One Hundred Years of Palm Beach Glamour

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View of the 18th green on The Breakers Ocean Course from The Flagler Steakhouse Terrace

Photo Credit: The Breakers

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The 8th hole at The Breakers Rees Jones Course

Photo Credit: The Breakers

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Great golf at Boca Raton Resort & Club

Photo Credit: Boca Raton Resort & Club

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The historic and stately Breakers in Palm Beach

Photo Credit: Terry Ward

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Enjoy a sunny afternoon at the luxurious Breakers hotel pool.

Photo Credit: Terry Ward

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The pool at the Grandview Gardens Bed & Breakfast, West Palm Beach

Photo Credit: Terry Ward

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Luxury shopping and public art on Worth Avenue in West Palm Beach

Photo Credit: Terry Ward

Palm Beach County celebrates its centennial with deals and new and renovated hotels.

It’s a big year for Palm Beach County, with 2009 marking the centennial of the founding of America’s First Resort Destination^sm. Palm Beach County came to be in 1909, shortly after Henry Flagler brought his rail route to Florida and opened Palm Beach’s first hotels. The evolution has been glamorous ever since, with families such as the Vanderbilts, Rockefellers and the Kennedys claiming this privileged part of Florida as their own piece of paradise.

Palm Beach County came to be in 1909, shortly after Henry Flagler brought his rail route to Florida and opened Palm Beach’s first hotels.

And now’s the time to place yourself squarely in a Palm Beach fantasy vacation, with incredible savings on accommodations planned to coincide with the 100^th anniversary year.

The 1909 Founders Package offers a night’s stay at scores of resorts for just $19.09 per night when you book three-, four- or five-night packages at participating properties county-wide, including the Boca Raton Resort & Club, the Resort at Singer Island (my absolute favorite for family luxury—kids go wild for the waterslide, and every suite has a full kitchen!) and even the venerable Breakers. Other properties offering $19.09 rates include one of my favorite boutique hotels, Grandview Gardens Bed & Breakfast in a historic neighborhood in West Palm Beach, and beautiful hotels in Delray Beach, Boynton Beach, Palm Beach Gardens and beyond (visit the official website to see all included properties).

Renovations and Openings

Leading up to the centennial, a frenzy of renovations and openings rendered Palm Beach County more inviting than ever. Among the new hotels is the Omphoy Ocean Resort, which became Palm Beach’s first oceanfront boutique resort. Rooms here are minimalist yet decadent. And the buzz is just as big for the Michelle Bernstein Restaurant that opened at the Omphoy with gorgeous ocean views and impeccable Mediterranean fare.

Elsewhere, The Ritz-Carlton Palm Beach unveiled the new Eau Spa, part of the property’s $130 million renovation. And the Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach poured $5 million into its blissful new spa, graced with whirlpools surrounded by imported marble.

Making headlines in Boca Raton was the renaissance of the iconic Boca Raton Resort & Club, designed in 1926 by acclaimed resort architect Addison Mizner (the $220 million refurbishment included the addition of the super-chic Boca Beach Club, and the first Southeastern outpost of sushi-lovers’ haven, Morimoto). Among the new openings in West Palm Beach is the urban-chic Hyatt Place West Palm Beach/Downtown, with a central address close to cultural and shopping highlights such as the Norton Museum of Art and CityPlace.

Food News

Foodies can seriously indulge in Palm Beach County, too. I’ve eaten more divine meals than I can count at places like Top of the Point (with Intracoastal views across to The Breakers) and Cucina Dell’Arte. After all, the populace here has a worldly palate inspired by the good life and travels abroad, so it’s no surprise restaurants like Parisian-style Pistache in West Palm Beach and Café Boulud (more French fare from celebrity chef Daniel Boulud at the Brazilian Court Hotel) are perpetually packed. During the centennial year, you’ll find many restaurants offering $19.09 lunch menus and dinner deals, too, including Vic & Angelo’s—an Italian hot spot in Delray Beach—and Rocco’s Tacos, innovative Mexican fare in the Clematis Street entertainment district.

I’m setting my inner foodie alarm for visits to Palm Beach County in 2010, too, when several culinary festivals take place, including the 8^th annual Boca Bacchanal, Savor the Avenue in Delray Beach and Palm Beach Restaurant Month. Meet me there—we can toast the next 100 years of Palm Beach County pleasures together!

This article is brought to you by the Palm Beach County Convention and Visitors Bureau. For more information about Palm Beach County, visit www.palmbeachfl.com.