Season in Review: Palm Beach hotels step up, spruce up to make guests happy

M.M. Cloutier
·4 min read
Renovations for The Vineta hotel at the intersection of Cocoanut Row and Australian Avenue have been stalled due to residents' objections.
Renovations for The Vineta hotel at the intersection of Cocoanut Row and Australian Avenue have been stalled due to residents' objections.
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Palm Beach’s hotels this past season received awards and unveiled newly redesigned spaces, among other things, but perhaps the biggest news was the renaming and new direction of the former Chesterfield.

The Chesterfield — closed for renovations last September by new owners London-based Reuben Brothers after the company bought the property for $42 million in April of 2022 — was renamed The Vineta. The name The Vineta hearkens back to when the property at 363 Cocoanut Row was called The Vineta Hotel from 1928 through the late 1970s.

More: Vineta plans get fine-tuning from Palm Beach landmarks board

More: Fortune names The Breakers in Palm Beach one of 100 best companies to work for

More: Palm Beach Colony's renovation combines luxury with playfulness

Along with the new name, remodeling plans were announced in October by Reuben Brothers and a family-run luxury hotel company, Oetker Collection, working with the owners on the project.  Remodeling plans presented during the season to the Town Council ran into opposition by town residents concerned about overdevelopment, noise and traffic.

Other hotel newsmakers this past season: The Breakers, the White Elephant, the Four Seasons and The Colony, plus Eau Palm Beach Resort in Manalapan.

The Breakers was named one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in Fortune magazine's annual list for 2023.
The Breakers was named one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in Fortune magazine's annual list for 2023.

The Breakers in April was ranked No. 65 on the 2023 Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For and Great Places to Work.

“Fundamentally it’s about our culture,” The Breakers’ chief executive Paul Leone said. “We just simply embrace the value of every member of our team.”

Earlier in the season, The Breakers celebrated the 10th anniversary of its ongoing partnership with an interior-design firm credited with playing “a critical role” in the resort’s 21st-century evolution. New York-based Tihany Design has transformed many of the hotel’s spaces as part of “balancing preservation and modernization,” Leone said.

Among the spaces Tihany Design has created or redesigned at The Breakers: HMF, Flagler Steakhouse, Flagler Club, the Seafood Bar, guest rooms and suites, Main Street by The Breakers, the Ponce de Leon Ballroom, poolside bungalows and the hotel’s iconic lobby.

The Breakers in February was among three local resorts awarded top honors by Forbes Travel Guide’s annual ratings for worldwide luxury hospitality properties.

The Colony hotel underwent expensive updates to its rooms that was completed in December.
The Colony hotel underwent expensive updates to its rooms that was completed in December.

The Four Seasons and Eau Palm Beach Resort earned Forbes’ highest honors: five stars. The Breakers received four. The spas at each property also earned stars — five each for spas at the Four Seasons and Eau Palm Beach, and four for The Breakers.

The Four Seasons’ Florie’s restaurant was the only Palm Beach County restaurant to receive a ranking: the third-highest honor of “recommended.”

“Our commitment to exceptional service and offerings … begins with a heartfelt passion to make each moment a memorable one,” said the Four Seasons’ Mohamed Elbanna, regional vice president/general manager.

Guests at The Colony this season have been treated to redesigned rooms formally unveiled during an event in December. The redesign of 89 rooms and suites are “a luxurious representation of the Palm Beach way of life, generously imbued with The Colony’s unique sense of playfulness,” Colony co-owner and president Sarah Wetenhall said.

The colorful redesign was part of an overall renovation project begun four years ago, Wetenhall said at a Dec. 2 panel discussion at the hotel. Key members of the redesign team participated in the discussion, including Kemble Interiors founder Mimi McMakin, who said, “We wanted to make them (the rooms) fun.”

A 7-foot-tall white elephant sculpture by Frederick Prescott stands at the entrance to The White Elephant hotel.
A 7-foot-tall white elephant sculpture by Frederick Prescott stands at the entrance to The White Elephant hotel.

Meanwhile, the White Elephant, which debuted in 2020 after an extensive renovation and restoration of the historic Bradley Park Hotel, was recognized in December with an award for revitalizing the property.

The 32-room boutique hotel received the Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach’s inaugural Elson Award honoring an outstanding new Palm Beach construction project or major rehabilitation project at a commercial or public space. The award “allows us to fully appreciate the impact of a building in the public realm,” Preservation Foundation CEO Amanda Skier said.

Boston-based Elkus Manfredi Architects designed the White Elephant project while Glidden Spina + Partners of West Palm Beach served as architect of record. The property at 280 Sunset Ave. was purchased in April 2018 by Boston-based New England Development, which led the revitalization.

When the 2022-2023 opened in October, Eau Palm Beach Resort was putting the finishing touches on a multimillion-dollar renovation. The project included creating new pools, kids’ activity centers and dining outlets ranging from an upscale Italian restaurant to a sushi bar.

Bilkey Llinas Design handled the interior design for the project, which proceeded in phases so the resort could remain open during the work.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Palm Beach hotels undergo renovations, bring home awards in 2022-23