When it comes to historic luxury in Florida, there seems to be 2 main hotels that have built a reputation of bringing guests from all around the world. I had the blessing to spend 4 nights at each of these hotels and really dig deep into what brings people here. It depends what you are personally into, but I found both of these hotels to be extremely materialistic. In my personal opinion I found it hard to see people happy in any section of either of the hotels. These are the kind of places where the rich come to blow money they don't know what to do with and to flaunt the toys they have. Regardless of this, I will go into detail about the similarities of the 2 hotels and the differences. On top of being hotels, both of these establishments offer a membership. These memberships can range up to $200,000 annually just for full access to the complete grounds and golf courses. Both of these hotels average out at around $350 a night depending on the season.
The Breakers Hotel
Built originally in 1894 by Henry Flagler, The Breakers was originally named the "Palm Beach Inn". The Hotel burnt down completely twice before it became the hotel it is today. Regardless of the name change, the hotel has always catered towards the wealthy. The hotel at first glance is stunning and unlike any other in the world. The Roman Architecture inside immediately catches your attention as you walk inside. It is crazy to believe that everything you see in the ceilings where hand painted almost a hundred years ago. As soon as you leave your car in Valet you are greeted by your last name. Upon check in it seems that everyone that works at the front desk/lobby are British or have a foreign accent. The hospitality to me seems fabricated and fake, this is one of the big differences I noticed between the Breakers and Boca Resort but I will speak about that later (with exception of the banquet staff). One unique thing about The Breakers is that it is still privately owned which is rare.
(Hotel Entrance)
(Lobby)
Boca Raton Resort & Club
The Boca Raton Resort was built some time later in 1926 originally by the name "Ritz Carlton Cloister Inn". This hotel was built by famous architect Addison Mizner. In 2009 it was bought by Hilton/Waldorf Astoria and is currently operating under their corporation. I saw a lot of similarities with the design of the 2 hotels. I must say that the Boca Resort is a lot bigger than the Breakers. The Boca Resort sits on the intercostal but also has a beachfront property called Boca Beach Club. Guests at the hotel can take a free shuttle or boat ride to the Boca Beach club and can enjoy all of the amenities. The service at Boca Resort was honest, all of the employees seemed to enjoy their jobs and always greeted you with a smile and a greet. The hotel has a unique system, there is no cash accepted anywhere in the resort. When you check in you are given a white card with your name on it and that is how you charge everything. All the charges will eventually be added up and will be paid at checkout with your room bill. The Boca Resort was luxurious but it didn't exaggerate like The Breakers did.
(Hotel Entrance)
Rooms
The Breakers:
The rooms at The Breakers where very basic. The decoration consisted of Palm Trees and a Bahamian feel. The one cool thing that I hadn't seen before was the TV inside the bathroom mirror. Along with the TV there is a Bose speaker in the bathroom that is pretty loud in case you want to hide from your wife and watch football on the toilet.
The Boca Resort:
I got to experience 2 different types of rooms at The Boca Resort which was nice. My original room was a renovated room in the main building called The Cloister. This room was absolute modern luxury, both the room and the bathroom where spectacular. I was offered by the front desk to upgrade to the tower for an extra $25 a night for being a Hhonors Gold Member. The tower is next to the Cloister and has 27 floors which offers a view of the ocean. This caught my attention because the Cloister only goes up to 6 floors. I ended up upgrading and got a room on the 23rd floor facing the intercostal and the ocean. The Boca resort also offers rooms in the Yacht club and the Beach Club but I didn't experience those first hand. The room in the tower wasn't as luxurious but the amazing view made up for it.
(The Cloister Room)
(The Cloister Bathroom)
(The Tower)
(The Tower Room)
(The Tower View From Room)
Pools
The Breakers:
The best part in my opinion about the Breakers was the property being ocean front. It also has a countless amount of pools and recreation options.
(Ocean Front)
(The Breakers Property)(Retrieved From Google)
(Pool Side)
The Boca Resort:
I was honestly disappointed with the pools at Boca. The main property only has one pool and it is very basic. To get to the nice pools you have to take the shuttle across the bridge to the Beach Club. With the majority of the rooms being on the main property, it is a hassle to have to go to The Beach Club to enjoy the amenities. The Spa Pool was amazing, I will talk about this more later because you must have a spa treatment or day pass in order to have access to the pool
(Beach Club Pool)
(Spa Pool)
Restaurants
The Breakers:
There are countless dining options at The Breakers, personally I didn't care for paying $50 for a pretty plate. I ended up eating off property most of the nights so I can't speak first hand on the quality of the food. I had 3 meals from the banquet/catering department and it was delicious so i'm sure the quality is pretty good.
The Boca Resort:
This hotel is responsible for the best Sushi I have ever tasted in my life. Thanks to my client I ate tat Morimoto 3 nights in a row and tasted a good amount of the rolls on their menu. The Sashimi was as fresh as could be and so was the Sushi. I didn't get the chance to try any other restaurants but again there are countless options. The banquet/catering at Boca Resort was good but not at the same level as The Breakers.
(Morimoto)
(Rainbow, California, Eel, Shrimp Tempura rolls)
Spa
The Breakers:
The spa at the Breakers was currently under renovation so I did not get to experience it first hand.
The Boca Resort:
The Palazzo Spa at Boca Resort is named the #1 Spa in Florida and some say it is the #1 in the world. I was shocked by the size of the spa as a whole. I have never seen any property in the world dedicate that much space just for a spa. I heard they are famous for their ritual bath so I decided to set up an appointment and give it a try. It is a one hour relaxation process with different forms of hydrotherapy and relaxation. It was truly one of the most unique moments I have ever experienced in my life.
(Ritual Bath)
Event/Meeting Spaces
The Breakers:
The event spaces at The Breakers are truly breathtaking, each room has something about it that makes it unique and one of a kind. I wont go much into detail but I will show pictures so you can compare on the similarities in architecture between the 2 resorts.
(Gold Room)
(Mediterranean Ballroom)
(Mediterranean Courtyard)
The Boca Resort:
The meeting spaces at Boca Resort weren't as luxurious and could be comparable to most hotels. There was one ballroom though called the Cathedral room that was comparable to the Mediterranean ballroom from The Breakers.
(Cathedral Room)
Personally, I would not pay a dime out of my own pocket to stay at either of these hotels because simply it isn't where I belong. I must say though that I am grateful that I got to experience these 2 hotels. If you are planning a trip to either of these resorts or have questions about travel in general feel free to message me through Google circles. Thanks to Micheal Gissy for the great time and for the experience.
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