3 Best Hotels in Palm Beach, Palm Beach and the Treasure Coast

More than an opulent hotel, The Breakers is a legendary 140-acre self-contained jewel of a resort built in a Mediterranean style and loaded with amenities, from a 20,000-square-foot luxury spa and grandiose beach club with four pools and a half-mile private beach to 10 tennis courts, croquet courts, and two 18-hole golf courses. Henry Flagler's descendants still run the place and invest $25 million a year to keep it at the cutting edge. Dating from 1896 and on the National Register of Historic Places, the common areas have water nymphs frolicking at the main fountain, and majestic frescoes grace hallways leading to restaurants. The equally lovely rooms take on a different, more contemporary character and are best described as cheerfully sophisticated with a classic style. For added luxury, there's the 25-room, private-access Flagler Club, a "guest house" within the hotel with added amenities like a private lounge, plush decor, and car service via the club's Tesla. One of the most extensive wine collections in the world is housed here, keeping the hotel's six sommeliers busy, and the resort's ten restaurants and eight bars are all excellent. In addition, the property's historic par-70 Ocean Course, the oldest 18 holes in all of Florida, as well as its contemporary off-site counterpart, The Breakers Rees Jones Course, are open to members and hotel guests only; for those looking to learn on the green, the John Webster Golf Academy offers private and group lessons. With all that's going on at The Breakers, it's a miracle if you can ever pry yourself off the property.

In the coastal town of Manalapan (just south of Palm Beach), this sublime, glamorous destination resort (formerly the Ritz-Carlton) showcases a newer, younger face of luxury, including a 3,000-square-foot oceanfront terrace, two sleek pools, a huge fitness center, and a deluxe spa. All guest rooms were decorated by noted designer Jonathan Adler. The rooms include amenities like marble baths and lovely balconies, most with ocean views. Coconut palms shade the pools and courtyard—all of which are served by attendants who can fulfill whims from iced drinks and sunscreen to cool face towels. The deluxe 42,000-square-foot Eau Spa has 19 high-design treatment rooms and superchic amenities like a co-ed outdoor water playground. A pirate-ship-theme playground and a turtle-theme club for kids will keep ages 3-12 busy. (The structured half- and full-day programs carry an extra fee.) Guests looking for a more luxurious experience can book Club Level suites, which come with access to a dedicated concierge and lounge with complimentary beverages and light bites. 

Couples and families seeking relaxed seaside elegance in a luxe yet understated setting will love this manicured 6-acre oceanfront escape at the south end of Palm Beach, with serene, bright, airy rooms in a cream-colored palette and spacious marble-lined baths. In the common areas, fanlight windows, marble columns, billowing curtains, and swaying palms are beautiful and inviting. Kick back in large rooms that have private balconies, many of which offer ocean views, and continue to relax at the fabulous spa. The hotel has a second adults-only pool and Cabana Terrace Rooms that offer direct access to the pool deck. A Michelin-starred chef now heads the resort’s signature restaurant, Florie's, which offers a pergola-style dining terrace outside. A roster of complimentary guest activities and amenities like a kids' club, cooking classes, yoga, and resort bikes offer pleasant opportunities for relaxation outside of beach and pool time.