My Pastel-Colored Oasis
To be honest, I didn’t expect too much of Palm Beach, other than an escape from the hustle and bustle of NYC. Stereotypically, Palm Beach is known to be quiet, slow, a bit rigid, and the perfect spot to retire. So naturally, that’s what I expected.
What brought me there in the first place was to shoot our Summer ’22 campaign. With expectations to work, the team and I had a lot more fun than we expected – successfully combining work and pleasure. We stayed at two hotels, both staples of Palm Beach and rumored to be the best of the best.
On the first day, I checked-in to the Chesterfield Hotel and was charmed far more than I anticipated. Clearly, this is a hotel with elite service and accommodations, but aesthetically I was inspired. Built in the 1920’s, its exterior is light pink and framed by statuesque palm trees, green awnings and steeped in old-world charm with a twist of Mediterranean style.
I felt glamourous, preppy, and utterly delighted staying there.
The Presidential Suite is a sight for sore eyes, dawning pink and white thickly striped wallpaper, linens, and furniture. The accents of gold-hardware, mirrored objects, and crisp white furniture makes you feel like you’re staying in a personified version of a pink tweed Chanel suit.
We ended the night eating at Bill Bouquet, which has a beautiful outside dining area, and where we got a slice of Palm Beach nightlife. Class follows everyone in Palm Beach, but it’s not without some eccentric personalities. The tables surrounding us were boisterous with laughter, and the food at Bill bouquet was perfect – highly suggest the Le Saumon à la Planche.
On the second night, we checked in to The Colony Hotel, known for its chic, boldly colored décor and an impressive roster of high-profiler visitors such as Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra, John Lennon, Sophia Loren and various Royal historical icons. Similarly to the Chesterfield, it stands framed by palm-trees with a bright pink exterior and crisp white finishings. It was founded in 1947 and is only small bike ride away from the stunning beach. In fact, the hotel offers rides to the beach in a sleek pink trolly, which we most certainly took them up on.
The interior boasts a perfectly curated collection of prints and colors that all mesh together to form a balance of lively elegance. The Colony is a pink paradise and the epitome of “Brazilliance” a term I recently learned that describes the exotic color/pattern choices found at The Colony. The room we stayed was the perfect of shade kelly green from floor to ceiling, paired with a bedroom decorated in shades of pastel blue.
Outside, the pool exudes serenity and glamour as it sits calmly between the dining area and numerous lounge chairs. At night, we enjoyed a live band and romantic poolside cocktails at The Colony Hotels restaurant bar, Swifty’s. It was the perfect spot to people-watch the fun, exuberant locals and guests gather for an evening out on the town. The nightlife in Palm Beach is most definitely alive and well. From there, we took The Colony Hotel trolly to Buccan, where we all ordered the Florida snapper.
After dinner, we attended a store opening of the iconic, 47-year old, woman-owned business, Marissa Collections. It’s nestled in a chic mall called Royal Poinciana Plaza, alongside Saint Ambrose, Cartier, Pace gallery, and many more luxury stores. Inspired, we made our way to the brand new Nili Lotan store; she’s not only an esteemed designer, but a friend of mine who I admire and cherish.
Speaking of shopping, the vintage in Palm Beach is exceptional. Because of the decadent opulence in the 90’s and 80’s, the vintage jewelry stores are like a treasure trove, and as an avid collector, I couldn’t ask for anything more. In fact, the vintage in Palm Beach is dreamy and the team were in heaven perusing each store such as Only Authentics and Palm Beach Vintage.
All in all, I plan to immediately return to Palm Beach and host a beautiful dinner at The Colony Hotel. This small town is wildly inspiring, glamorous, and the perfect place to relax. The people are social characters with eccentric personalities. Not to mention it’s safe and family friendly.
I enjoyed every moment in Palm Beach and returned to NYC not only refreshed, but also inspired by the quirky array of colors and classic luxury. This small town has officially become my favorite pastel-colored oasis.