Make it Pink (and Fancy)

By Chris Wichmann

Three things I love: pink, the Roaring Twenties, and vacation. Combine these three and you get the Don CeSar, the Boca Raton, the Chesterfield, the Royal Hawaiian, and the Vinoy Renaissance Resort. Although pink palaces of Mediterranean design were extremely fashionable in the 1920s—Chicago even had its own pink hotel (the Edgewater Beach Hotel)—these are no shabby remnants from the past. All of the hotels listed have undergone millions of dollars in restoration; they still retain a Gatsbyesque grandeur, but they are now equipped with modern, world-class amenities.

Planning a romantic or family getaway? Imagine yourselves poolside in a tropical setting with a pink grande dame to call home for a week. Private beaches, gorgeous hotels, luxuriant landscapes, and a little bit kitschy…doesn’t take long to get the fantasizing started.

Flamingo Pink: The Don CeSar, St. Pete Beach, Florida
The pinkest of the hotels and every bit as elegant as the architects originally intended in 1928. During a stay with Zelda, F. Scott Fitzgerald called it “the hotel in an island wilderness.” Bask on the Gulf of Mexico, enjoy a retreat at Spa Oceana, and even bring the pup for vacation. Pets are welcome and treated like VIPs: gourmet room service, pet-sitting services, and maps of dog-walking routes.

The Don CeSar,
Saint Pete Beach, Florida

Frothy Pink and Creamy White: The Boca Raton, Boca Raton, Florida
A 200-acre waterfront resort with five hotels, sea foam green water, and activities galore. This super-sized resort features a yacht club; private golf club; and four-acre water oasis with three pools, 450-foot floating river, slides, and surfing simulator. Don’t want to leave? The Bungalows offer long-term stays, a private pool, and dedicated concierge team. Good times since 1926.

Lilly Pink: The Chesterfield, Palm Beach, Florida
Pack your Lilly Pulitzer, and indulge yourself at this Palm Beach landmark, which is only a couple blocks from your new best friend, Worth Avenue. The hotel’s retro-chic Leopard Lounge is the cocktail hour hangout of the elite. Show your spots by ordering the signature Leopard Martini. The hotel was built in 1926 and has remained a stylish fixture ever since.

Coral Pink: The Royal Hawaiian, Honolulu, Hawaii
This is where the Hawaiian honeymoon was invented, along with the Mai Tai. Waikiki Beach, luaus, snorkeling, catch-of-the-day dinners, and a spa situated within a tropical garden—a pink paradise. This hotel was built in 1927 and epitomizes beachfront luxury with a pink parasol cocktail.

Salmon Pink: Vinoy Renaissance Resort and Golf Club, St. Petersburg, Florida
Vintage luxury—MVPs come here for the tennis, golf, two swimming pools connected by a waterfall, and sunset champagne cruises. The Vinoy was built in 1925 and is adjacent to Vinoy Park, one of the top ten parks in Florida. A mile south of the hotel, visit the expertly curated collection of Salvador Dalí’s work at the Dalí Museum.