Unbelievable Historic Resorts in Florida
Unbelievable Historic Resorts in Florida While Florida may initially seem like a basic vacation spot, there’s actually a lot more history and tradition than you might think! Florida has been a vacation hotspot for generations due to its year-round high temperatures, sandy beaches, and gorgeous inns, some of the most iconic and historic inns in the United States. From Clearwater to Orlando to Sarasota to the Florida Keys, take a look side by side as we round up some of the most incredible inns and historic landmarks in Florida.
10. Fontainebleau Miami Seaside
Fontainebleau Miami Beach continues to make history as perhaps the most iconic inn located in one of America’s most glamorous areas. Set on 20 acres in the heart of Millionaire’s Row, Fountainbleau underwent a $1 billion makeover in 2008, expanding its total guest rooms to 1,504 and reaffirming its long-standing status as one of the country’s most luxurious resorts.
Originally opened in 1954 with 554 rooms, it is the premier hotel in Miami Seaside. Designed by renowned architect Morris Lapidus, the 2012 Fontainebleau was named a “Highly Constructed in Florida” by the American Institute of Architects for its distinctive curved facade that juts across the Atlantic Ocean.
The unique lodge tower features a 17,000-square-foot lobby with a bow-tie marble floor and a two-story staircase known as the “Stairway to Nowhere.” The 6,500-square-foot elevated pool was the setting for a memorable scene in the James Bond film, “Goldfinger.” As we speak, Fountainbleau is home to a 40,000-square-foot spa.
9. Vinoy Renaissance St. Petersburg Resort & Golf Membership
The Vinoy has stood tall on Tampa Bay since it opened with great fanfare on New Year's Eve in 1925 and, after a $93 million restoration in 1992, became one of Florida's most luxurious resorts . The salmon-hued Mediterranean Revival building hosted everyone from Presidents Calvin Coolidge and Herbert Hoover to Marilyn Monroe, Joe DiMaggio, Jimmy Stewart and Babe Ruth throughout its heyday.
It was converted directly into a training center for the U.S. Army Air Corps and Army cooks throughout World War II. The inn reopened in 1944, but eventually fell out of favor and was transformed into a boarding house that charged just $7 per night. It closed in 1974 but was saved from the wrecking ball by St. Petersburg residents in 1984 because of its cherished place in the city’s historical past. As we speak, the 361-room resort includes a 74-slip marina, a golf course, 12 tennis courts and a 5,000-square-foot health club.
8. The Breakers Palm Seaside
Much like Phoenix rising from the ashes, The Breakers stands as a testament to the resilience of beautiful locations in beautiful areas. Originally built as the Palm Seaside Inn in 1896 by Henry Morrison Flagler, it burned down in 1903, was rebuilt in 1904, and burned down again in 1925. After spending $7 million on the building, The Breakers opened in 1926 and now spans 140 acres along Palm Seaside.
The 540-room Italian Renaissance-style resort is inspired by 15th-century Italian villas and features a majestic 1,040-foot pathway that leads to the ornate Florentine Fountain, modeled after the Boboli Gardens in Florence. The main lobby was inspired by the beautiful corridor of Palazzo Carega (c. 1560) in Genoa. As we speak, it’s higher than ever with two golf courses, four pools, eight dining venues, a half-mile of private beach, a 20,000-square-foot spa, 11 on-site shops and a new 6,000-square-foot, indoor-outdoor cardiovascular health center overlooking the ocean.
7. Don Cesar's almonds
The Loews Don Cesar has been a Gulf Coast icon since it opened in 1928. The iconic pink castle on St. Pete Seaside showcases Mediterranean and Moorish architecture with balconies and terraces lining the 10- story masterpiece . Named for Don Ce-Sar in Vincent Wallace's opera Maritana, it has been a playground for celebrities including Clarence Darrow and F. Scott Fitzgerald. In 1942, it was purchased by the U.S. Army to serve as a sub-hospital and convalescent home for pilots returning from World War II.
It was not reopened as an inn until 1973 when it regained its status as one of Florida's elite resort inns. Its distinctive design was made possible by the backdrop of two notable motion pictures - "Soon as America" (Robert De Niro, James Woods) and "Eternal Mine" (Ray Liotta, Ralph Fiennes). Now on the National Register of Historic Sites, the 277-room inn recently completed an extensive renovation.
6. Nationwide Miami Seaside
Miami's South Seaside Artwork Deco Historic District is among the finest collections of American rounded structures, and nowhere is it more prominent than at the National Hotel Miami Beach . Opened in 1939, the Nationwide was designed by Roy France, one of Artwork Deco's most respected architects. New homeowners and management extensively restored the 116-room inn in its iconic 14-story tower, along with 36 luxurious cabanas and suites, in 1997.
As we speak, authentic furnishings can be seen throughout the property, along with terrazzo floors inside the Martini Room cigar bar, an oak bar anchoring the Blues Bar, and the original and restored Oval Ballroom carpet and chandelier. The polished chrome light fixtures and dark wood furnishings are also original. During the restoration, a slender, 205-foot infinity pool was created to mimic the streamlined Artwork Deco style. The ultra-hip, palm-lined pool is the longest in Miami Seaside.
5. Monica House
As the oldest continuously occupied European settlement in the United States, it is easy to imagine that St. Augustine is home to some former inn just like Casa Monica. The inn was purchased around 1888 shortly after it opened by Normal Oil co-founder Henry Flagler who changed its name to Cordova and built a bridge in 1902 to connect it to another inn nearby, the Alcazar. It officially closed in 1932 after Flagler abandoned the complicated stock market crash, and was converted into the St. Johns County Courthouse in 1968. It was restored and reopened as a 138-room inn in 1999.
As we speak, the Moorish Revival-style lodge showcases hand-painted Italian tiles, Spanish textiles and hand-gilded archways in the lobby. Rooms are elegantly appointed with Spanish-style furnishings, mahogany tables and wrought-iron four-poster beds. In 2001, the King and Queen of Spain visited what has become one of Florida’s most luxurious boutique lodges.
4. Gasparilla Inn and Membership
The tip of Boca Grande Island has long been a special place for its deep waters and its reputation as the most effective tarpon fishing spot on the planet. The Gasparilla Inn & Club opened in 1913, largely because phosphate rock was found nearby and then mined for use in detergents and various goods.
Originally built to charm visiting corporate barons and wealthy northerners looking for a winter retreat, the inn has been a favorite over the years of celebrities and business leaders alike including J.P. Morgan, Henry DuPont, Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, Katharine Hepburn, and George H.W. Bush.
With careful stewardship, Gasparilla remains the most effective example of Florida's former grandeur. The unique Pillared Inn has 63 guest rooms, while surrounding cottages offer an additional 74. Non-public sandy beaches, an 18-hole golf course and a 250-slip marina keep new generations coming back to this Florida home base.
3. Le Meridien Tampa
Le Meridien Tampa is relatively new, having only opened in 2014, but it is a former federal courthouse that dates back to 1905. It took more than $27 million to renovate this Greek Revival courthouse into an expensive downtown Tampa hotel. The courthouse was built to the brim, and remnants of its former life are scattered throughout the venue.
The former witness box now serves as a collection stand in its restaurant, while the witness selection office has been repurposed as the heart of the establishment. The former courtrooms are ballrooms or assembly rooms with witty names like Verdict Boardroom and Sidebar One. What sets this place apart is how the new inn tastefully blends in with the new fixtures, such as the modern chandeliers that illuminate the traditional marble floors and granite columns. The rooms are decidedly modern, with 42-inch flat-screen TVs, modern furnishings, carpeting and Wi-Fi.
2. Terrace Lodge
Air conditioning and the railway had much to do with the creation of the Terrace Hotel and its lasting recognition. The increase in railroads in the late 19th century had 25 trains stopping daily at the Lakeland depot by the 1890s, bringing increasing numbers of tourists from the northeastern United States.
The Terrace Lodge opened in 1924 with a huge innovation—air conditioning—that made it popular with A-list visitors like Henry Ford, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Frank Sinatra. The ten-story landmark was Lakeland's first high-rise and features stunning crystal chandeliers imported from Italy, floor-to-ceiling arched windows, and carved Cypriot ceilings inside the lobby.
After a long period of recognition, it faded from the limelight and eventually became a failed transients' home before closing in 1986. The 73-room inn was renovated and reopened in 1998 as an anchor of Lakeland's revitalized historic downtown area.
1. Marquesa Lodge Hotel
Located in the heart of Key West’s historic district, the Marquesa is comprised of four Victorian homes built in 1884. Collectively, the pastel-colored homes feature two swimming pools and an indoor backyard filled with tropical plants and rock waterfalls that may tempt visitors to sit and relax all day. Those who venture out will discover all the sights of Duval Street just one block away.
The Gulf of Mexico is just four blocks away. The boutique lodge features elegantly decorated rooms with antiques, plush beds and marble bathrooms. It has been listed on “Top Lodges” lists by the likes of U.S. Information & World Report and Journey & Leisure, while Zagat named its 50-seat Café Marquesa Key West main restaurant its honor. The homeowners emphasize solace and tranquility for their guests, and young adults must be at least 14 years old to stay.