The Palm Beaches is the collective name given to the 39 cities and towns that are strung along 50 miles of coastline between Orlando and Miami on Florida’s Atlantic Ocean coast. It’s nicknamed the Gold Coast not just for its abundance of sunshine but because of the wealth of its residents. One of the most exclusive resorts is Palm Beach, which has long been a playground for America’s super rich family dynasties. Nowadays they’re joined by Hollywood stars and ‘snowbirds’, who come to escape the northern winter climes. The sun-kissed winter season sees a jam-packed social calendar of society polo, golf and equestrian tournaments. Palm Beach is where beach life meets luxury, and for a few days OK!’s Katie Langford-Foster lived the high life…
Which stars might I see?
Actors Sophia Vergara and Joe Manganiello are regular visitors and had their wedding rehearsal dinner at the Brazilian Court Hotel (where you’ll also find celeb favourite Café Boulud) before tying the knot at the Breakers Hotel. Rockers Rod Stewart and Bruce Springsteen both own lavish beachfront mansions here, while tennis legends Venus and Serena Williams own homes at Palm Beach Gardens.
Where can I stay?
OK! checked in to the Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa in Manalapan, a small beachside town just south of Palm Beach. When we walked through the doors of the 309-room oceanfront resort our eyes were immediately drawn to the breath-taking views of the ocean beyond. The lobby had a calming and fragrant aroma which we later learned is packed into a candle and sold in the shop! While the five-star hotel’s public spaces are elegant and glamorous – all marble and chandeliers – the spacious bedrooms are relaxed and modern with a seaside palette of white, yellow and blue. Our Eau Lanai Terrace room opened onto an outdoor garden terrace where we sat on our hanging basket chair overlooking the hotel’s seven-mile-long sandy beach. The hotel has two pools (one adults only) and four restaurants, of which Angle, with its farm-to-fork organic American cuisine, was OK!’s favourite.
Where can I relax?
Spanning over 40,000 square feet, the Eau Palm Beach is a palace devoted to pampering. We loved the spa’s ‘pause, play and perfect’ mantra and being handed a glass of champagne and a heavenly cupcake on arrival. Each treatment is personalised, allowing you to select a scent, music style and lighting colour to reflect your mood. OK! opted for jazz music, rainbow lighting and an orange scent for our massage. The outdoor relaxation area is a leafy oasis with chilled Ibiza beats and swing chairs above a reflecting pool.
what are the Must-see sights?
Palm Beach was originally put on the tourist map by oil baron Henry Flagler who built a palatial 55-room mansion – now the Flagler Museum – as a wedding present to his third wife. He also built the Florida East Coast Railway so his rich friends could visit him and you’ll can see his own railway carriage displayed in the museum gardens.
You can also kayak, bike or swim at the John D MacArthur State Park, over 400 acres of beaches, mangrove forests, estuaries and reefs.
What else can I do?
OK! enjoyed a field-side champagne brunch at the International Polo Club in nearby Wellington. Prince Harry has played there, his mother and father watched a game there on their visit in 1985, and Bruce Springsteen’s daughter Jessica is a regular player at the club.
Golf is huge, with more than 160 golf courses to choose from, and you might spot Tiger Woods or Rory McIlroy as they own homes in Palm Beach County. OK! signed up for a lesson with club professional Matt at the PGA National Resort & Spa and we were soon getting into the swing of things, before we made time for a therapeutic dip in the resort’s mineral pools. If you wish to bump into Donald Trump, the US President owns a golf course in West Palm Beach as well as the ornate Mar-a-Lago, a heritage-listed gold-gilded home and now exclusive private members-only estate.
Where can I shop?
Shaded by palm trees, Worth Avenue is Palm Beach’s answer to Hollywood’s Rodeo Drive. It’s lined with luxury labels (Gucci, Jimmy Choo and Tiffany & Co) as well as homegrown resort wear fashions such as Lilly Pullitzer.
From bagels to Birkin handbags, Royal Poinciana Plaza offers 50 upmarket boutiques and dining options set in a lush leafy outdoor setting. You’ll also find yoga and Pilates studios (and a LuluLemon store, so you can upgrade your active wear) as well as a grooming salon for Palm Beaches’ pampered pooches.
Where can I eat?
Carnivores should make a beeline for the Meat Market, an upscale steakhouse which offers the finest cuts of beef as well as fresh seafood and excellent people watching. OK! loved our whole roasted cauliflower and the lobster mac and cheese. For a unique experience, OK! recommends you visit Swank Table, a family-run restaurant set in a rustic barn on an organic farm. Time your visit when one of America’s top chefs comes to cook five-course dinners to benefit local charities. Brunch lovers should look no further than the RH Rooftop Restaurant on the top level of a four-storey interior design and home furnishings store. Guests dine under a glass atrium in the chic dining room overlooking West Palm Beach. Order the signature RH Scramble – scrambled eggs, crème fraiche, avocado on Texas toast – it’s divine!
FEATURE BY KATIE LANGFORD-FOSTER
EDITED BY TRAVEL EDITOR ANNABEL MACKIE
PHOTOGRAPHS: GETTY
