I have spent big chunks of the last week in the car.  My daughter, a rising high school senior, is attending several week long resident pre-college programs.  Last week I drove her to Flagler College in St. Augustine, three hours north of us.  Saturday I picked her up and drove her home to repack.  Then I drove her to Eckerd College in St. Petersburg yesterday, three hours west of us.

I was tired and my head hurt so I decided to get a room and chill instead of turning around and heading right back home yesterday.  I hit up the Expedia and Hotwire apps, hoping to score a good deal for a room on the beach.  And I had success!

I am typing this from the Don Cesar Hotel right now.  I can see a sliver of ocean from my window.  This hotel, also known as the Pink Palace, is swanky AF.  It was built in 1928 and the rich and famous immediately started flocking here.

The resort was super easy to find.  It’s a giant pink palace. You really can’t miss it.

Check in was a breeze.  My room at the Don Cesar Hotel is bright, simple and beachy.

I chilled out for a bit to try to kick my headache and then headed down to the pool and beach.  I spent a lot of time in the massive hot tub.  I’d get out for a while and then go back in.

I gobbled them up too fast to get a photo, but I had amazing goat cheese fritters for dinner.

I listened in on people’s conversations while soaking in the hot tub until almost midnight.

Then I took a bubble bath in my room and had an amazing sleep.

This morning I ate breakfast outside, then did some work by the pool.

Now I’m writing about my experience in my room in the last few minutes before I need to check out.

I do have a complaint:  for such a beautiful, luxurious resort it sure seems like they’d splurge on good toilet paper.  1-ply?  Really?

Reasons you should treat yourself to a solo hotel stay:

• Do whatever you want, whenever you want.  Spend all your time inside the room or hardly use it at all – your call, only yours.
• People watch and eavesdrop.  I learned, “Kombucha is the new craft beer.”
• Walk around your room naked.  Or put on the plush robe hanging in the closet.
• Raid the mini bar without judgement or monitoring someone else.
• Blissful sleep without kids, pets, noisy neighbors or snoring partners to bother you.
• Relax, recharge and think.  There’s something about a clutter free space that isn’t yours that really lets the brain settle.
• You deserve self care and there is no one to interrupt you when you spend a night alone at a hotel.

If you’re in St. Petersburg or looking for a beach vacation, I would highly recommend treating yourself to the Don Cesar Hotel.  (But maybe bring your own toilet paper.)