water’s edge, inviting one to take a dip in the sparkling clear waters. There are boardwalk trails, but my favorite is the kayak and canoe trails through the mangroves to see the large blue herons and other birds that frequent this wonderful natural area.”

This isn’t the first year Caladesi Island has made Dr. Beach’s list. He named it No. 1 in the U.S. in 2008. In 2007 and 2006, Dr. Beach ranked it as No. 2. In 2004, Caladesi Island ranked as No. 4, and Fort DeSoto Park’s north beach took the No. 1 spot.

For more information, visit Clearwater Area Beaches.

Two other Florida beaches made this year’s list: Siesta Beach in Sarasota and Grayton Beach State Park located between Panama City Beach and Destin.

Top 10 Beaches 2016

1. Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, Oahu, Hawaii

2. Siesta Beach Sarasota, Florida

3. Kapalua Bay Beach, Maui, Hawaii

4. Ocracoke Lifeguarded Beach, Outer Banks of North Carolina

5. Coast Guard Beach, Cape Cod, Massachusetts

6. Grayton Beach State Park Florida Panhandle

7. Coronado Beach, San Diego, California

8. Coopers Beach, Southampton, New York

9. Caladesi Island State Park Dunedin/Clearwater, Florida

10. Beachwalker Park Kiawah Island, South Carolina

Dr. Leatherman is an internationally known coastal scientist who has published 20 books and hundreds of scientific articles and reports about storm impacts, coastal erosion and ways to improve beach health and safety.

TBN Weekly May 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

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