Onsite Review: Getaway to The Palm Beaches

ariel viewGetaway to The Palm Beaches By Paloma Villaverde de RicoIt all harks back to The Breakers. More than a century ago, this stunning resort in Palm Beach put the destination on the map and now, in the 21st century, we’re still singing its praises. Why? Consider that there’s a 30-person onsite team that works on the resort’s floral arrangements and that the family that owns the property (fourth generation) pours $25 million yearly into enhancing it. The resort is a stunner in a destination that knows how to wow. Yes, The Palm Beaches—located on Florida’s southeast coast, just one hour north of Miami and two hours southeast of Orlando—never disappoints and it’s certainly not resting on its laurels. It pays homage to its past while welcoming the future with open arms. Within The Palm Beaches, there are 39 cities and towns—spanning from the coastal cities of Tequesta and Jupiter to Boca Raton and Highland Beach and out west to Lake Okeechobee—47 miles of beaches, more than 200 hotels, over 3,200 restaurants, and more than 160 public and private golf courses. museum “Last year,” says Milton Segarra, the newly appointed CMO for Discover The Palm Beaches, “we welcomed 9.2 million visitors. Of that, 80 to 85 percent were domestic visitors, and not just from the state, but from key markets like the Tri-state area, Chicago, Boston, the D.C. area.” Helping drive those 9.2 million visitors, points out Segarra, are travel advisors. “In 2022, we trained in excess of 3,000 travel advisors via FAM trips, through our sales teams at conventions, etc. We have a year-round sales approach to meet with them.” Adds Erick Garnica, associate v.p., global leisure sales, Discover The Palm Beaches, “We think it’s very important that we continue to be front and center working with advisors. We understand that our destination is a very unique, sophisticated luxury destination, but we also have these flagship hotels that can cater to a different type of clientele. We know we can attract those visitors by working with travel advisors.” Yes, says Segarra, “we have a very strong base of Boomers and Gen X, but we’re seeing a lot of Millennials (with families) and younger generations visiting because of the transformation we’re seeing in some of our cities such as West Palm Beach.” We got a taste of what the destination can offer in some of its most well-known cities—West Palm Beach, Palm Beach and Palm Beach Gardens—and we’ve put together a few top recommendations that make for a fabulous getaway. dining room• Brunch at The Breakers: There’s nothing more iconic in all of Palm Beach than this 538-room resort. With a recent renovation, this “Palace by the Sea” is as striking as ever—there are newly redesigned public spaces such as the HMF restaurant (named after the resort’s founder, Henry Morrison Flagler), four inviting pools, including a more expansive adult pool, a fish tank that doubles as a counter at the sparkling Seafood Bar and spectacular ocean views. We got a taste of breakfast at The Circle—with its soaring 30-ft. frescoed ceilings and eight oval murals depicting Renaissance landscapes and a backdrop of palm trees and ocean through the arched windows—and imagined enjoying a Sunday brunch in this lavish setting (think raw bar, baby lamb chops, Belgian waffles, a caviar station, and more than 30 desserts). • Tour the Flagler Museum: History buffs will want to dive head-first into the destination’s history and one of the best places to do that is at the former home of the man who made it all possible, Whitehall, now open to the public as the Flagler Museum. Here, visitors learn what made Flagler tick and why Palm Beach was his paradise. Completed in 1902, Whitehall, Flagler’s Gilded Age estate, was hailed by the New York Herald as “more wonderful than any palace in Europe, grander and more magnificent than any other private dwelling in the world.” A museum showpiece is Flagler’s private railcar (Flagler founded the Florida East Coast Railway), which is displayed in the Kenan Pavilion. After being wowed by the railcar, recommend clients sit down for afternoon tea in the pavilion’s Cafe de Beaux-Arts. • Admire Works of Art at the Norton Museum of Art: A Picasso here, a Miro there, a Monet around the corner. This gem of a museum in West Palm Beach is made for the art aficionado with a knockout collection that features American, Chinese, Contemporary and European art as well as more than 4,500 photographs. In 2019, the museum underwent an expansion and now features a new 59,000-sq.-ft. building as well as a 37,000-sq.-ft. sculpture garden. golf course• Golf lesson at PGA National Resort in Palm Beach Gardens: The newly revitalized resort—it underwent a $100 million transformation—is home to six world-class golf courses including the first-ever Match Play Course. This is the place to improve one’s game as it’s home to the Leadbetter Golf Academy; the Dave Pelz Scoring Game Golf School; and full process golf lessons. • Hanging with hipsters at the new Warehouse District and Grandview Public Market: With its trendy establishments and a food hall-style market showcasing 12 chef-inspired vendors, this is one of the coolest hangouts in West Palm Beach set to rival Miami’s Wynwood neighborhood. For fun cocktails, recommend isla & co. and for home-goods there’s Quinn. norton museumWhere to StayIn addition to the aforementioned resorts, two Hilton properties that are top recommendations are Canopy by Hilton and Hilton West Palm Beach, both in the city’s downtown area. The Canopy offers spacious rooms, a funky vibe and its rooftop restaurant is a must for a sunset dinner. The four-diamond Hilton WPB, meanwhile, offers 400 rooms—all very roomy—and is located right across the street from The Square, with its shops and restaurants. What your clients can’t miss on-property are the Wine Dinners at Galley, 5-course, mouthwatering feasts that are made for gourmands. How to Get to The Palm BeachesYour clients can fly into Palm Beach International Airport, and those travelers flying into Miami or Fort Lauderdale, can hop on the Brightline for the fairly quick ride up to downtown West Palm Beach. It’s a great alternative to renting a car and a nice way to check out the southeast Florida scenery. It also pays homage to Flagler’s railway system. As Garnica notes, “How exciting that after 120-some years, we bring back the train, connecting people from Miami and Fort Lauderdale to Palm Beach.” Contact InformationDiscover The Palm Beaches: thepalmbeaches.com

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