A world-class museum of art. Glorious golf courses. A vibrant downtown. A new, cutting edge warehouse district. And some of the world’s best hotels.
The Palm Beaches is a popular and increasingly diverse destination in south Florida. Here are some great things to see and do, as well as fine places to lay your head.
WHERE TO STAY
The Breakers: This is the granddaddy of them all, a sumptuous, Italian-influenced seaside beauty that dates back nearly 100 years in its current iteration. There are 538 rooms and 10 restaurants, as well as four oceanfront pools and a private beach. They finished redoing 84 rooms last summer, and I was told on a recent visit that they spend $25 million every year on renovations. There are 30 in-house workers who do nothing but arrange floral arrangements.
The hotel is still run by the Kenan family, descendants of Mary Lily Kenan Flagler, the third wife of Henry Flagler. For those not well versed in Florida history, Flagler pretty much invented Florida tourism by building a railway to the state and erecting some of the world’s finest hotels to lure tourists from crowded U.S. cities. This is the third version of the hotel, and it opened in DEC, 1926.
We stopped in for breakfast and had fabulous omelets, cinnamon rolls, fresh fruit, cappuccino, and much more. Some rooms have been decorated with bright, colourful watercolour paintings for a fresh, modern look. The HMF lobby bar has a wine list with more than 2,000 bottles. The Seafood Bar has a bar-top aquarium, so you can gaze at small fish darting about as you sip your mojito or margarita. The hotel offers poolside cabanas, water sports, shuffleboard, a bright, modern gym and much more, and there’s a great, shady playground for kids. The landscaping is remarkable, and you might spot a Blue Amazonian parrot darting through the brush. The Flagler Club is an exclusive, 25-room boutique hotel nestled atop the resort, with private access, beautifully appointed accommodations; personalized service from pre-arrival to departure; and top-of-the-line amenities inclusive of a Club Lounge and panoramic rooftop Terrace.
PGA National Resort: This is a lovely resort that spreads over 800 acres in Palm Beach Gardens, just north of Palm Beach. The hotel has 339 rooms and suites in tasteful, muted colours and tropical designs.
In MAR they’ll open 21 new cottages with full kitchens and two bathrooms. The resort and 40,000 square foot spa recently received a $100 million facelift. The spa re-do was supervised by Venus Williams’ design firm, V Starr. There are three private pools for spa customers, each with a salinity level that matches famous bodies of water around the world, and they’re adding a Zen garden and space for tai chi and yoga. The spa shop is a beauty and offers everything from seaweed-based products to purses made from recycled plastic and old newspapers. They also have a fun kids’ play area called Banyan Buddies, with climbing equipment and a slide. Older kids can take advantage of an arcade. The swimming pool complex is terrific. One of the on-site restaurants, Honeybelle, is managed by former Top Chef finalist Lindsay Autry, who also is a James Beard nominee. We sampled lovely grilled shrimp and tasty appetizers on our visit.
Canopy by Hilton: This is a stylish, youthful hotel near the Palm Beach County Convention Center. There’s a bright lobby and a lively rooftop bar and swimming pool, as well as a large Jacuzzi tub. It’s only two short blocks to the Intracoastal Waterway, which features lovely parks and a nice pier for relaxing or fishing.
Hilton West Palm Beach: Connected to the Palm Beach County Convention Center, this is a modern, sleek hotel with spacious rooms. The food and wine offerings are superb, and the lobby coffee shop makes a terrific coffee latte. The swimming pool is expansive, and surrounded by towering palm trees. There’s a nice, shallow area for kids.
WHERE TO EAT
The Flagler Museum has a fine dining spot called Café des Beaux-Arts. We sampled a lovely high tea offering with cucumber, chicken salad and egg salad sandwiches as well as fluffy scones with jam and clotted cream. They serve a tea that’s blended especially for the Flagler Museum.
E.R. Bradley’s Saloon is a large tiki bar in downtown West Palm Beach, with pretty fountains and palm trees galore. I had fine fish tacos and a local beer as I listened to a duo with an acoustic guitar and slide guitar playing everything from Willie Nelson to Jimmy Buffett.
Grandview Market: This is a fun spot in the new Warehouse District, with a variety of mom and pop places offering everything from pizza to tacos, as well as beer and wine. I had very good garlic shrimp and jambalaya at a Cajun place called Roux. There’s a nice, large patio for covered, outdoor dining.
Steam Horse Brewing is located in the Warehouse District and has a cool, industrial feel. The brewmaster eschews overtly piney IPA’s and focuses on German-style beers.
Isla & Co. is a fun, plant-filled spot in the Warehouse District that brings a touch of Australia to South Florida. Try the lamb or kangaroo, or charred octopus. They’re famous for their espresso martini. There’s a quiet patio out front.
Food Tours: I didn’t get to try one, but you can arrange a local food tour with West Palm Beach Food Tours.
Clematis Street: I had a nice meal at Rocco’s Tacos on bustling Clematis Street a few years ago. There are tons of restaurants on Clematis, with everything from Italian to Japanese cuisine.
CULTURAL ATTRACTIONS
The spectacular Flagler Museum was once known as Whitehall and was built as a gift to Mary Lily Kenan Flagler, the third wife of billionaire Henry Morrison Flagler. When it was completed in 1902, the New York Herald proclaimed that Whitehall was "more wonderful than any palace in Europe, grander and more magnificent than any other private dwelling in the world." Docents provide fabulous tours, explaining how Flagler founded Standard Oil with John D. Rockefeller and then built hotels and a railway along the Florida coast.
The Museum has countless art treasures and beautiful, Gilded Age rooms you can check out. It was said guests could come for the entire winter season and not use the same dinnerware twice. Outside is one of the largest coconut groves in Florida. It’s a fine spot for a picnic. The estate also sports a glass-roof building that shows off Flagler’s personal train car and the regal Café des Beaux-Arts.
The Norton Museum of Art is a tremendous museum, divided into sections focused on American, European, Chinese and contemporary art, as well as photography. It was designed by renowned architect Norman Foster, and it’s a gorgeous building. Look for rare Chinese art, works from such masters as Degas and Monet, as well as modern pieces. There’s also a leafy, quiet sculpture garden with plenty of benches and colourful pieces of art.
SPORTS AND ACTIVE HOLIDAYS
The PGA Tour’s Honda Classic golf tournament will be played at the PGA National Resort next week (23-26FEB). The resort has six golf courses, plus pickleball courts and 19 tennis courts.
The beach in Palm Beach stretches on just shy of forever. There’s also great deep sea fishing not far from shore.
I had a great time on a rented stand-up paddleboard a few years ago at Jupiter Inlet, just a few minutes north of Palm Beach. Palm Beach County also is rife with bike trails.
Another great option is a kayak tour of Peanut Island, an 80-acre manmade tropical island that was home to a secret blast shelter made for U.S. President John F. Kennedy. Touring the island will have you spotting iguanas and watching out for manatees, followed by a snorkeling stop where you’ll see an incredible variety of tropical fish.
HOW TO GET HERE
Air Canada offers direct flights to West Palm Beach Airport in season. You also can fly via Miami or, even closer, Fort Lauderdale.
The Brightline Train is a great way to get around South Florida. It’s clean and bright, and there’s free Wi-Fi. I was in Smart Class (economy) and had a comfortable seat with big windows. A ticket from Miami to West Palm Beach is just USD $15 one-way for Smart Class, and $37 for premium. The train leaves from downtown Miami and takes a little less than an hour to reach downtown West Palm Beach. There’s free Wi-Fi on board.
GETTING AROUND
West Palm Beach and Palm Beach have a service called Circuit, which provides free electric vehicles to ferry people around both cities.
(All images: Jim Byers)
