Whether it’s an historic hotel or a modern one, a luxury boutique hotel, or an AirB&B, choices abound as you organize your vacation in Palm Beach. Remember, avoid the hurricane season and the seasonal crowds when you decide on the time of year you want to go—and bring plenty of sunscreen.
There is no lack of beachfront hotels in Palm Beach with its 47 miles of beaches. Presidents, America’s noble families, such as the Rockefellers, Vanderbilts, and Astors; crowned kings and queens, and kings and queens of Hollywood such as Elizabeth Taylor, the Kirk Douglases, Natalie Wood and Robert Wagner, Frank Sinatra, and William Holden, have enjoyed staying in Palm Beach—and so can you. Here are some of our hotel picks:
MOST HISTORIC HOTEL
The Breakers Palm Beach
1 South County Road
Reservations: (877) 964-6847 or log onto www.thebreakers.com
Founded by Henry M. Flagler (read our CULTURE feature), the Breakers was reconstructed twice after fires destroyed the earlier hotels. The iconic historic hotel we know today was designed by the New York architectural firm of Shultze and Weaver, who also designed Manhattan’s famed Pierre Hotel and the Waldorf-Astoria and described their plans for The Breakers as “the acme of perfection in design and magnificence.” The Breakers reopened in 1926 and has retained its heritage while moving with the times, such as the ecologically friendly practices management imposes on the resort grounds and beaches as part of their environmental stewardship. Over 1,900 people are employed at The Breakers to make your visit seamless and pleasurable. There are 538 rooms, including 68 suites. Each room offers a captivating view, luxury appointments, and complimentary Wi-Fi. Ten hotel restaurants, including the Flagler Steakhouse, with its fresh take on the classic American chophouse; Henry’s Palm Beach, whose menu features comfort food such as Butter Crumb Dover Sole and Chicken Pot Pie; the Seafood Bar with its glamourous exhibition kitchen and magnificent aquariums; and HMF, off the Grand Lobby, where you can choose from a wine list of 2,000 selections while listening to music and entertainment by director Kirill Basov, whose distinctive music is a mash-up of old and new tunes.
BEST LUXURY SMALL HOTEL
Colony Palm Beach
255 Hammon Avenue
Reservations: (561) 655-5430 or log onto www.thecolonypalmbeach.com
One of the best addresses in Palm Beach, The Colony Hotel has been nominated for a Travel & Leisure 2022 World’s Best Award. Chic, inviting, classic, “the living room of Palm Beach” is located in the heart of town, with “one foot in the sand and one foot on Worth Avenue.” This stunning luxury boutique hotel, which first opened in 1947, was purchased in 2016 by Sarah and Andrew Wetenwell, who completely renovated and modernized The Colony while acknowledging its design heritage. They commissioned De Burney, a British company that specializes in hand-painted murals, to create magnificent murals throughout the first floor as a “love letter to Palm Beach”—including a depiction of Johnny Brown, the hotel’s iconic monkey mascot. Kemble Interiors, originally established in the 1970s in New York before returning to capture “Florida design” in Palm Beach, was contracted to design the rooms and public spaces. “The Pink Paradise,” as this famously pink hotel is called, has 89 guestrooms, each individually decorated, and no two alike. Among the hotel’s distinguished guests were the Maharanee of Jodhpur, the Shah of Persia, President and Mrs. John F. Kennedy, and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. Now the Colony welcomes your arrival—and guess what? They’ll welcome your dog, too.
BEST LUXURY BOUTIQUE HOTEL
White Elephant
280 Sunset Avenue
Reservations: (844) 462-9483 or log onto www.whiteelephantpalmbeach.com
The iconic White Elephant on Nantucket Island conveys its trademark hospitality to its sister hotel in Palm Beach. Originally built in 1924, the footprint of the building and its façade have been restored to its original beauty, however the Boston firm of Elkus Manfredi Architects recently completed a five-star renovation that captures the sensibilities of a stately home with hardwood floors, woven rugs, hand-painted tiles, all brought together with a soft, neutral color palette. The hotel features 13 deluxe rooms and 19 suites of which two, The Palm Suite and The Park Suite (which received the Gold Key Award for Excellence in Hospitality Design) are fourth-floor penthouses. This hotel, however, was designed around its 120-piece art collection, which is on display throughout–from the lobby, down the corridors, in the guestrooms and the suites. What’s more, a seven-foot White Elephant sculpture by Frederick Prescott welcomes guests as they arrive.
Globally inspired cuisine and cocktails are served in Lola 41, the White Elephant’s award-winning signature restaurant where guests can also indulge in afternoon wine and cheese receptions and wake up to breakfast and complimentary morning coffee breaks. A 24-hour front desk, pre-arrival concierge service, complimentary Wi-Fi, and a fitness center are part of the many amenities you will enjoy at the White Elephant.