luxe

Luxe – Where Florida Dresses Up
There is Florida - and then there is Florida at its most exquisite. Luxe is where the state reveals its finer side: waterfront resorts with impeccable service, restaurants where every detail is intentional, and experiences designed not merely to fill a day but to elevate it. Here, sunset arrives with a champagne toast, reservations are worth dressing for, and even the simplest moments feel curated. This is not about excess - it is about refinement. About choosing beautifully. About savoring places that understand that luxury is less about spectacle and more about how something makes you feel.

THE DON CESAR – The Pink Palace, Forever

Some hotels are admired. The Don CeSar is adored. Rising like a storybook palace along the sands of St. Pete Beach, its blush towers catch the Gulf light in a way that feels almost cinematic. There is romance here - real romance - woven into the arches, the breeze off the water, the hush that settles in just before sunset. Where The Vinoy is stately and composed, The Don is barefoot glamour. Mornings begin with sea air and horizon views, afternoons drift between pool and shore, and evenings feel made for champagne and slow walks along the sand. It is grand without being distant, luxurious without losing its warmth. For those who know, there is simply nothing like it. And once it becomes your favorite, every other beachfront stay is quietly compared.

St. Pete Beach

BERN'S STEAK HOUSE
A Legend, Perfectly Aged

Some restaurants are trendy. Bern’s is eternal. Stepping inside feels like entering a ritual of indulgence - red velvet, dark wood, candlelight, and the quiet confidence of a place that knows exactly who it is. The steaks are aged with meticulous care, the wine cellar is legendary, and the service moves with a precision that borders on choreography. And then, of course, there is the dessert room - intimate, theatrical, unforgettable. An evening at Bern’s is not just dinner. It is ceremony. It is anticipation. It is the rare experience that manages to feel both grand and deeply personal at once. In the world of Luxe, Bern’s does not compete. It reigns.

Tampa

Sailboat Charters – Florida, Unscripted

There is luxury - and then there is the quiet privilege of stepping aboard your own sailboat as the shoreline slips softly behind you. A private charter along Florida’s coast is less about destination and more about sensation - wind in the sails, sunlight dancing across open water, the hush that comes when engines disappear and only the sea remains. Champagne tastes better offshore. Conversations feel lighter. Time loosens its grip. Whether you are gliding past the Gulf at sunset or tracing the curve of Sarasota Bay, a sailboat charter offers something rare - privacy, beauty, and the kind of effortless elegance that cannot be replicated on land. In Luxe company, this is freedom at its finest.

St. Pete Beach

COSTALE TAVERNA
Chef Fabio Viviani’s Coastal Celebration

Costale Taverna feels like the kind of place you would hope to find but never quite expect — where casually refined Italian coastal cuisine meets Tampa’s vibrant waterfront energy. Led by Top Chef standout Chef Fabio Viviani, the menu serves up bold Mediterranean flavors with flair: handcrafted pastas, wood-fire grilled seafood, and bright, seasonal ingredients that sing together beautifully. The setting is warm and welcoming yet effortlessly elevated, making it perfect for a special evening that still feels relaxed — cocktail in hand, sunset in view, and every dish crafted with unmistakable confidence. If Italian food could embody both joy and finesse, this is where it would land. Costale Taverna is not just dinner — it is an occasion worth lingering over.

St. Petersburg

THE VINOY RESORT & GOLF CLUB
The Grande Dame of the BAY

There are beautiful hotels - and then there are icons. The Vinoy rises along the St. Petersburg waterfront in its signature blush facade, a vision of Mediterranean elegance that has defined refined Florida living for generations. From the moment you step beneath its archways, everything feels intentional - the marina glittering just beyond, the palms swaying softly, the hush of polished marble underfoot. Rooms are serene and impeccably styled, dining is worthy of celebration, and the atmosphere carries that rare blend of heritage and modern indulgence. Days unfold beside the pool or on the water, evenings arrive dressed in linen and candlelight. Staying at The Vinoy is not simply booking a room - it is entering a legacy. And in the world of Luxe, it remains the standard by which all others are quietly measured.

St. Petersburg

LILAC
A Michelin-Starred Masterpiece

Lilac is not simply dinner - it is artistry in motion. Tucked within The Tampa EDITION, this Michelin-starred restaurant delivers a tasting experience that feels both intimate and extraordinary. Each course arrives like a quiet revelation - refined, precise, and beautifully restrained. The room itself hums with understated elegance, allowing the cuisine to take center stage. Flavors unfold thoughtfully, presentation is deliberate, and the pacing feels almost poetic. This is the kind of place where conversation softens, time slows, and every detail matters. In Luxe company, Lilac represents the pinnacle - modern, confident, and exquisitely composed.

Tampa

Opal Sands Resort
Contemporary Gulf front Glamour

Opal Sands feels like Florida rewritten in glass and light. Perched directly on Clearwater Beach, its sweeping, curved design ensures that nearly every room greets the Gulf head-on - sunrise, sunset, and every shimmering moment in between. The atmosphere is sleek yet relaxed, where private balconies become front-row seats to the horizon and the infinity-edge pool seems to spill straight into the sea. Interiors are fresh and modern, softened by the rhythm of the waves just beyond the glass. It is beachfront living elevated - contemporary, confident, and undeniably luminous.

Clearwater

STIRRUPS
Equestrian Elegance, Perfectly Plated

Set within the grandeur of the World Equestrian Center, Stirrups is refined without ever feeling rigid - a restaurant that mirrors the grace and discipline of the sport just outside its doors. The setting is polished and serene, the service attentive, and the menu thoughtfully composed with prime cuts, pristine seafood, and beautifully balanced seasonal dishes. Dining here feels elevated yet unhurried - the kind of evening where crystal catches the light, conversation lingers, and every detail is considered. It is classic, confident, and quietly luxurious - exactly what one hopes for in the heart of horse country.

Ocala

THE RITZ-CARLTON, SARASOTA Pinnacle of Coastal Luxury

If you’re charting the course for the most elevated stay in Sarasota, this is the address. The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota stands as the city’s definitive luxury retreat — refined, spacious, and breathtakingly placed along Sarasota Bay. Expansive guest rooms and suites open to sweeping water views and private balconies that make every sunrise feel like a celebration. Beyond the elegant interiors lies a world of premium experiences: an onsite spa that whispers serenity, championship golf for those who take leisure seriously, and access to a private Beach Club on Lido Key where soft white sand and Gulf breezes become part of your daily rhythm. It is the kind of hotel where details are thoughtful, service is intuitive, and every moment feels less like a stay and more like an occasion — the true quintessence of Sarasota’s high-end hospitality.

Sarasota

Luxury at its best is not a price point. It is a feeling, unhurried, considered, and quietly extraordinary. Florida has always known how to deliver it to those paying attention. These are the places that prove it, every single time.