Barbara Readey, General Manager, The Don CeSar Resort I Beach House Suites

August 2026 —Invest: spoke with Barbara Readey, general manager of The Don CeSar Resort | Beach House Suites, about the property’s phased reopening, the debut of its Royal Ballroom, and how resilience investments are shaping operations on Florida’s Gulf Coast. “We are investing thoughtfully and staying focused on what strengthens the property for the long run,” Readey said.

What changes over the past year impacted the hotel, and in what ways?

Over the past year, The Don CeSar completed a multimillion-dollar renovation and restoration, and we approached it in phases. We began opening in March 2025, with several ribbon cuttings that marked each step forward as spaces and services came back online.

Our fine dining reopened in September, and that was a meaningful milestone because it completed the guest-facing amenities that define a full resort stay. At this point, all of our amenities are fully restored, beautiful, and better than ever, and the rebuild was carried out with sustainability as a central requirement, not an afterthought.

What guest experience updates have you seen resonate the most since reopening?

Guests immediately notice the redesign across our dining venues, which have been refreshed to match the elevated experience people expect from an iconic resort. Our pools are refreshed, and our outdoor spaces have expanded, giving guests more ways to enjoy the Gulf Coast setting throughout the day.

We updated our wellness and club areas as well, which supports both leisure guests and groups looking for a more complete on-property experience. The most exciting addition is our grand new Royal Ballroom, a 7,400-square-foot space that debuted on New Year’s Eve of 2025–2026 and expanded what is possible at the property for gatherings and celebrations.

How does the Royal Ballroom shift your group strategy, and what types of bookings are you most focused on attracting?

The new ballroom is a market changer for us. It allows us to host twice as many weddings and to accommodate larger groups that we could not serve in the same way before, which changes our ability to compete for high-impact events.

The space itself is also a differentiator. It has floor-to-ceiling windows and views of the Gulf, plus state-of-the-art audio-visual, so planners can deliver a modern program without sacrificing the experience of being at a coastal resort. Strategically, it strengthens our meetings and celebrations business, including corporate events, multi-day programs, and larger wedding weekends.

What specific upgrades or process changes have had the biggest impact on climate readiness and continuity of the guest experience?

Everything was done with sustainability and a long-term vision in mind, and resilience was built into the restoration decisions. One of the most significant upgrades was elevating our electrical and mechanical systems. They call it 10 plus 1, meaning 11 feet above the ground, so those systems cannot be impacted by the next water invasion.

For a coastal resort, readiness is directly tied to continuity. Guests want the experience to feel seamless, and these upgrades protect the backbone of operations so we can deliver consistency even as weather-related challenges remain part of the broader reality for the region.

How are you positioning the resort’s meetings-plus-leisure mix to complement the broader hospitality landscape in the region?

We think that guests are really seeking experiential and design-forward stays that balance luxury and authenticity with flexibility and a strong sense of place, and the Royal Ballroom just puts an exclamation point on how The Don CeSar delivers that for our customers.

From a positioning standpoint, the renovations strengthened both sides of our mix. Leisure travelers want elevated dining, refreshed outdoor areas, and wellness experiences, and group guests need versatile space that feels distinctive and functions at a high level. Our focus is to meet modern expectations while maintaining the historic character that people associate with The Don CeSar, so the experience feels both current and unmistakably rooted in place.

How do you approach attracting top hospitality talent in a highly competitive Tampa Bay labor market?

We invest in training, leadership development, and a culture rooted in pride and loyalty. We want to attract team members who are passionate about delivering exceptional, legendary customer experiences, and we support that by treating development as ongoing, not one-and-done.

In a competitive market, people choose workplaces where they can grow and feel connected to a mission. We work to create an environment where team members are proud of the property, proud of the service standards, and proud of the role they play in delivering an experience guests are willing to invest in.

Guests often want a local, story-driven stay. How do you deliver that without losing operational consistency?

We blend our historic character with modern amenities, and we do it in a way that stays operationally consistent. We have elevated culinary experiences and versatile gathering spaces that appeal to leisure and group guests, and our goal is to make each touchpoint feel intentional and reliable.

We keep our history in mind in everything we do. The Royal Ballroom, for example, is named after the theater where the opera Maritana debuted, in which Don Cesar was the main character. Those kinds of details help guests feel the story of the property, while the service delivery stays consistent across teams, shifts, and seasons.

What shifts are you seeing in who is traveling and how guests are spending on property?

We have discovered that guests are willing to pay for an exceptional experience. They want to be recognized, and they want their needs anticipated, which raises the bar for service and personalization across the stay.

At the same time, they value authenticity and a kind of silent luxury that is not overstated. For us, that means focusing on quality, thoughtful programming, and the details that make the experience feel elevated without feeling performative.

What are the toughest pressures right now for the hotel?

As a coastal resort, weather-related challenges remain top of mind, and rising costs are another pressure that requires careful decision-making. Even so, we are investing thoughtfully and staying focused on what strengthens the property for the long run.

Our ownership rebuilt with long-term resilience in mind, focused on the next 20 years. There were no shortcuts taken in our rebuilding. That mindset guides how we prioritize investments and protect the guest experience while navigating the realities of operating on the coast.

How do you engage with the community, and what initiatives are in place?

We remain connected to the community through local sourcing and culinary leadership, and by offering events and spaces that welcome residents as well as visitors. We want the resort to feel like part of the community’s fabric, not separate from it.

At Davidson, one of our core values is serving others with love. We do that using food and shelter as our basis, because we deliver guest rooms and restaurants. We partner with Building Beds to make beds for children that do not have any, and we serve in the Pinellas County homeless shelter on cold days by providing food. We like to consider ourselves a good neighbor, and we aim to show that through consistent action.

What are your key goals and priorities for the hotel for the next two to three years?

Our focus is on continued reinvestment and thoughtful programming for our customers, so the experience stays fresh and relevant while honoring what makes the property iconic.

We also want to strengthen our position as the premier Gulf Coast resort in Florida. That means building on the renovation momentum, maximizing the potential of the Royal Ballroom, and delivering a guest experience that remains exceptional for both leisure travelers and groups.