The Boca Raton Resort & Club, rebranded as The Boca Raton, includes the Cloister hotel in its original 1920s white color after decades in pink. RIGHT: Historic photos line the wall of a hallway near the entrance of The Boca Raton. Photos by Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star
Related story: Eau zeros in on restaurants, pools, kids
By Mary Hladky
A breathtaking sight greets visitors to the completely renovated The Boca Raton: The famed Cloister now gleams white against the blue Florida sky.
“It is just gorgeous,” said Mary Csar, executive director of the Boca Raton Historical Society and Schmidt Boca Raton History Museum. “When I first saw it, I had tears in my eyes, it was so beautiful.”
That was just one of the visible changes as the rebranded Boca Raton Resort & Club formally reopened on Jan. 3 after a $200 million renovation that touched every part of the 200-acre property.
The new owners of the 95-year-old resort — MSD Partners and Northview Hotel Group — did not intend to trample its rich history when embarking on the project, Csar said. Architect Jorge Garcia and other members of the team met with historical society staff, which presented copious amounts of information about Cloister architect Addison Mizner and the resort’s history.
“They absorbed it. They understood. They showed us their plans,” Csar said. And while she objected to some of the changes, she realizes most had to be made and is very pleased with the result.
Public spaces at The Boca Raton, like the inside bar, have been updated.
“They are really trying to tell the story of the hotel and to keep that story alive, which is really wonderful,” she said.
That new “coastal white” color of the Cloister is one example. That was the building’s original color before it was painted pink decades ago.
Some of the departures from the past were of necessity. The porte cochere at the Cloister, for instance, had only one lane and was too narrow to accommodate today’s larger vehicles. It now has two expanded lanes.
But the new appearance is only part of the transformation. The owners and Daniel Hostettler, president and CEO of The Boca Raton, aim to have the resort reclaim the five-star status that it lost in 1985 no later than its 100th birthday in 2026.
The MB Supper Club pays homage to the former Monkey Bar, named for Addison Mizner’s monkey, Johnnie Brown.
Hostettler recalls a conversation he had with a man shortly after he was hired to lead The Boca Raton last March.
“He said, ‘Back in the day, when my company finally made money, I used to take my entire sales team to The Boca Raton. It was the epitome of grace and style and elegance,’” Hostettler said. “I really think that is the goal, to bring it back to that feeling in people’s hearts … that they have to visit Boca Raton and stay here.”
The intention, he said, is to create a “new golden era” for the resort.
To achieve that, The Boca Raton now operates as an independent luxury property. It is ditching its reputation as a convention hotel, focusing instead on hosting smaller conferences, attracting leisure guests and providing superior service and hospitality.
Hostettler emphasizes having staff members with great personalities. Previous experience at a resort is not necessary since those skills can be taught, he said. “I am a big believer that we hire for personality and teach for skills.”
The five resort hotels have been repositioned to appeal to different guest markets, and that includes younger, hipper people.
The Boca Raton has repainted the original 1920s Cloister, but will leave the Tower in its trademark pink.
The 27-story Tower will cater to the sophisticated “Four Seasons” market for travelers in their 40s with children. The adults-oriented Yacht Club, with 112 suites, will not allow children under 16. The 294-room Cloister is aimed at conference attendees and history buffs. The 58-suite Bungalows are for guests planning one- or two-month stays. The oceanfront, 212-room Beach Club focuses on guests in their 20s and 30s.
New dining options abound, with a number of restaurants operated in partnership with Major Food Group.
The MB Supper Club is a nod to the 1930s and ’40s gilded age of supper clubs and pays homage to the former Monkey Bar that honored Mizner and his monkey, Johnnie Brown.
The Flamingo Grill is a take on the mid-century American chophouse.
The Flamingo Grill is a take on the mid-century American chophouse, and Sadelle’s is a sibling to the famed New York brunch spot.
Other yet-to-open collaborations with Major Food Group will offer Italian and Japanese cuisine. More restaurants could be added to the roster.
Luxury retail is sprinkled throughout the resort, and more is on its way, including a line of shops that will open off the Cloister’s main lobby.
While the entire resort — including its 50,000-square-foot spa, now renamed as Spa Palmera — has been overhauled, one of the most substantive changes comes from the demolition of the Great Hall, a convention venue. That allowed the resort to take better advantage of its location on Lake Boca Raton, which was barely visible to guests in the past.
Harborside Pool Club has four pools, a lazy river that winds among them, water slides, a kids club and waterfront dining.
It now is the site of the Harborside Pool Club with four pools, a 450-foot lazy river that weaves around the pools, water slides, a kids club and waterfront dining. A promenade runs along the waterfront and the 32-slip marina.
The resort’s lack of lake and ocean views was decidedly “odd,” Hostettler said, and needed to be corrected.
“We are trying to open everything up to the water as much as possible,” he said. “Everything we did was to capture those water views.”
While most of the work is completed, details were being finalized in early January. The activity included workers refinishing doors on the cathedral room, an elegant wedding venue. The lobby of the Cloister was awaiting new furniture.
The Tower will reopen to guests on May 1. The project will be fully completed this summer.
Comments