PICK OF THE SOUTHEAST
Best For » Indulgence in a setting of pure opulence. The moment you’re greeted by the twin rows of towering palm trees along the driveway at the Breakers, you know you’re in for a stay in over-the-top luxury befitting the extravagant tastes of Henry Flagler, the pioneer of Florida’s east-coast development who originally built this lavish resort in the heart of Palm Beach.
Glitz & Glamour » Walking through the lobby doors feels like you’re passing into a Renaissance cathedral. So, after a fire razed the hotel for the second time in 1925 (the original structure burned down in 1903), Flagler’s heirs rebuilt with grandeur worthy of the names that regularly filled the guest register — Rockefeller, Vanderbilt, Carnegie. The new building, which is what still stands, was partially modeled after the 16th-century Villa Medici in Rome. And even now, you can’t help but crane your neck to view the cavernous vaulted ceilings with gold-leaf trim delineating hand-carved reliefs as well as hand-painted panels depicting figures from classical mythology.
Luxe Flavors » The wow factor doesn’t just stop with the architecture. Venture off the main lobby to the Tapestry Bar, named after the 17th-century tapestries on the wall. Lounge on a plush sofa or convene at the mahogany bar with a cilantrojito (a crisp mojito made with cilantro) and crab cake sliders. To really feel like royalty, head into the Circle for a legendary Sunday brunch. A meal fit for a king — Belgian waffles, eggs Benedict, gourmet cheeses, select pâtés, a full raw bar and more — awaits in an equally ornate setting. Enormous paneled windows offer a 180-degree view that includes the Atlantic (if you can take your eyes off the frescoes portraying rustic Italian landscapes on the domed ceiling, that is).
Natural Beauty » Venture outside to find that Mother Nature’s works are as dazzling as the resort itself. Work off brunch with a round on the Ocean Course, Florida’s oldest 18-hole golf course. Built in 1896, along with the original hotel, the links were redesigned in 2000 to bring it up to par for the modern duffer. For water lovers, adventure is easy to find on a sea kayak or paddle board. Up the ante with a boat ride out to Breakers Reef, about a mile offshore from the resort. Snorkel with green sea turtles, trumpet fish and more coral species than you can count.
Posh Pampering » If your fantasy getaway involves being waited on hand and foot while you relax by the pool, reserve a private beach bungalow with personal concierge service. Catch some rays on your own chaise lounge with views of the elegantly landscaped relaxation pool and the Atlantic Ocean just beyond (sunscreen is provided). Cap the day with a moonlight massage — a spa treatment in the private, outdoor Oceanfront Sanctuary that begins at sunset and continues as the full moon rises over the ocean (available only on full-moon nights).
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