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Just like fine wine that keeps improving with age, the Don CeSar Beach Resort & Spa in St. Pete Beach, Florida keeps getting better. Yet it keeps all the historical flavor that has made it so popular for generations. (including the original staircase, which is now almost hidden behind a door in Andy's ice cream parlor)

The Don CeSar was the dream of an Irishman, Thomas Rowe, who made a fortune in Florida real estate. He patterned his "pink lady" after the Royal Hawaiian on Waikiki Beach. When the hotel opened in 1928, construction costs totaled $1.2 million, almost 300 percent over Rowe's intended budget.

Named after a character in the Italian opera Maritana, the Don CeSar reigned as the preferred resort of high society—hosting the likes of F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife, Zelda; attorney Clarance Darrow; baseball great Lou Gehrig, and even gangster Al Capone.

Actually, St. Pete Beach is now twice as nice. The European-style Don CeSar Resort and Spa features 275 Mediterranean-style rooms and two penthouse suites. There are two beachside pools, a full-service beach club and spa, childcare programs, and extensive boutique shopping. Just a quick stroll down the sand lies The Beach House, boasting 70 condominium-style suites with full kitchens, making it the perfect choice for extended stays.

Most people come for the beautiful beach at this historic pink hotel. Others come to dine at the Zagat Extraordinary Award-winning Maritana Grille. Some people return to bask by the peaceful pool. But I think the legendary King Arthur's Sunday brunch is reason enough to come to the Don Cesar.

When you step off the elevator on the fifth floor, you see lots of smiling faces. Those are the faces of the friendly staff and the satiated guests who have been browsing around the brunch table. Wisely, they display the dessert table first, so you can do advance planning on what is the most important way to allocate your stomach's room and resources--because you can't possibly do it all.

The next thing is to do an overview of the wonderful entrées. Will you start with traditional breakfast foods like waffles, and omelets? Or go to the carving station for lamb, beef and ham? Are you tempted by the creative renditions of chicken and seafood that the chef prepares? Or do you have the willpower to stick to salads? (there are enough salad choices to make more than a whole meal?)

There are wonderful things to do between meals. Even when the weather is less than perfect—which rarely happens.

My three favorite things to do while staying at the Don CeSar (besides eating):

1. Get a massage in the spa. Let the gentle touch of the soothing therapists help you relax even more. Heavenly.
2. Save some money at the Ellington Outlet Mall which is only 25 minutes away. Get some great deals on designer duds from names like Ellen Tracy, Donna Karan, Mark, Strike and Four, Escada, and more. Use the money you save to stay longer at the Don Cesar. Ellenton Prime Outlets: Just off I-75 in Ellenton. Exit 43. With 135 stores, it's the largest outlet center on Florida's West Coast.
3. Visit the Salvador Dali Museum—with the largest collection in the world of this Spanish surrealist painter's works.

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