The Palm Beaches beckon year-round with fashion-forward events, style-centric districts, and a world-class setting fit for curious adventurers and architecture and design enthusiasts alike.
Notably from winter through spring, The Palm Beaches paint the prettiest of pictures for travelers seeking warmth and Florida fun, complemented by the destination’s aquamarine waters, cotton candy-colored interiors and lush, colorful vegetation.
With something fresh to uncover or grand to revisit, The Palm Beaches always have something on display. Below are highlighted a few tried-and-true iconic destination experiences, alongside new additions to visit (or re-visit) in Florida’s premier destination.
Events Worth Traveling For:
Kips Bay Decorator Show House
February 23 through March 17, 2024
For nearly 50 years, Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club has brought the best of interior design to major U.S. cities, such as Manhattan, West Palm Beach and Dallas, to transform a luxury home into an elegant exhibition of fine furnishings, art and technology.
This year, the Palm Beach Kips Bay Decorator Show House will celebrate its 7th annual Decorator Showhouse in West Palm Beach, one of The Palm Beaches’ 39 cities and towns. In advance of the opening, designers descend to the area to design aspects of the home. Their work and designs remain available for viewing throughout the month beginning February 23 through March 17, 2024.
Sales from the Show House benefit the local Boys and Girls Club of Palm Beach County. The Show House doubles as the nation’s leading design event of the year and Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club’s top fundraiser. The selected residence this year will show 8,589 square feet of living space, with five bedrooms and 6.5 bathrooms.
Tickets are $50 online and $60 at the door. An opening reception will be available on February 22, with tickets starting at $400 per person.
Palm Beach Modern + Contemporary (PBM+C), presented by Art Miami
March 22 through March 24, 2024
Regarded as South Florida’s premier and most prestigious winter art fair, Palm Beach Modern + Contemporary (PBM+C) returns to the Palm Beach County Convention Center for its seventh edition, with a top, international group of 95 galleries and their artists.
The event is considered a “can’t miss” event for all serious collectors, curators, museum directors and interior designers, providing an intimate look at the most important works available for acquisition at the forefront of the international contemporary, modern, classical modern, post-war and pop eras.
The show will open with an exclusive invitation-only VIP Preview benefiting the Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens on March 21 and will offer general admission from March 22 through March 24.
Endless Summer: Palm Beach Resort Wear
Now through May 25, 2024
The Palm Beaches have long been synonymous with fashion and style. This season, The Richard and Pat Johnson Palm Beach County History Museum presents “Endless Summer: Palm Beach Resort Wear,” an exhibit that explores the impact Palm Beach made on resort fashion over the last 129 years.
It shares how the destination solidified its position as one of America’s premier luxury destinations and the fashion that followed. Here on display, visitors can see how top fashion brands such as Gucci, Chanel, Philip Hulitar and St. John, as well as fashion icons such as Jacqueline Kennedy, Lilly Pulitzer, and others, adopted fresh new looks and a philanthropic spirit.
Worth Avenue Association Historical Walking Tours
Now through April 24, 2024
During season, which runs from November through April each year, the Worth Avenue Association partners with Worth Avenue Historian and Author of “Palm Beach: The Essential Guide to America’s Legendary Resort Town,” Rick Rose. Mr. Rose conducts 75-minute Historical Walking Tours of one of the most scenic shopping districts in the world.
The tours are about a ¾ mile in length and are wheelchair accessible. Participants with mobility issues are encouraged to bring their wheelchairs or electric scooters. During the tour, Mr. Rose shares the colorful past and legendary charm of the avenue, touching on its architectural footprint and historical significance.
Tours are limited to 40 participants and are offered rain or shine. The cost to participate is $25 per person and a portion of the proceeds benefits a “Charity of Choice” each year. This year’s charity is The Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach. Tours are available every Wednesday at 10:30 a.m., and tickets are available for purchase on Eventbrite.com. It is strongly recommended to purchase tickets in advance.
Island Living Tours’ “Strictly Architecture” Tour
Year-round
With more than 15 years of experience leading guided tours on Palm Beach, Owner of Island Living Tours Leslie Diver offers a “Strictly Architecture” tour. This tour appeals to those with a particular passion for architectural gems, or those who are in search of new and impressive sights.
The 90-minute tour is available by car or by bike, and it takes guests through a carefully curated selection of some of Palm Beach’s homes and attractions, diving into the details and stories surrounding them.
Properties that Pack a Punch of Style
Several properties are well-regarded for their top-notch hospitality, overall guest experience and their design or style elements. Among them are PGA National Resort, The Colony Hotel, The Flagler Club at The Breakers, the Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach and the Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa.
PGA National Resort
In 2023, the resort teamed up with Serena & Lily to renovate and breathe new life into their 21 cottages. The brand Serena & Lily offers 19 shops across the United States, including one location in Palm Beach.
The new blues, greens, whites and natural elements of the recent re-envisioning bring the warm and airy coast to the resort’s rolling greens. One of the best parts, other than a stay in the elevated leisure retreat, is that items ranging from wallpaper to wicker and rattan accent pieces to patio furnishings are available for purchase.
The Colony Hotel
The Colony Hotel also affectionately nicknamed “The Pink Paradise,” embodies playful elegance from the moment you walk into the hotel’s lobby.
Not only is the property host to trunk shows, fashion photoshoots, intimate conversations and book signings, but they are known for their one-of-a-kind elevated brand partnerships. Over the past few years, the property has become revitalized by offering guests uniquely special experiences.
For example, The Colony has worked with design-world greats such as de Gournay, the wallpaper and fabrics design house, to locally renowned design studios like Palm Beach’s Kemble Interiors.
For the 2023-2024 season, the property has teamed up with Lewis Miller Design as their in-house floral and event designer, complete with “Flower Flashes” throughout the season. They also partnered with Gwenyth Paltrow’s beauty brand to create the goop Villa – a bookable, on-property residence.
For the fashion-forward, the property has partnered with Asprey and Dolce & Gabbana for their on-site boutique. Dolce & Gabbana even created limited edition pieces that are exclusive to The Colony.
The Flagler Club at The Breakers
The Flagler Club at The Breakers unveiled its transformative new design by world-renowned, NYC-based luxury atelier Tihany Design in late 2023.
The ultra-luxury, boutique “hotel within a hotel” experienced a full-scale transformation of its 21 guest rooms and suites, lounge and terrace.
Much like the property itself, the new design has a glamorous yet casual elegance and upholds its relaxed chic refinement, indulgent features and meticulous attention to detail. The color palette exudes vibrant coral and azure hues, evoking the essence of Palm Beach, while details like embroidered wallcoverings and trompe l’oeil-style vertical wall molding add depth and textural intrigue.
The property has worked with Tihany Design for more than a decade, and the brand has been responsible for several re-designs ranging from restaurants and retail to accommodations and meeting spaces.
Past hotel and designer partnerships have included the following:
The Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach
In 2018, as part of The Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach’s 24-year celebration, the property embarked on a resort-wide renovation for an enhanced guest experience.
For this massive undertaking, they partnered with internationally acclaimed interior architect and designer Martin Brudnizki. As part of the renovation, a refreshing new color palette was unveiled of dusty rose and pistachio.
A new guest arrival, revamped beach experience, remodeled pool deck, redesign of rooms and new signature restaurant were all part of the project.
Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa
In 2015, the Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa unveiled its partnership with designer Jonathan Adler for the renovation of its 309 guest rooms.
The modern and bright room décor displays the colorful and playful ambiance of The Palm Beaches, showcasing bright blues and bright yellows in addition fun touches sprinkled throughout the rooms.
A Lasting Legacy
The Palm Beaches have a firm foundation in the fashion world, having served as the launching pad outside of New York City for world-renowned fashion houses and retail brands such as Saks Fifth Avenue, Gucci and as the flagship for Lilly Pulitzer.
For those interested in celebrating Lilly Pulitzer’s 65-year legacy and her love of color, The Pink Retreat takes place June 20-23, 2024.
Today, shoppers can stroll through historic shopping districts such as Worth Avenue, designed by Addison Mizner, which spans three blocks from the Atlantic Ocean to the Intracoastal Waterway. Here, as well as at The Royal Poinciana Plaza, which was designed by John Volk, shoppers can delight in luxury goods ranging from clothing, home décor and art.
Adding to its shopping portfolio, the destination has an abundance of high-end consignment shops as well as four traditional shopping malls: The Gardens Mall, The Mall at Wellington Green, The Boynton Beach Mall and Town Center at Boca Raton – each offering a different experience for varying price points.
Furthering its breadth of antiques and high-end options, lovers of antiques and period furnishings will delight in discoveries along West Palm Beach’s Antique Row, a charming shopping district with more than 40 antique stores that offer 17th and 20th-century antiques, fine and decorative arts, period deco, vintage and modern furnishings.
