Review: Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa

Why did this hotel catch your attention? What's the vibe?
Filing along with the Porsche, Audi, and Bentley valet arrivals, we pulled up in our Kia minivan at Eau's porte-cochere and were made to feel equally welcome along the moneyed travelers who vacation in Palm Beach. This is Florida's true gold coast, and you step from the covered outdoor arrival area into a lobby that strikes a balance between formal and fun, drawing eyes immediately outside to the star attraction—the Atlantic Ocean, which takes on a luminous turquoise hue along this stretch of Florida. My first impression was one of glowing sunlight and ocean breezes. It's not an open-air lobby, but the views make it feel like one.

What's the backstory?
The London-based Lewis Trust Group owns Eau, which used to be a Ritz-Carlton property but was re-branded as Eau in 2013. Jonathan Adler redesigned all the rooms when it debuted as Eau, and it looks totally different from before. While Palm Beach is in the property's name, Eau actually fronts a stretch of beach called Manalapan (also in Palm Beach County), located roughly nine miles south along the coast from Palm Beach's tony retail corridor, Worth Avenue. The hotel is a whimsical, playful alternative to The Breakers, Palm Beach's most storied and historical hotel to the north, and draws its own share of celebrities and glittering charity balls during the busy winter season.

Tell us all about the accommodations. Any tips on what to book?
My husband, our two toddlers, and I checked into a second floor, two-room oceanfront suite with connecting bedrooms and immediately slid both floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors (in the bedroom and living room) wide open to let in the views and salty air. There's a yacht-like feel here, almost as if you're on a balcony at sea. This is my idea of the best kind of room view, so I was in heaven laying in bed reading or sitting on the balcony and scoping sailboats passing by. Like all of the suites, ours had two bedrooms and two full bathrooms with glass showers, one of which had an oversized stand-alone soaking tub. Rooms and suites all have the same decor, with crisp white linens accented by white and metallic wall paper, bespoke throw pillows embroidered with "Palm Beach," vintage photographs, oversized parakeet paintings, and retro portraits. The designer is said to have turned to Capri, Palm Beach, and Santorini for inspiration, and it shows in the crisp colors and bright whites. The only tech I needed and was happy to see was the Illy espresso maker and Keurig, and a bedside speaker console for our phones to play music and charge. The bed was supremely comfortable, with lots of extra pillows. They also had two cribs in the living room for my kids, and there was a plush velvet pull-out couch that we didn't use as a sleeper but could have.

Is there a charge for Wi-Fi?
There is no charge for wifi (notably no resort fee, either) and the quality is good.

Drinking and dining—what are we looking at?
The resort's fine dining restaurant is Angle, a dimly lit, dressed-up affair that focuses on Floridian produce and seafood. The enormous onyx centerpiece table is a showstopper. Breeze Ocean Kitchen, on an oceanfront balcony with striped yellow umbrellas rippling in the breeze, is reminiscent of the French Riviera. It's steps from the family pool and open for lunch and dinner, serving burgers, mahi mahi tacos, tuna poke bowls, and Maine lobster rolls. I'd come to Breeze Ocean Kitchen just for a meal even if I wasn't staying at the resort. In early 2022, Eau Palm Beach opened the oceanfront Polpo Palm Beach, which is the second outpost of the Greenwich, Connecticut restaurant. It serves up Southern Italian fare, like grilled octopus, linguine con vongole, and more. The property also has a new sushi restaurant, Bōken; ice cream shop, Melt; spa café, Savor; and coffee shop, Oceana.

And the service? Check in and check out were flawless. Other service throughout the hotel is friendly and genuine. The hotel's concierge knows the Palm Beaches inside out and can arrange everything from a shopping foray along Worth Avenue to a polo outing.

What type of travelers will you find here?
It's a Palm Beach-meets-the-Hamptons crowd, with lots of Lily Pulitzer, designer board shorts, designer hand bags, diaphanous sundresses and pastel trousers in the mix. Guests' ages run the range, from young families escaping the cold for a long weekend to snowbirds with their caretakers in tow, making a stay of it for several weeks at a time. They're relaxing by the sublimely quiet adult pool reading books, sitting side-by-side along the oceanfront terrace in chaise lounges, or playing with their kids in the family pool. They're also working out a lot—the exercise room was constantly busy with pilates, yoga, and weight classes, and personal trainers were working with guests on the lawn by the adult pool both mornings I was there.

What about the neighborhood? Does the hotel fit in, make itself part of the scene?
The property is fully integrated in the Palm Beach social scene, despite being located south of the the main town, and is entirely a part of its local Lantana/Manalapan community, too. Locals often pop in for a cocktail with views or buy a day pass to enjoy the spa amenities. There's an upscale strip mall with a Publix supermarket, sushi restaurants, and boutiques right across the two-lane street from the hotel. And you can walk the short way across the bridge over Lake Worth into downtown Lantana, where there are parks and restaurants. On the block just north of Eau is the pretty oceanfront park and playground for kids at Lantana Municipal Beach, which has a popular cafe atop the dunes that's particularly busy for breakfast. The beach in front of the hotel is public but has a private feel, with chairs and umbrellas just for guests on a golden stretch of sand.

Is there anything you'd change?
The kids club is for ages three to 12, and there's a teens club for ages 13-17.

Any other hotel features worth noting?
All guests can request chairs and umbrellas be set up for them on the beach in front of the hotel, where you can rent SUPs, snorkel gear, and body boards. Angle has a Manhattan cart, and guests receive a complimentary glass of Champagne upon being seated. But the crown jewel is the hotel's inimitable, 42,000 square foot Eau Spa. The outdoor gardens are lined with bromeliads and palms and have tents shading the lounge chairs and day beds surrounded by fountains. You can swing in a hanging chair over a reflecting pool to continue the bliss post-treatment. Separate lounges for men and women inside the spa have large hot pools for soaking and steam and sauna rooms. It's a total destination spa, and is worth booking even if you're not a guest at the hotel.

Bottom line: Worth it? Why? Worth it to sleep with sound of the Atlantic Ocean in your heart and Palm Beach-style pampering lapping at your every other inch.