Readers Voted This Iconic Palm Beach Hotel One of Florida’s Best — Here’s What It’s Like to Stay

“Is that woman in the pool sipping a martini?” I asked my husband, Rob. We both put down our paperbacks and watched as the tan visor-and-bikini-clad guest picked up her chilled glass — slick with condensation on the outside, filled with a nebulous clear liquid on the inside — and casually waded from one side of the curving oasis to the other.

It was 11:58 a.m.

“She looks happy?” he replied with a shrug and a smile.

And so was every other visitor soaking up the Palm Beach sun at the Colony Hotel that summer Saturday morning. The crowd included solo travelers, content to be pampered on a plush lounger; packs of designer-clad teenagers, tapping away on their phones; and families with young children, eager for some play. And then there were the celebratory brunches (multigenerational birthday parties, milestone anniversaries) drawing in residents to Swifty’s, the Colony’s excellent, indoor-outdoor white-tablecloth restaurant. I watched as the tables adjacent to the pool, cooled by fans and a hanging garden, filled with locals decked out in their Dior. A DJ was soon there to keep the vibe upbeat.

Indeed, in 2024, the toasting, the smiling, and the selfie-taking happen 24/7 at the Colony, a Palm Beach mainstay since 1947. The location could not be more prime: the property, a pale pink and white trimmed L-shaped building, sits on the western end of Hammon Avenue and is both a stone’s throw away from the beach and the designer shops of Worth Avenue. And with travel to Florida in the “off-season” months becoming more popular — our flight from New York City was packed in July — the hotel is now essentially a year-round destination.

The 50s and 60s put the Colony on the society social map, with famous guests like Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra, and Sophia Loren dropping in for lavish parties. One could argue that the hotel is now in a second, more inclusive act. In 2016, the hotel was purchased by Andrew and Sarah Wetenhall, who set about renovating the property for the 21st century. In 2020, Mimi McMakin and Celerie Kemble from Kemble Interiors freshened up the lobby, or “The Living Room,” with a custom, hand-painted de Gournay wall covering. It’s an eye-candy mural where you’ll find several Johnnie Browns, Addison Mizner’s legendary pet spider monkey, hiding among the palms and greenery, along with flamingos, alligators, and panthers. Several seating areas allow guests to sit and take it all in, the prime perch being the central space, anchored by a hand-carved custom pagoda. “This hotel has always been the heart of Palm Beach, and I wanted to ensure it continues to be a place where memories are made for generations to come,” Sarah Wetenhall told Travel + Leisure.

And though the hotel still draws a steady stream of Palm Beach society types, the young, attentive staff and relaxed vibe make for a shoulders-down, comfortable experience. Social media has also played its part, with playful posts of monogrammed slippers and poolside backgammon giving strong out-of-office vibes. No one batted an eye when my 9-year-old son, Bobby, and I walked into the living room in flip-flops, shorts, and T-shirts after sweating it out at the beach (though I decided to visit the hotel’s exclusive Dolce & Gabbana boutique at another time). Bobby was handed a scavenger hunt card at check-in, prompting him to look for the various Johnnie Browns discreetly painted on the wall covering. The visitors I saw ranged from 8 months old to 80, and all found their happy place — even the pampered dogs. “The Colony Hotel, which we refer to as ‘the Pink Paradise,’ is so much more than just a place to stay,” says the property’s general manager, Bruce Seigel.

Here is what to expect when you check into the Colony Hotel, which Travel + Leisure readers voted the No. 2 resort in Florida in our 2024 World’s Best Awards.

The Rooms

If you want a cookie-cutter hotel guest room, stay elsewhere.

Designated a historic landmark in 2020, the Colony has 93 guest rooms and suites, including three penthouses, seven villas, and four bungalows. The guest rooms and suites are all unabashedly colorful — yellows, pinks, and blues abound on the walls, headboards, and ceilings — with a classic Palm Beach aesthetic. They are also supremely comfortable: It’s easy to fall into bed after a long day at the beach when the linens, robes, and slippers are by Matouk. Standard guest rooms, of which there are 42, start at 180 square feet, while the superior suites, which have a parlor and two bathrooms, are ideal for families and range from 375 to 475 square feet. If you’re traveling with a group, it’s also possible to request a double-bed suite.

You’ll have even more space if you book one of the 14 residences, which include three penthouses in the main hotel, four bungalows with their own private pools adjacent to the hotel’s east garden, and seven villas reimagined by some of the world’s top interior personalities and carved from the Casa Mañana, a Spanish-style, 1920s estate across the street. “Collaborating with globally celebrated designers to reimagine the spaces within this jewel has been one of my biggest passions,” adds Wetenhall.

My family and I stayed in the “Goop” villa. Yes, brought to you by that Goop. New York-based Ronen Lev designed the two-bedroom, 2,524-square-foot residence accessible by two separate keyed entrances. It also has its own lovely swimming pool, which is shared with other villa guests, where you can order food and drinks in privacy.

We enjoyed having the space to spread out in the terracotta-tiled kitchen area (note the premium Monogram appliances), which has a small table for dining and an island for socializing. The open floor plan moves into a plush living room with local Palmer magazines to read and a cozy nook for sipping morning coffee. There are also plenty of Instagrammable moments, from the palm print motif by Lily Pulitzer studio in the powder room to the Goop-branded amenities stocked in the two full bathrooms. (Bonus: You are allowed to take them home.) Arched doorways and windows remind you this is a historic space, as do the gracious columns on the wrap-around terrace.

Some of the other marquee villas include Aralia, decorated in blue-and-white scheme by Mark D. Sikes; Poinciana, a 2,700-square-foot space done up by Kemble Interiors; Lantana, a retro-leaning villa by Serena & Lily; and the art-studded Chairish Villa, decorated by the vintage decor company with pieces sourced from Palm Beach dealers such as Circa Who and Show Pony. If you’re a maximalist, the latter is the way to go: Your eye is constantly scanning for new treasures, from the leaf-print Schumacher Hospitality bedspreads to the living room’s monkey chandelier by Mario Lopez Torres to the 40-plus pieces of art, with works by Brock DeBoer, Melo Porter, and Ron Giusti. I loved the painting of colorful butterflies by the Michigan-based Hope Olson and the poolside Colony scene, a painted photograph by Lia Burke Libaire. Above the bed in the primary bedroom? A sculptural series of blown glass drops by Seth Fairweather.

Food and Drink

Part of the New York to Palm Beach migration includes Swifty’s, the Colony’s marquee restaurant. The Manhattan society spot may have shuttered in 2016, but it has found a new lease on life here, with multiple personalities and moods, depending upon the hour of the day. It can be relaxed on a weekday breakfast (the cereal-crusted French toast is a highlight), convivial over a weekend brunch when the cocktails get flowing, and more formal at dinner, especially if you choose to sit in the air-conditioned indoors, where there’s a circular bar area, velvet banquettes, and grasscloth-covered walls embellished with palm trees.

Tom Whitaker, the English-born executive chef, has crafted a menu that offers a bit of everything, and the portions are generous. Signature dishes include the hefty cobb salad, crushed avocado on toasted nine-grain toast, perfectly crisp Maryland crab cakes, and the decadent bacon-wrapped meatloaf, which we shared with the entire table. These American classics are balanced with the more eclectic, global fare, including Chef Tom’s “British” fish and chips; roast cauliflower, coconut, and pepper curry; and beer-braised birria pork and cheese empanadas. Dress accordingly if you’re going for dinner, and reservations are highly recommended, given the solid local turnout.

Head to the Pink Paradise Cafe, just off the main lobby, for a casual sandwich, smoothie, or morning pastry and coffee run. Our favorites? The Greek salad, which had just the right amount of feta cheese; the grilled chicken panini with sun dried tomato and pesto; and the soft chocolate chip cookies. For a casual afternoon drink, we also stopped by the covered bar behind the pool, which has a handful of high-top tables and low-level seating spilling out onto the lawn.

Location

The beauty of the Colony is that it is a short walk to Pam Beach’s expansive, white sand shoreline, which never feels overcrowded. We used the vintage pink Land Rover Defender 100, or Beach Runner, parked out front, as a shuttle to take us over. Once there, a helpful beach butler set up pink-and-white striped chairs and took our lunch order, delivering food from the Pink Paradise Cafe and water in a Yeti cooler. Since most guests prefer to hang by the main pool, this was an excellent option on the days we wanted a little more privacy. And the Atlantic waves were calm enough for swimming.

Bikes are free to borrow for riding up and down the 14-mile-long, 4-square-mile barrier island, which is beautifully maintained. Some of the area’s best restaurants, including Bice, the go-to for elegant Italian; Le Bilboquet, for French fare and a late-night scene; Renato’s, a classic since 1987, and Pizza Al Fresco (our favorite spot for a casual dinner, with excellent Margherita and black truffle pies) are just a short walk or car ride away. If one of the hotel’s two Volvo XC90 Inscriptions were idling at the porte cochère, we would take a free ride to maximize our time; it also comes in handy if anyone in your party has mobility challenges.

Activities and Experiences

Though it has a smaller footprint than some of the other, larger Palm Beach area resorts, the Colony makes up for it with thoughtful programming that brings guests together, like Sunday bingo, Monday trivia night, and soon, Tuesday mahjong. We loved that there was a DJ spinning by the pool to keep the mood bright and upbeat — you can expect to see one there from Thursday to Sunday at various hours. During the season, from the end of October to May, guest speakers drop in for “The Living Room Series” for select book signings and tastings; celebrated gallery Voltz Clarke also does a pop-up, rotating exhibition of contemporary pieces in the Solarium. If you play tennis, pack your racquets; guests can access the nearby Seaview Park Tennis Center, which has seven courts.

Of course, there are plenty of things to experience in the greater Palm Beach area, including the Henry Morrison Flagler Museum, housed in Whitehall, the magnate’s 1902 mansion; West Palm Beach’s Norton Museum of Art, which has over 8,200 works and a magnificent sculpture garden with pieces by Jenny Holzer and Keith Haring; and the designer shops of Worth Avenue and Royal Poinciana Plaza. If your tastes lean more toward vintage, head to West Palm Beach’s Antique Row and Design District. For kid-friendly attractions, the Cox Science Center and Aquarium and the Palm Beach Zoo and Conservation Society offer easy, welcome breaks.

Accessibility

The Colony has one ADA-compliant guest room and all public spaces are accessible.

Getting the Most Value Out of Your Stay

We used Icon Chauffeured Services to get to and from the airport; they were prompt and courteous. The hotel is part of the Virtuoso network, which offers early arrival and departure, based on availability, complimentary breakfast, a $100 credit, a welcome amenity, and a complimentary upgrade.