FLORIDA HISTORIC HOTELS

Most Florida historic hotels, with some exceptions,  were built in the boom days of the early to mid 1920s.

Many of them were masterpieces of architecture of that golden era but a large number of them deteriorated over the years as more modern motels and hotels popped up all over Florida.

Vintage Postcard Cadillac Hotel in Miami Beach

Thanks to good old capitalism and the huge population explosion in Florida from the 1950s until now, many of these grand old ladies have been renovated and can stand up to any luxury hotel or motel in the state.

Florida Historic Hotels on the National Register of Historic Places

You can't go wrong staying at one of these great old places.  All of them are on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.

Biltmore Hotel, Coral Gables
Breakers Hotel, Palm Beach
Casa Marina Hotel, Jax Beach
Casa Marina Resort, Key West
Casa Monica Hotel, St. Augustine
Cadillac Hotel, Miami Beach
The Chesterfield, Palm Beach
Don Cesar Hotel, St. Pete Beach
Driftwood Inn, Vero Beach
Florida House Inn, Fernandina
Floridan Hotel, Tampa
Fontainebleau, Miami Beach
Gasparilla Inn, Boca Grande
Gulf Stream Hotel, Lake Worth
Hacienda Hotel, New Port Richey
Island Hotel, Cedar Key
Hotel Jacaranda, Avon Park
Lakeside Inn, Mount Dora
Ocean Spray Hotel, Miami Beach
Seminole Inn, Indiantown
Tarpon Lodge, Pine Island
Tween Waters Inn, Captiva
Vinoy Park Hotel, St. Petersburg
The Terrace Hotel, Lakeland

LEARN ABOUT THEM BY SCROLLING DOWN THE PAGE

BILTMORE HOTEL, Coral Gables.

This masterpiece was built in 1926 as the centerpiece of George Merrick's magnificent new town of Coral Gables.  It has been totally renovated and is once again the centerpiece of this beautiful city.

Vintage Postcard Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables

BREAKERS HOTEL, Palm Beach.

Henry Flagler built the hotel in 1896 to accomodate travelers on his new Florida East Coast Railway.  It has been rebuilt and restored over the years and is a magnificent luxury hotel.

Breakers Hotel, Palm Beach

CASA MARINA HOTEL, Jacksonville Beach.

This small elegant hotel and restaurant is on the Atlantic ocean and was built in 1925.  It has 23 bedrooms and parlor suites.

Casa Marina Hotel, Jacksonville Beach

CASA MARINA RESORT, Key West

Casa Marina was built in 1921 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  It is on the beach in Old Town Key West.  It is now a Waldorf property.

Casa Marina Resort, Key West

CASA MONICA HOTEL, St. Augustine

This is a beautifully renovated luxury hotel originally built in 1888.  It is one of the hotels listed in the National Trust Historic Hotels of America.  It is located in the heart of downtown St. Augustine, which is a historic district all by itself.  The hotel was originally known as the Cordova.  It served as a town hall for a while, was shut down, but now it is a gem among Florida historic hotels.

Casa Monica Hotel in St. Augustine

CADILLAC HOTEL, Miami Beach

This hotel has been beautifully renovated and is now a Courtyard (Marriott Miami Beach Oceanfront Hotel).  One of our favorite Florida historic hotels.

Cadillac Hotel in Miami Beach

THE CHESTERFIELD, Palm Beach

This luxury hotel is just north of the famous Worth Avenue and its fabulous shops.  It is a short walk from the beaches.

The Chesterfield is a local architectural icon and has existed over the years under several different names.  Today it is an example of English charm and upscale service in one of Florida's wealthiest towns. 

The Chesterfield in Palm Beach

DESERT INN, Yeehaw Junction

This is probably the most modest hotel on this list. 

Yeehaw Junction is an exit on the Florida Turnpike.  There are a few modest rooms on the second floor and a restaurant with good chili and beer on the ground floor. 

Check it out before you go;  sometimes it's not open.

On December 22, 2019, the Desert Inn was almost totally demolished by a truck running into it.  If is unlikely the damage will be repaired because the Inn was not succeeding and had been closed for quite some time before the accident.

Desert Inn in Yeehaw Junction Before The Truck Wreck

Desert Inn in Yeehaw Junction After the Truck Wrecked It

DON CESAR HOTEL, St Pete Beach.

This large 277 room hotel was built in 1928 on the Gulf of Mexico in the Pass-A-Grille area south of St Petersburg Beach.  It is operated by Loews Hotels.   One of the most magnificent of Florida historic hotels.

Don CeSar Hotel, St. Petersburg Beach

DRIFTWOOD INN, Vero Beach

This legendary resort was started by Waldo Sexton in the 1930s.  He got the place started with driftwood he found on the beach, and over the years he just kept adding to the buildings.  It's modern these days, but the old beachy seaside charm is still strong.

Driftwood Inn, Vero Beach

CLEWISTON INN, Clewiston

Rebuilt in 1938 and owned by U.S. Sugar Corporation for many years, the hotel is under new management and is doing well. 

Close to Lake Okeechobee.

Vintage Postcard Clewiston Inn

FLORIDA HOUSE INN, Fernandina Beach. 

This 17 room inn is in the heart of Fernandina's historic district.  It was built in 1857 and claims to be the oldest continuously operating inn in Florida.

Florida House Inn in Fernandina Beach

FLORIDAN HOTEL, Tampa.

This hotel was built in 1926, and was carefully restored and reopened in 2012. 

Floridan Hotel in Tampa

FONTAINEBLEAU, Miami Beach

Architect Morris Lapidus designed this modernistic hotel and it was built in 1954 and is still considered an architectural wonder. 

It is on prime Miami Beach oceanfront, and has the complete range of spa and luxury facilities.  It has been featured in countless movies, and is arguably the most famous of Florida historic hotels.

Fontainbleau in Miami Beach

GASPARILLA INN, Boca Grande

Boca Grande was once a favorite hideaway for the rich and famous in the days when the megawealthy traveled in their own railroad cars.  The Gasparilla Inn dates back to those days;  it originally opened in 1913.

In addition to being a favorite vacation place for the late President George H.W. Bush, other famous guests have included Henry Ford, Harvey Firestone, Thomas Edison and Katharine Hepburn.

Gasparilla Inn in Boca Grande

GULF STREAM HOTEL, Lake Worth

This historic hotel was opened in 1923.  It is not directly on the ocean, but it's a short walk away.  It is in the process of being renovated (as of November 2016) and will hopefully be reopened soon.  It is close to shopping, entertainment and golf.

Vintage Postcard Gulf Stream Hotel in Lake Worth

HACIENDA HOTEL, New Port Richaey

The Hacienda Hotel opened in 1927 and was one of Florida's unique original pink hotels.  New Port Richey is a fun place to visit and this nice small hotel has a welcoming restaurant and bar along with more than 40 guest rooms. You will enjoy the many antiques in the building along with the historic photos of the area.

ISLAND HOTEL, Cedar Key

This ancient inn was opened in 1859 during the heyday of Cedar Key.  Things are quieter today, but there is still plenty of good dining and shopping in town, and you are very close to good seafood. 

The Island Hotel has only 10 rooms, so it's really more of a bed and breakfast than a hotel.  The restaurant is on the ground floor.

Island Hotel in Cedar Key

THE HOTEL JACARANDA, Avon Park

The hotel opened in 1926 and is one of the oldest continuously operating hotels in Florida.  It is in downtown Avon Park on The Mall.  Some of its famous guests include Babe Ruth, Clark Gable, George Burns and Gracie Allen.  

The Hotel Jacaranda in Avon Park

KENILWORTH LODGE, Sebring

This resort was built in 1916 and was well maintained until recent years.  There is a huge swimming pool and a golf course.  Sebring is a nice small city with a lot to do.

Note:  This hotel is not in operation.  We don't know when or if it will reopen.  The building still stands, however, and even though it's deserted, it's an interesting place to see from the road.

Kenilworth Lodge in Sebring

LAKESIDE INN, Mount Dora

This historic hotel has been in business since 1883.  It is on the east shore of Lake Dora with a fantastic view of sunsets. 

New owners, Jim and Alexandra Gunderson, have been steadily renovating rooms and are dedicated to preserving this oldest continuously operating example of all Florida historic hotels.

Lakeside Inn in Mount Dora

OCEAN SPRAY HOTEL, Miami Beach

This renovated art deco boutique hotel is on Collins Avenue in the heart of South Beach.  It was originally built in 1937.  It's close to the beach and everything else.

Ocean Spray Hotel in Miami Beach

SEMINOLE INN, Indiantown

This small historic hotel was built in 1927 by railroad man S. Davies Warfield.  He was one of the early pioneering developers in this part of Florida. 

His niece was Wallis Warfield who helped him host parties.  She married well a couple of times and became famous as the Duchess of Windsor.

Seminole Inn in Indiantown

TARPON LODGE AND RESTAURANT, Pineland

Many years ago this inn was known as Pine-Aire Lodge.  It is on the west side of Pine Island.  In addition to the first class lodging, the restaurant is also great.

Tarpon Lodge in Pineland (Pine Island)

TWEEN WATERS INN, Captiva

This beautiful inn between the bay and the gulf was established in 1931 with a single building.  It has expanded over the years with modern rooms, but there are still many historic structures on the resort property.

Tween Waters Inn on Captiva Island

VINOY PARK HOTEL, St. Petersburg

The magnificent Vinoy was built in 1925.  It fell on hard times but has been lovingly restored.  It is now operated as the Marriott Renaissance Resort and Golf Club. 

It is in the heart of vibrant downtown St. Petersburg, close to the museums, theaters, restaurants and marinas that make this a great town to visit.

Vinoy Park Hotel in St. Petersburg

THE TERRACE HOTEL, Lakeland

This hotel was built in 1924 and restored to a luxury hotel in 1998.  It has 73 guest rooms and 15 suites.  The hotel has a commanding view of Lake Mirror, a gem of a lake in downtown Lakeland.

The Terrace Hotel in Lakeland

These hotels are only a few of 1,700 properties and structures listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Florida.

FLORIDA SMALL INNS - Statewide

Although not on the National Register of Historic Places, there are many smaller mom and pop motels, lodges, and inns that are vintage Old Florida but have been renovated and offer modern amenities.

Caribbean Inn, Vero Beach

FLORIDA HISTORIC HOTEL RESERVATION INFORMATION

You can check prices or make reservations at many of these hotels at Booking.com by either typing in the name of the hotel or the city of its location.