It is a classic South Florida dusk, with a coral sunset sky against palm-shaded greens and links. A grapefruit and Zacapa rum Hemingway Daiquiri is served on the patio of one of the country-club lifestyle options available to guests at The Boca Raton in the upscale eastern portion of the upscale enclave. Formerly known as the Boca Raton Resort & Club, the nearly century-old property catered to business executives until 2019, when tech billionaire Michael Dell’s MSD Partners purchased the resort and began a multi-year, $200 million renovation.
To appeal to different guest demographics, Dell’s team is reconfiguring and reimagining the flagship property as five distinct themed hotels (called Beach Club, Yacht Club, Bungalows, Cloister, and Tower). The goal is to attract luxury leisure travelers with the unifying theme of glamour. The Boca Raton’s president and CEO, Daniel Hostettler, says, “By 2026, we hope to be one of the finest resorts in the United States, but with a modern perspective on what the luxury traveler seeks: a highly curated, highly personalized level of service. The true objective is to return to the hotel’s heyday in the 1930s and 1940s. It was the place where one could see and be seen. And that is how I believe the experience should once again feel.” In 1926, renowned developer Addison Mizner constructed the resort as an oasis for wintering old-money aristocracy and society. It attracted nouveau riche IBM geniuses who, decades later, unveiled the world’s first personal computer on the Boca campus of the technology conglomerate.
Wall Street’s top players have gathered here for years for an annual summit that has attracted industry titans like former New York Stock Exchange chairman Richard Grasso and motivational speakers like former New York Yankees manager Joe Torre. Alan Greenspan, chairman of the Federal Reserve, delivered a speech on the 70th anniversary of the 1929 stock market crash in 1999.
However, by the time Dell’s team took over, the business model of booking convention-sized groups occupying 1,000 rooms appeared antiquated, and the property’s overall appeal had become stale. This feeling was amplified by the fact that Boca Raton was trendy.
Bonnie Heatzig, a seasoned real estate professional, asserts that new condominiums, restaurants, and shops revitalized the city’s downtown and attracted thousands of new residents from Manhattan, the Tri-State area, Chicago, and California.
“I think they feel a breath of fresh air,” says Heatzig. They view Boca Raton and South Florida as places for a new beginning.
Sales of estate homes and mansions in the neighborhoods adjacent to the hotel’s East Camino Real Road address (already valued in the seven- and eight-figure range) soared. Identical to the adjacent Royal Palm Yacht & Country Club neighborhood. And according to Heatzig, she is completely booked with prospective buyers for a $6 million unit she has listed at the nearby Mizner Grand condominium complex.
Since December, when the main hotel reopened after undergoing renovations, The Boca Raton has become an additional attraction. Heatzig states that the transformation of this 200-acre resort into a world-class destination is a magnet.
“This is what consumers desire in the luxury market. They desire a lifestyle.” Hostettler acknowledges the contrast between The Boca Raton and the city’s newfound vitality. “The city is experiencing a complete renaissance and a shift toward a more contemporary interpretation of luxury,” he says.
One of the many courtyards, the pool and lounge at the Beach Club, and a living room in the Tower suites, clockwise from the top left.According to Hostettler, The Boca Raton’s makeover required extra care due to the resort’s unique and intertwined history with the city in order to achieve a harmonious blending of the past and present in a way that remains competitive and relevant in the future.”You must pay close attention to the property’s history, especially since the entire city of Boca grew up around it,” he says. “At the same time, we wanted to improve the interiors and service for the modern traveler. It is delicately balanced. We’re attempting to be historic while also catering to the tastes of contemporary luxury travelers.”At least in part, this is due to the five distinct lodging options and complimentary amenities.The resort’s epicenter is the Cloister, a 294-room hotel in the historic district that caters to families, conference attendees, and history buffs, as well as those seeking more activity due to its proximity to restaurants and 50,000-square-foot spa. Guests are greeted at the grand entrance by a bronze statue of a young girl from 1929 that is posed in a she-persisted-never-the-less manner against the main facade’s warm coastal white and creamy tones.The adjacent, iconic, flamingo-pink, family-oriented Tower is 28 stories tall and features butler-concierge service. There are a maximum of 12 rooms per floor, all of which offer expansive views and can be connected to form up to three-bedroom corner suites for families.Those seeking extended stays will feel at home in the bungalows that formerly catered to IBM employees. Today, they have been renovated with a mid-century modern aesthetic—”think Mad Men,” says Hostettler—and a residential feel, with living rooms, kitchens, and patios.The Yacht Club features 112 adults-only suites with European sophistication and terraces overlooking a 34-slip marina that can accommodate vessels up to 150 feet in length. The Beach Club, the resort’s oceanfront location, aims for a more hip, youthful atmosphere.Across the Intracoastal, the main resort area can be reached by water taxi in five minutes. It features the Marisol restaurant and exotic seafood specialties such as local swordfish rubbed with harissa and served with tomato salsa and Greek yogurt potatoes.The hotel’s amenities are also accessible to nearby residents who purchase club memberships. These amenities include access to fitness centers, the golf course, tennis and pickleball courts, and lawn croquet.However, the restaurants and recreational facilities are the gems. One is the four-acre Harborside Pool Club, which features three swimming pools (one for adults only), a lazy river, two slides, cabanas, chair-side service, and firepits.Spa Palmera, tucked away among palms and a banyan tree older than 100 years, exudes a distinctly different atmosphere. The therapies include a deep-tissue Sensory Awakening Massage with peppermint, eucalyptus, and basil, as well as a bowl of rose petals for inhalation. In contrast therapy, heated basalt stones are alternated with cold marble in circular motions to soothe and restore sore muscles.MB Supper Club and The Flamingo Grill are two additional must-dos on the property. MB Supper Club is a throwback to the resort’s former Monkey Bar. Set in a speakeasy cardroom from a century ago, the opulent interior design features wallpaper with monkeys smoking cigars, monkey sconces, 1940s plateware, and vintage black-and-white photographs acquired from the local historical society.The Supper Club’s classic menu lists beef Wellington, crab Louie, and oysters Rockefeller, with explanations on the history of the dishes—the onion soup dates back to 1867, for example. There is a choice of appetizer, main course, and dessert for a fixed price dinner. The bar offers legendary drinks such as sidecars and sloe gin fizz. The nightly entertainment ranges from jazz to Latin music.The Flamingo Grill features a view of the golf course. It’s a light, breezy, and sunlit Florida room motif with pastel pinks—including the felt on the pool table—and greens on velvety furnishings, as well as a chandelier made of pink-and-white lattimo glass petals with more than 50 petals. Entrees include cajun snapper, veal Milanesa, and a tableside-flambéed banana split.Sadelle’s at The Boca Raton, which serves its famous bagels, and the next-door, European-themed Palm Court, which serves cocktails, charcuterie, caviar, and light bites, are two additional hotspots. Late in January, Hostettler estimated that 80 percent of the extensive renovations to the resort were complete.There will soon be two more signature restaurants, one Italian and one Japanese. They are being created in partnership with New York’s Major Food Group, similar to Flamingo Grill. A surf rider pool, the latest trend, is also planned for the pool club.