Don CeSar welcomes first overnight guests months after Hurricanes Helene, Milton

Don CeSar reopens after hurricane recovery

Ariel Plasencia reports.

ST. PETE BEACH, Fla. - The Don CeSar welcomed its first overnight guests on Friday – months after Hurrianes Helene and Milton.

"We're finally here," the resort’s general manager, Barbara Readey, said. "It's been a journey. We've had to be steadfast, but we are determined more than ever that it's going to be better than ever."

The backstory:

Exactly six months ago this week, Hurricane Helene brought several feet of devastating storm surge to Pinellas’ Barrier Islands. The storm dumped a significant amount of sand on the Don CeSar’s ground floor, damaging several amenities.

"Our Rowe Bar, our main, three-meal-a-day Society Table restaurant, our fitness center, our iconic courtyard, four retail stores, and Uncle Andy's ice cream all had to be rebuilt," Readey said.

The nearly 100-year-old resort had to shut down for the last six months for renovations. But guests eagerly returned on Friday to see how the St. Pete Beach landmark bounced back.

Follow FOX 13 on YouTube

What they're saying:

"So excited," Allie Ramshaw, a Don Member, said. "We've been waiting since January, when we got here. And yeah, we’re happy to be here."

Shoppers will be happy to know the Lobby Shop is back open. Meanwhile, Society Table is now temporarily located in Maritana. Ice cream lovers can still get their Uncle Andy’s fix, which has been temporarily set up in the Lobby Bar for now. One pool is currently open while crews work to finish repairs on the second one.

"You can definitely tell that things are different, but it looks like they worked hard to get it back open as soon as they could," Ramshaw said.

MORE: Pinellas County wants input on how to spend $813M in storm relief funding

Dig deeper:

Readey said despite the hiatus, many staff members returned, and several departments had a 100% employee retention rate. The resort expects all amenities to return to normal this summer.

"Our team members, our Don Club members, our community, and our guests have remained steadfast," Readey said. "They are incredibly loyal, and they're back. And we're so humbled."

The Source: The information in this story was gathered during interviews with Don CeSar's General Manager Barbara Readey and Don member Allie Ramshaw.

WATCH FOX 13 NEWS:

STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA: