On a Wednesday afternoon late last year, I sat in front of my laptop answering emails and making edits. It was, by certain accounts, a typical midweek afternoon. But it felt like a Friday, and not just for the icy mocktail beside me or the breeze in the palms above. I sat in a lounge chair, working beside the outdoor pool at Spa Palerma at The Boca Raton resort, about to embark on two days of South Florida opulence, complete with luxury cars, beach time, and lots of seafood and citrus.
Designed by the architect who defined Florida’s Spanish revival style, Addison Mizner, the hotel first opened as the Cloister Inn in 1926. Today, it spans five distinct hotels, each with its own flair and perks, along with over a dozen dining concepts, multiple pools, a spa, a beach, and more than 1,000 guest rooms in total. It’s like a small city. While so many resorts claim you never have to leave the property, this one really means it.
The interior design would make Mizner proud—guests arrive at the Cloister Lobby, which stays true to its Spanish revival roots with tiled floors and dramatic pillars. The design throughout tastefully marries art deco, Spanish, ’70s-inflected, and even cosmopolitan elements for a chic space that’s rooted in a sense of place, with some picture-perfect vignettes. It’s glitz that’s grounded in history.
Each of the property’s five hotels has its own distinct personality. Cloister is centrally located and historic, the Bungalows have larger suites perfect for families and longer stays, and the Beach Club is, you guessed it, beachside. The Tower is all about luxury, with a 27th-floor private lounge and lots of different suite configurations following the launch of the newly unveiled Tower Suite Collection.
I stayed at the recently reopened Yacht Club, an adults-only concept with some pretty sweet luxury amenities, too, like personal butler service, exclusive access to the Spa Palerma pool, and the Aston Martin driving experience (yes, got to take one out for a spin). The accommodations are spacious and breezy, with beachy touches like white linen curtains and bleached floors, and Intracoastal Waterway views from each room’s private balcony.
Yacht Club guests have access to two exclusive dining concepts, too. The Champagne Terrace, in partnership with Moët & Chandon, overlooks the marina and serves cocktails featuring the iconic French champagne plus a tapas menu with a touch of extravagance—truffle popcorn or caviar potato chips, anyone?
And Flybridge, on the Yacht Club’s top floor, does elevated dinners featuring seasonal tasting menus with tons of impressive vegetarian options from chef Peter Annewanter. Guests get complimentary breakfast at Flybridge, too, an elegant continental with lots of fresh, European-inspired meats, cheese, and breads, plus Florida grapefruit.
Other dining concepts include Sadelle’s, an outpost of the original New York café; MB Supper Club, a swanky dinner spot with nightly live entertainment; Japanese Bocce Club, serving Asian fusion with an extensive cocktail list; and the Flamingo Grill, an elevated American grill overlooking the golf course.
Harbor House, by the main pool, serves an extensive lineup of crudo, pasta, salads, and burgers, great for a leisurely lunch or a lively dinner. And speaking of the pool, this one is impressive, with a lazy river, water slides, luxury cabanas, poolside service, a ton of lounging real estate, and plenty of palm-tree shade. Feeling more active? Play a round of golf, or head to the racquet club for tennis or pickleball.
The Boca Raton’s property extends across the Intracoastal, too. On the other side of the waterway you’ll find its Beach Club hotel, three more pools, and Marisol, a fantastic outdoor dining spot where the waves on the beach provide the backdrop for Greek mezze and Mediterranean-inspired cocktails. Shuttle boats between the sides of the property run every half hour—it was fabulous to take a quick boat ride to lunch.
Even if you prefer a dip in a pool to a swim in the ocean, the resort’s powdery, golden, private beach is not to be missed. Spend the afternoon in a lounge chair by the water and the beach attendants will bring you everything you need, including sunscreen! And if you’re an ocean enthusiast like me, the water is clear and balmy almost all year round—including late October.
I’d be remiss not to give you all the juicy details on the resort’s Spa Palerma, awarded five stars by the Forbes 2023 Travel Guide (which is one of the most prestigious awards a spa can get). Inspired by Spain’s Alhambra Palace, the 50,000-square-foot wellness sanctuary has 44 treatment rooms, grandiose architecture, and a lush courtyard with a pool, waterfalls, and hot tubs. You can even order a light lunch from the spa’s café.
But the spa’s pièce de résistance is its Moroccan hammam-inspired room for ritual baths. The luscious treatment, in a communal, gender-separated space, was unlike anything I’d experienced at a spa. It began with a bath soak including a face mask and a body scrub, and was followed by a Swiss shower and a waterfall back massage, with fresh fruit offered throughout. Tack it onto any of their massage or facial treatments, or enjoy the exclusive ritual all by itself.
The cherry on top of a stunning few days soaking up this Floridian retreat, the flight to and from Boca Raton was a quick, three-hour jaunt from Boston each way, meaning I got two nights and three full days of sunshine. Sure, destinations like Bermuda and the Bahamas are touted as those nearby, quick getaway spots for warm weather and turquoise seas. But South Florida and its convenience, affordability, and picture-perfect beaches, is, in my opinion, too often overlooked. And The Boca Raton has a bit of something for everyone, catering to family vacations and weekend bachelorette trips alike, with that lavish charm of days gone by sprinkled throughout.
I’ll be fantasizing about drinks by the pool under the shade of a palm tree until next June. Maybe I’ll have to take a quick trip back.