Elevate Your Tropical Getaway At These Newly Revived Hotels

Photo: Courtesy Bellwether Beach Resort

A St. Pete, Florida, beachfront gem, the distinct cylinder-shaped Bellwether Beach Resort (above) recently opened with 156 rooms and suites, including six penthouses meant for soaking in the luxuries of a tropical vacation. Playing off the building’s 1970s architecture, the hotel boasts a retro-modern aesthetic, offering a sense of nostalgia with terrazzo tiles, eclectic accessories and vintage artwork from the ’60s. Penthouses brag a multi-room, split-level floorplan with a separate living room/lounge area and a golden roving bar cart meant for martini moments. Interior design firm Duncan & Miller swathed the spaces with a midcentury look, replete with rich colors and plush fabrics, like couches draped in a deep green-hued velvet, and rugs in standout patterns that pop against the suites’ floor-to-ceiling vistas of white sand and blue waters.

Photo: Courtesy Don CeSar

Fresh off a glamorous reinvention, The Don CeSar famously known as Florida’s “Pink Palace,” treats guests to design-rich enhancements spanning from the historic lobby bar to the 277 guest rooms and a new two-story beach bar with expansive views of the Gulf of Mexico. Upgrade your stay by reserving one of two lavish, bi-level penthouses designed by Parker-Torres Design, including the crown jewel, the three-bedroom Bayside Penthouse. Drawing inspiration from the hotel’s Gatsby-era origins, the penthouses showcase soft curves and rounded corners while weaving in coastal-inspired standouts like an area rug that features an abstract palm leaf print and a dining room table with millwork in an enlarged tortoise shell pattern.