THE PALM BEACHES
The enduring appeal of America's First Resort Destination Written by Bridget Williams
The last time I visited The Palm Beaches in Southeast Florida, I was excited to attend a cabaret show at The Colony Hotel in the Town of Palm Beach. While the show, a bastion of a bygone era, lived up to my expectations, it was clear from the sea of silver topping the heads of my fellow showgoers in the hotel's celebrated Royal Room that my affinity for the genre was an anomaly for my age. When we headed up to bed that evening humming tunes from the Great American Songbook, I couldn't help but notice that the nearly 75-year-old hotel was certainly showing its age. The former raucous realm of the 'Rat Pack' crowd felt more "Sleepytime Down South," à la The Greenbrier. My how things have changed. The brainchild of Henry Flager, who, in 1893, declared Palm Beach a "veritable paradise," built the largest hotel structure in 48 slmag.net
the world—The Royal Poinciana—in Palm Beach, enabled by his Florida East Coast Railway system. Since then, The Palm Beaches has grown to encompass 39 towns and cities, stretching from Jupiter/Tequesta to the north and Boca Raton to the south. Even though The Palm Beaches has been a renowned warmweather getaway for 125-years, you'd think the world had discovered a new playground based on all of the buzz of late in travel magazines. "For generations, The Palm Beaches has provided matchless service that complements its definitive reputation as a world-renowned vacation destination. As the world embarks on a new era of travel, The Palm Beaches has remained enduring and timeless," said Nick Parks, Vice President Marketing, Discover The Palm Beaches. While there's so much newness, there's still a discernable level of comforting familiarity to be found for repeat guests.
