Celebrity-Style Oceanfront Resort with Homelike Comforts

At the height of the Jazz Age, the Don CeSar Beach Hotel’s guest list included icons such as FDR and Al Capone; more recently, the likes of Elton John and Britney Spears have checked into pink palatial resort. Just a short walk up the shore, the Beach House Suites, a sister property, shares access to the Don's high life: a complimentary shuttle zips guests to the main resort for spa treatments, fine dining, weekend performances, and additional beachfront pools.

Deluxe king and queen suites, painted the Don's signature cotton-candy pink, boast a private balcony furnished with deck chairs from which to pose for imaginary photographers while gazing at Gulf sunsets. More deck chairs encircle a heated swimming pool nestled amid swaying palms and azaleas. In addition to fine furnishings, the condo-style suites house domestic conveniences such as a washer/dryer, flat-screen TV, and kitchenette, where guests can sear burgers or hot dogs ordered through the resort's grocery service.

When hunger calls, the Don's award-winning Maritana Grille answers with a menu chock full of organic veggies and local seafood such as Florida snapper in red-curry-coconut sauce ($30). Once appetites have been appeased, sights may set on the Spa Oceana, where massage therapists deftly untangle knotted muscles and aestheticians treat digits with utmost care during the 35-minute Ocean Mist manicure ($45). A nightcap at the Sunsets Tequila Bar will bring closure to an event-filled day.

St. Pete Beach: Historical Districts with Barrier-Island Beauty

With average temperatures in the 60s and 70s throughout winter, St. Pete Beach offers a sub-tropical escape for the colder months. On the southern end of the barrier island, the historical district of Pass-a-Grille boasts a quaint main street, where old Florida-style specialty shops neighbor dive bars with outdoor decks. Nearby, Pass-a-Grille beach stretches beyond most buildings, pointing like a ship's bow into the bay.

The nearby Shell Key and Egmont Key National Wildlife Refuge can be reached only by kayak or ferry. At Egmont Key, an 1850s-era lighthouse and ancient artillery batteries illustrate the island's military past, but today, the only combat comes in the form of seagulls squabbling with pelicans over the last bite of ceviche. Beachcombers scan the shores for washed-up cockleshells, sand dollars, and shark teeth, and snorkelers and divers explore the ruins of sunken ships.