Loew’s Don CeSar Hotel

Some may think St. Pete/Clearwater is known just for its beaches and flip flops, but the area earned a luxurious distinction from USA Today.

With 10.8 percent of its rooms qualifying as luxury, Tampa Bay is one of the top luxury hotel room destinations in the country. The extravagant accolade topped Boston (9.6), Chicago (8.9) and Washington D.C. (7.3), according to data from Smith Travel Research.

The list featured on a USA Today blog excluded Las Vegas and benefitted smaller markets because it takes fewer rooms to make up a larger percentage. Two of the top three cities are in Florida, with Miami (19.8) at the top and West Palm Beach (17.9) third-highest.

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