Editorial: White Elephant Palm Beach deserves honor of inaugural Elson Award

Palm Beach Daily News
·2 min read
An extensive renovation project of The White Elephant in a landmarked Palm Beach hotel building recently earned the Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach's inaugural Edward E. and Suzanne G. Elson Award for exemplary public architecture.
An extensive renovation project of The White Elephant in a landmarked Palm Beach hotel building recently earned the Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach's inaugural Edward E. and Suzanne G. Elson Award for exemplary public architecture.

The White Elephant defies the meaning of its name.

Where a longtime hotel in dire need of a renovation once stood, the vibrant White Elephant has transformed the tired corner of Bradley Place and Sunset Avenue into a much sought-after and chic hot spot with a European feel.

That transformation earned the hotel and its owners the Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach's inaugural Elson Award, which was established to honor an outstanding new construction project or a major rehabilitation project at a commercial or public space on the island.

“The Elson Award allows us to fully appreciate the impact of a building in the public realm,” foundation President and CEO Amanda Skier said at the recent awards ceremony. “In doing so, we are able to promote projects that positively impact the town’s unique sense of place, as well as promote economic or cultural vitality in the community.”

Formerly the home of the Bradley Park Hotel, the building at 280 Sunset Ave. changed hands in April 2018, with construction work beginning the following May. By late 2020, the high-profile corner was home to a 32-room destination of which islanders could be proud.

Among the many changes made during the renovation, the hotel lost its ordinary tan paint job and replaced it with a light cream ― complemented by striking black trim and striped awnings ― and crowned by a new terracotta tile roof. In addition to the pool, the courtyard offers outdoor seating for the hotel’s signature restaurant, LoLa 41.

Inside, the lobby hints at the hotel’s overall interior design approach: a neutral color palette mixed with metal accents, splashes of color, hardwood floors, Carrara marble, tiles and woven rugs.

The White Elephant is owned, along with its sister property in Nantucket, Massachusetts, by Boston-based New England Development, which is led by Stephen R. Karp, who shares a home near the property with his wife, Jill. Khaled Hashem, managing director of hospitality for New England Development, represented the company at the awards ceremony.

Boston-based Elkus Manfredi Architects designed the project, and GliddenSpina+Partners of West Palm Beach served as the architect of record.

Others have taken notice. Travel + Leisure magazine ranked the hotel No. 1 in Florida, No. 2 in the country and No. 19 worldwide in its World's Best Awards for 2022.

And one of the namesakes of the award, Edward Elson, was effusive of the transformation at the awards ceremony. He described the conversion as "a marvelous reconstruction, truly. When I walked into the lobby, I was taken by the taste and careful planning that went into your reconstruction.”

The Preservation Foundation got it right by bestowing the inaugural Elson Award on the White Elephant — which, as we can all see, is anything but. Instead, it's a welcome addition to the island, fully deserving of our praise and this exceptional new honor.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Editorial: Inaugural Elson Award a fitting honor for White Elephant Palm Beach