"I don‘t really belong on these boards."

-- Craig Mateer

In the shadow of Florida’s Capitol, a supposedly closed boutique hotel has become an exclusive retreat for Gov. Ron DeSantis’ closest allies and top advisers — with a major supporter of the governor acting as gatekeeper.

Ostensibly closed for renovations, the Governor’s Inn is where DeSantis’ presidential campaign paid rent for campaign staff and where his top deputies sometimes mingle on a balcony overlooking Adams Street. It’s where the governor’s former chief of staff and campaign manager held his first 2026 fundraiser after DeSantis made him Florida’s attorney general.

There is no way for the general public to book a room or event online. Walk-ins aren’t welcome, according to signs taped to the glass doors at the front entrance. To get in, it helps to know the owner: Craig Mateer, a top sponsor of the governor’s second inauguration who made his private planes available to DeSantis during his presidential campaign.

The dynamics at play inside the Governor’s Inn, as described by more than a dozen people who have been inside for events, overnight stays or drinks, have ethics experts wondering about what is going on inside a venue with no public information about the price of rooms, drinks or events, and no clear criteria about how to get in.

Read more at the Tampa Bay Times

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