The Palm Beaches—more than three dozen sunny communities, many stretched along 47 miles of Florida’s southern Atlantic coastline—are home to some of the state’s most celebrated hotels and resorts, and now a handful of new, newly renovated or soon-to-open properties are making the choice of where to stay and play (golf and wellness are the top draws) more enticing than ever.
From Palm Beach Gardens to Delray Beach to Boca Raton there is plenty to report: a new hotel recently debuted, four others are completing multimillion-dollar renovations and two new properties will join the region’s exceptional roster of accommodation options in 2022. Here’s what’s new and on the horizon in The Palm Beaches.
The Ray, Delray Beach
Open since September 2021, The Ray offers an urban beach experience with a tropical modern ambience and a unique focus on artistic expression—visually captivating design, large-scale sculptures, immersive art installations and living walls—all in the center of Delray Beach about a mile from the ocean.
The property’s eclectic modern design extends from its art-filled lobby to its landscaped 22,000-square-foot rooftop featuring a pool, restaurant and bar with 360-degree views. The 141 rooms and suites have relaxing tropical décor, Eucalyptus linens, Frette bath towels and a private balcony or terrace.
The Ray also offers complimentary transport via Moke, golf cart or beach bike to the nearby sands of Delray Beach, where rentable beach cabanas await.
Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa, Manalapan
Scheduled to complete a multimillion-dollar “reimagination” of its dining venues and public spaces by the end of 2021, the Forbes five-star Eau Palm Beach is paying homage to vintage Palm Beach style. The renovations include a new pool area that channels a “Riviera lifestyle” at two freshly landscaped pools featuring new lounge furniture and seating areas.
The adults-only Tranquility Pool now has a seated bar for cold-pressed juices, creative cocktails and an all-day menu, plus inviting cabanas and daybeds, while the Family Pool offers family cabanas and a turtle-themed splash pad next to the newly reimagined kids club (featuring an arcade, virtual playground with an interactive wall and an educational component in collaboration with the nearby Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach).
Guests will also be able to indulge their appetites in six culinary outlets, four of them completely new: a spa café, sushi bar, coffee shop and ice cream parlor. Headlining the transformation will be the new Polpo Palm Beach, an outpost of Polpo in Greenwich, CT, known for its authentic Italian- and seafood-focused menu.
PGA National Resort & Spa, Palm Beach Gardens
Golfers seeking to experience the legendary PGA National Resort & Spa—which is anchored by six golf courses (“99 holes of golf”)—will enjoy a property transformed throughout 2021 by a $100 million renovation.
Among the new perks are signature dining outlets by Celebrity Chefs Jeremy Ford and Lindsay Autry; a fully renovated 40,000-square-foot Spa designed by tennis superstar Venus Williams of V-Starr Designs; luxurious guestrooms and suites with tranquil tropical décor created by interior design group Simeone Deary; and a re-imagined golf course, the unique Match Course, designed by Andy Staple (it opened in September), which encourages “match” vs. “stroke” play. A new nine-hole Staple Course also opened in July.
The Boca Raton, Boca Raton
A star is about to be reborn. Just finishing up the $200 million first phase of a property-wide renovation and rebranding called “The New Golden Era” in time for a Dec. 17 debut, The Boca Raton (formerly the Boca Baton Resort and Club) has been reimagined into a historic-meets-modern destination resort property.
The 356-acre resort is now comprised of five separate hotels—the original 1920s-era Cloister, the contemporary Tower offering coastal views, the breezy oceanfront Beach Club, the all-suite lakefront Yacht Club (adults-only) and the residential-style Bungalows—all fresh from interior updates (note: the renovated Tower will not reopen until spring 2022). There will also be a new four-acre Waterfront Pool Club with adult and children’s pools (plus waterslides and a lazy river) and 48 cabanas, a 50,000-square-foot redesigned Spa Palmera, an exclusive golf course and nine dining venues.
These include new concepts like The Flamingo Grill, a glamorous take on the American chop house, and Sadelle’s, an outpost of the New York City brunch institution, along with Italian and Japanese concepts (the latter two opening in the first quarter of 2022)—created in partnership with restaurant innovators Major Food Group. The Boca Raton will also feature restaurants MB Supper Club, Palm Court, Flybridge (exclusive to Yacht Club guests) and in-house chocolatier Maison Rose.
Mandarin Oriental Boca Raton, Boca Raton
Boca has a second luxury enclave in development. The Mandarin Oriental Boca Raton, part of a mixed-used residential, resort and retail project known as Via Mizner, is slated for completion in the downtown district in late 2022 and will feature a 164-room luxury hotel and 89 residences ranging from 1,425 to 8,800 square feet.
The architecture and design are intended to reflect the Mediterranean style for which the area’s notable early 20th-century architect Addison Mizner is known, along with Mandarin Oriental’s Asian heritage. There will also be a new Jack Nicklaus-redesigned course at the exclusive Via Mizner Golf Club & City Club, a luxurious Spa at Mandarin Oriental and rooftop pools in the residential and resort towers, which will be connected via a sky bridge.
Amrit Ocean Resort & Residences, Singer Island
Located on 7.5 oceanfront acres in Singer Island’s Riviera Beach, the wellness-focused ultra-luxury retreat Amrit Ocean Resort & Residences is set to debut in spring 2022, offering a 155-unit resort and 182 luxury residences in two adjacent 18- and 19-floor towers.
A highlight will be a 100,000-square-foot wellness area incorporating a 40,000-square-foot indoor-outdoor hydrothermal experience (heat therapy, hot and cold hydrotherapy pools, salt therapy and more) along with multiple pools featuring cabanas, daybeds and Atlantic Ocean views.
The Seagate Hotel & Spa, Delray Beach
The Seagate Hotel & Spa, a historic boutique hotel and beach club in Delray Beach, has plans to undergo a property-wide renovation intended to evoke the ambience of a classic Florida resort. Slated for completion in late 2022, the refurbishment by New York-based Studio Robert McKinley will include the 154-room Hotel and Beach Club and the Country Club, with British Colonial-style rooms and public spaces being updated with a design inspired by Delray’s authenticity but with the vibe of modern classic Florida beachside resort.