Looking for the most luxurious hotel in Palm Beach to be pampered. Looking for oceanfront hotel with best pool/beach (cabanas/loungers and drink service) and great spa. Much needed girls weekend getaway.

Sounds like The Breakers is about it. The Ritz Carlton is nice, but isn't in Palm Beach.

Definitely the Breakers !! Hopefully, you have an unlimited budget and are going at an off season time. The Breakers is in a class of it's own.
Reserve as early as you can; they get booked with weddings, etc....

Call them anyway if the website shows them as full; this has happened to me in the past.

The Ritz is in Manalapan, a mere 15 minute slow drive to wpb area; pool and beach area more more crammed. Nice small spa.

What about the Four Seasons?

How does the Breakers compare with the Ritz in Naples?
Trying to decide between Palm Beach, Naples or Miami Beach area.

YGG,

All very different places.

All Palm Beach hotels are for more of the blue-haired crowd...but some families too. I just stayed at the Four Seasons. It's nice and laid back...just like the Ritz there.

Ritz Naples is perhaps the best equipped mega-resort in the country. Great beach, restaurants, water sports, luxury facilities, etc. Mostly families there. Stay on the Club Level.

South Beach is new money whereas Palm Beach is old-money. Lots of action. Stay at the new Ritz Carlton on the Club Level or in one of the poolside rooms.

I would agree that The Breakers is heavy into the "blue haired" crowd.
I am always amazed at the Ritz Naples how "young" the crowd is. When it opened we all assumed it would be for the very old and rich only. And it was no secret that the architects deliberately imitated the style of The Breakers to try to draw some of their crowd to Naples. What it seemed to do instead was draw their offspring!

Depending upon my frame of mind how I would rate the hotels. Skipping the Naples RC because I've never been there, I choose the Breakers for laid back beach time and the RC South Beach for partying.

So, Patrick...
The Breakers or RC Naples?
Do you have an opinion about FS Palm Beach?
How about Boca Resort?

Since I've never actually stayed at any of the mentioned properties (except the Boca Resort -- ages ago), I'm sure no expert to try to make comparisons. But most ratings would seem to put the Ritz Naples at the highest point on the list.

I've stayed at the 4S, Boca Resort, Breakers and Ritz Naples and my favorite is the 4S for its quiet elegance as a beachfront location.


But for "most luxurious" I would have say the new Ritz. But, it's what I didn't like about the Ritz Naples. Just a bit too stuffy for me for a beach location. Just personal preference though.

I did like the Ritz in Jamaica but not sure why. Better design for an oceanfront property perhaps. Similar to the layout and "lodge" feel of the Ritz Reynolds Plantation.

The Four Seasons is quietly elegant - but the spa is quite simple.

We've stayed at both the Breakers and the Four Seasons a number of times. In my opinion the Breakers has gotten to be to big and too busy....too many weddings, conventions,parties etc. Though the facilities are beautiful, we are not into standing on line in order to get a table for lunch at a luxury resort!

The Four Seasons is smallish,elegant and
easy to deal with. The beach is beautiful as is the pool, area, and the spa is fine.

The Breakers is a wonderful grand dame resort to experience. However, ask ahead, because our experience was tainted by a a big convention, which takes away the whole aura of its beauty and history. Love the place, but without conventioneers, and no, it was not to bluehaired in my late 30's...it was too salesman! 4S and Ritz are far enough away to need a rental car to hit restaurants in Palm and West Palm.

Starrsville-
Which location do you refer to when you say "new Ritz"...is that South Beach?

Actually, I think I'd enjoy the Key Biscayne location more - the spa is supposed to be fabulous.

We recently stayed at the RC Tiburon in Naples, it's a quiet new golf resort; 3 miles from the beachfront RC; the beachfront RC has the most gorgeous spa but
the lobby and pool areas are very congested and busy, imo. There's a shuttle linking the 2 hotels.

I like the Boca resort, their spa Palazzo is to die for;
I don't like the beach side though so if you are in the main buildings (nicer, that's where the spa is) you have to shuttle over to their ocean club area to enjoy the beach.
The beach club area is in dire need of renovation.

I've never been to the Four Seasons so I can't comment.

The Breakers seems to be what you are looking for; nice spa but not the nicest I've seen.

Never been to The Breakers, but I have been to both Four Seasons and RC recently (August 05). The Four Seasons attracts a younger crowd. Very open floor plan, airy, very beautiful. The deluxe rooms are actually nicer than the suites. The pool is a little nicer at the Ritz, but the food is better at the Four Seasons.

The Ritz is very old-school Ritz. Heavy drapes, dark woods, crystal, brass, lots of dark red tones etc. They are in the middle of a room renovation with hard and soft goods, but it will not be completed until end of November at the earliest. The renovation will be fantastic. We got to preview one of the rooms and it's beautiful. I would recommend Four Seasons, until RC is finished with upgrade.