After visiting West Palm Beach, Florida many times, my family and I have been able to discover what we truly want to experience. The historic Breakers Hotel has been on the top of my list for a while. We had already been there for dinner but I wanted the full experience of staying as well. We finally did it this year.
The Breakers Hotel – A Luxury Family Vacation
As soon as you set foot in the Breakers, you are transformed back to the Flagler days of high society. The hotel boosts an elegance and luxury that is hard to find in modern hotels and resorts.
Everywhere you look there is some carefully crafted detail.
The place is huge, but getting lost in it is part of the fun.
There are seven floors in the hotel. All of the rooms have either ocean or garden views. Our room was on the fifth floor with unbelievable ocean views.
I can’t explain the feeling you get when you wake up and see pelicans flying over the ocean.
The top two floors belong to the Flagler Club. The price for those rooms is a bit higher, but the benefits of staying here are more exclusive. Just some of the perks for those rooming with the Flagler Club:
1. Breakfast is included and it is served in a private dining room.
2. Afternoon tea with hor d’oeuvres is served daily.
3. Guests have access to a private terrace overlooking Palm Beach.
And if you are a history buff like me, there are tales to be told in every corner of the Flagler Club. But then, the same can be said of the entire Breakers Hotel
History about The Breakers Hotel
- In 1893 Henry Morrison Flagler built the Royal Poinciana Hotel on Lake Worth’s east shore.
- Royal Poinciana eventually became the world’s largest hotel, stretching more than 1,800 feet along Lake Worth.
- Flagler noticed that many of America’s most socially prominent families loved Palm Beach, so he built a second hotel – the Palm Beach Inn in 1896.
- Instead of using the name Palm Beach Inn, people asked for rooms “over by the breakers” and the name stuck.
- In 1897, Flagler enlisted Alexander H. Findlay to design the first golf course in the state of Florida, adjacent to the Palm Beach Inn.
- A fire in 1903 was the perfect excuse to make the hotel twice as big and officially change its name to The Breakers.
- On 1925 another fire destroyed the building. This gave the owners the chance to re-build it as the finest resort of its time.
- More than 1,200 construction workers labored on The Breakers around-the-clock to meet the opening date.
- This reconstruction was so big that artisans were brought from Italy to do the paintings on the ceilings.
- The Breakers Hotel Complex was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.
- In 1996 the resort celebrated its Centennial anniversary as a Palm Beach and national landmark.
- Today, the hotel and grounds occupy 140 acres.
- The renewed hotel served as inspiration for the design of the Hotel Nacional of Havana, Cuba.
Information for Staying at The Breakers
I loved that on top of all the luxury, this hotel is perfect for families. My two boys were entertained during our entire visit. This allowed mama and papa to have their fun time as well.
Prices for rooms: When we visited in early 2014, room rates started at $579 per room per night in winter season (Jan through Apr 30) and $389 in Spring (May 1-31)
Summer Vacation Promotion – The hotel doesn’t offer too many packages since most guest don’t like to have their activities set in stone. But the promotions are great for family time at the resort and time on the beach.
This promotion goes from June 01 to September 30 and consists of 45% savings in accommodations plus:
Free summer benefits:
• Full American breakfast buffet — served both in The Circle and The Beach Club Restaurant
• Kids’ meals – Ages 3-12
• Unlimited tennis
• Unlimited fitness classes• Unlimited WiFi & local calls
Special summer savings apply to:
• Reduced golf fees
• Kids’ day camp, ages 3-12
• Spa services
• Eight restaurants and eight bars
• Beach bungalows for daytime rentals
• Shopping – select merchandise at 11 on-site boutiques
Phone: (888) 273-2537
Address: One South County Road Palm Beach, FL 33480 USA
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