Palm Beach has always had an air of glamour. It doesn’t try too hard because it doesn’t have to. The bougainvillea climbs, the bicycles roll down the Lake Trail, and Worth Avenue delivers its daily theater of fashion and fantasy. What has changed in recent seasons is the hotel landscape, where once a handful of storied addresses held court, a new wave of openings, renovations, and reinventions has made the question of where to stay considerably more interesting.
My latest visit gave me the chance to experience three very different answers to that question. Two were first-hand discoveries. One, I am saving for my next trip.
Here’s where I stayed, and what each one delivered…
The Colony Palm Beach
Mood: Joyful. Social. Unapologetically Pink.
The Colony is a cultural institution. Founded in 1947 and presided over with extraordinary vision and verve (by owner Sarah Wetenhall), this 89-room boutique property on the Atlantic side of the island has perfected the rare art of being both aspirational and genuinely fun. The pink facade is a statement of intent: this is a place that takes pleasure seriously.
Step inside and the de Gournay mural in the Living Room sets the tone immediately. Botanical prints, tropical color, and a social calendar that makes you want to stay a week longer than planned. With its steady rhythm of book signings, Wednesday evening speaker series, and pop-ups from some of the island’s most sought-after designers, The Colony has become a gathering place that truly feels like Palm Beach’s living room.
The latest addition, the Cabana Bungalow created in collaboration with Cabana Magazine and designers Martina Mondadori and Ashley Hicks, is a masterclass in collected style. It feels like the suite of someone who has spent decades visiting the great houses of the world and distilled the best of all of them into one jewel-box room.
Dining at Swifty’s is exactly as it should be: relaxed, delicious, and populated by a cast of well-dressed and impeccably groomed regulars. Pink Paradise Café takes care of morning coffee and light bites with equal charm.
The location could not be better placed. The beach is at one end of the street, Worth Avenue at the other, and the hotel’s own fleet of beach cruisers and on-call golf carts means you never have to make a difficult decision about how to get anywhere.
What I loved most: The throw-back feel of Old Palm Beach, the lobby vibe where everyone is truly giddy to be there. It’s where seer-sucker sport coat meets pool-side DJ, the cocktails are long and strong, and though not beach front, a block away the pink umbrellas are a sign you don’t have far to go.
Palm House
Mood: Modern. Polished. Coastal Elegance.
Two blocks from the Atlantic and steps from Worth Avenue, Palm House occupies a prime position on Royal Palm Way and carries itself with the easy confidence of a property that knows exactly what it is. This is modern Palm Beach luxury: fresh, thoughtfully designed, and serious about its hospitality without ever feeling stiff.
The 79-room property has vaulted ceilings, natural light, and Mediterranean-inspired architecture that nods to the local visual language. Rooms are generous, with floor-to-ceiling windows and private balconies. The Presidential Suite is a two-story affair with an Alaskan King bed, butler’s kitchen, and double balconies.
The centrepiece of Palm House is the pool deck: a lush tropical setting with crystal water and the kind of unhurried atmosphere that defines a truly restful afternoon. The complimentary car service means the rest of the island is always just a few minutes away.
Dining The restaurant was conceived by Nobu, bringing a Peruvian-Japanese fusion menu to the island that manages to feel both celebratory and grounded. Pool-side Bloody Marys and fresh sashimi just feels right here.
What I loved most: If you want a really great room product, some of the more historic hotels cannot pull it off as well as the Palm House where the cleverly designed suites are inviting and contemporary with clean lines, great closet space, and spacious bathrooms.
The Vineta Hotel
Mood: Intimate. European. Artfully restored.
The Vineta is the most significant hotel opening Palm Beach has seen in years, and its arrival marks a watershed moment for the island’s position on the international luxury map. Oetker Collection, the European hotel group whose portfolio includes Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc and Le Bristol Paris, has chosen Palm Beach for its first United States property. This is not a casual endorsement.
The building itself has history on its side. Originally opened in 1926 as the Lido-Venice, and renamed The Vineta just two years later, this pale-pink Mediterranean Revival landmark on Cocoanut Row operated under that name for nearly five decades before a later chapter as The Chesterfield. The historic facade has been preserved, and the room count has been reduced from 53 to 41, a deliberate choice that allows for the spaciousness and attention that Oetker properties are known for. Four suites and a Presidential Suite sit alongside beautifully proportioned standard rooms – all bright, airy, and refreshingly free of the heavy hand that sometimes accompanies historic renovations.
Dining is anchored by Coco’s, a Mediterranean restaurant whose menu was developed with input from the culinary team at Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, ensuring that certain guest favorites from the South of France have found their way to Palm Beach’s table. The intimate courtyard offers afternoon tea and al fresco dining brimming with palms and bougainvillea. The Bar, formerly the legendary Leopard Lounge that once hosted Palm Beach’s most memorable evenings, has been thoughtfully reimagined as a sophisticated space for cocktails and conversation. Pool House rounds out the offering with a poolside lunch and snacking menu that celebrates the relaxed glamour of French Riviera ease.
What I’m most looking forward to: The Vineta represents something Palm Beach has long deserved – a property with true European pedigree, architectural gravitas, and the kind of thoughtful hospitality that only comes from a group with decades of experience operating some of the world’s most beloved hotels. Although my stay was a week before the official grand opening, the preview I experienced on Cocoanut Row was so compelling that several of my speed-dial clients are already booked for their winter getaways.
Final Thoughts
Palm Beach operates on its own terms: seasonal, social, and possessing a self-assurance that no amount of trend-chasing can manufacture. What this new generation of hotels has done is give travelers more ways to enter that world, each one offering a different key to the same extraordinary destination.
Whether you’re drawn to the vivid social scene of The Colony, the refined contemporary comfort of Palm House, or the European distinction of The Vineta, the question is no longer whether Palm Beach deserves a place on your itinerary. It’s simply a matter of when.
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