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MarocTique
Thoughtful tweaks, more at 2 Florida hotels
Hotel News
The hotel industry in Palm Beach County is booming.
New hotels are springing up as others change ownership and are being overhauled. There are 1,350 hotel rooms under construction and plans for an additional 1,400 rooms are in the pipeline, with seven new hotels slated to open by 2016, according to Discover the Palm Beaches, the county's tourism marketing corporation.
The development is primarily due to a continuing surge in tourism that through August had shown 54 consecutive months of increased visitation, the group said.
As part of the boom, two hotels in Palm Beach County have new names and faces. The former Ritz-Carlton became the Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa in early 2014, after converting to private ownership, while the Boca Bridge Hotel became a DoubleTree by Hilton this spring, undergoing a major transformation before reopening as the Waterstone Resort & Marina.
Eau Palm Beach: Still ritzy
Perhaps the best thing the new owners of the elegant Eau Palm Beach did is to not change any of the hotel's physical properties. Its public areas have a light and airy feeling, perfect for its beachside location. The outside pool and dining areas were designed to blend into the outstanding beachfront.
What they did, however, was make thoughtful and innovative improvements to the guest experience, such as Champagne upon arrival, cool towels at the front desk, a driveway with a comfortable seating area while awaiting the valet-only parking, pet- and kid-friendly programs, Keurig coffeemakers in all rooms, complimentary WiFi throughout and free movies. Daily events in the lobby, beach and pool areas include a fire pit on the beach with stargazing charts.
The spa at Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa.The hotel's 309 rooms break down into 20 categories in three towers, ranging from limited-view and oceanview kings up to two, two-bedroom Commander-in Chief Suites.
Amenities in all categories are top-of the-line luxury: Frette 400 thread count Egyptian cotton sheets, Redflower bath amenities, Boca terry robes, iHome docks and free hotel beach bags with flip-flops.
For dining, the two primary choices are the indoor Temple Orange for breakfast, lunch and dinner (kids eat free here) and Breeze, a poolside restaurant and bar open from midmorning to late afternoon (they make a delicious hamburger).
The huge spa is sensational, and with inside and outside relaxation areas/pool, it almost becomes an event. When I went in for a massage, I was offered various body scrubs and given my choice of music, scent and lighting in my treatment room. Massages range from basic to mud rituals to Middle Eastern hammam, for singles or couples.
For kids, there is the Aquanuts program for ages 5 to 12 and Coast for teens, and free beach toys. The hotel's expanded crib experience includes a beach-themed mobile, Mustela baby amenities and a babyproofing kit. Pet owners get "Do Not Disturb" signs letting staff know a pet is in the room, in addition to Frontgate pet beds, copper food bowls and turndown doggie treats. The property makes a donation to Big Dog Rescue of Palm Beach on behalf of every guest pet.
Hotel service under the new management is a bit more casual than at a Ritz but still extremely upscale in quality.
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