Eau Palm Beach in Manalapan boasts a 3,000-square-foot oceanfront terrace, two pools, a large fitness center and a deluxe spa. Room amenities include marble baths and inviting balconies, most with ocean views. Photo provided by Eau Palm Beach
By Christine Davis
Manalapan’s Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa came in No. 3 of 30 properties that earned spots in Condé Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards in the category of “Top Florida Resorts.”
The Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach, which is temporarily closed, came in at No. 24. The awards rank the best hotels, resorts, destination spas, countries, cities, islands, trains, airlines, airports, cruise lines, tour operators and villa companies in the world, according to Condé Nast Traveler.
The Boca Raton Resort & Club has begun to offer an oceanside education remote-learning program for children, which can range from a weeklong family vacation to a long-term stay. The resort’s custom-designed education suites, located at the Boca Beach Club, connect to adjoining guest rooms. Also offered are curated hands-on extracurricular activities that include ocean-related experiences, athletics, nature excursions and field trips.
The suites also are available as an add-on to a two-night stay at the resort, starting from $199 per day.
Enrichment activities are priced a la carte. For information, visit www.bocaresort.com or call 561-447-3000.
CEOs of hotel brands that include Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, IHG and Best Western wrote a letter dated Oct. 15 to President Donald Trump asking him to take action to provide the hotel industry with relief by utilizing funds from the Main Street Lending Program. According to a recent survey of hotel owners, more than two-thirds of hotels report they will be able to last only six more months at current projected revenue and occupancy levels without further relief.
The letter notes that the Main Street Lending Program was established to provide up to $600 billion in financing for small and medium-sized businesses that were in sound financial condition prior to the pandemic. To date, only a small fraction of available loans has been utilized.
Jeff Dash, chief experience officer of Delray Beach Experience, has introduced a new app (both iOS and Android) that presents a guide of places to eat and drink and things to see and do in Delray Beach and beyond.
Users can search for businesses, view business details, offers, directions and safety protocols for COVID-19. There is also a hotel program in which guests can receive a 10-day complimentary VIP membership that offers savings around the city. For information, visit DelrayBeachExperience.com.
Delray Beach resident Sugar McCauley has begun selling her line of bra-free “sugarshirts” online. Prices for her nautical sweatshirts and her classic oxford shirts range from $143-$148, with 10% of profits donated to the Caridad Center, a provider of free health care services. For details, visit sugarshirtsbysugar.com.
Incapital, an underwriter and distributor of fixed-income securities and risk-management investment solutions, is moving its Florida-based operations from Boca Raton to The Offices at 4th & 5th, at 25 SE Fourth Ave., Delray Beach. Incapital will occupy the 18,066-square-foot fourth floor by mid-summer 2021.
“We are thrilled to not only be moving to Delray Beach, but to be moving into an extraordinary new property,” said John DesPrez III, CEO of Incapital. “The community offers our team many rich quality-of-life benefits, with the dynamic environment of Atlantic Avenue steps from our front door. … We’d like to thank Mayor Shelly Petrolia, the City Commission and the Delray Beach Community Redevelopment Agency for engaging with us and for their ongoing commitment to making Delray a destination of choice for employers. We are especially grateful to our partners in this transaction, Peter Sougarides of Samuels & Associates and Stanley Iezman of American Realty Advisors.”
Recorded on Oct. 14, a residential 1.26-acre lot with 130 feet on the ocean located at 611 S. Ocean Blvd., Delray Beach, sold for $15.5 million.
The seller, Sea to Seaside Development, a Deerfield Beach-based homebuilder led by Randal Perkins, was represented by Chris Lowry with Chris Lowry Realty Services. Fried Business Holdings, a Delaware limited liability company with a New York City address, was the buyer. The property last sold for $14,693,200 in 2018.
“Based on all MLS land sales in Delray Beach since January 2000, this $15.5 million sale is the highest sale,” said Steve Fisher of Fisher Appraisal Group, Boynton Beach.
701 South Ocean LLC, managed by Mark Timothy Inc., bought the lot at 701 S. Ocean Blvd., Delray Beach, from Michael J. and Judith F. Rothberg for $11.375 million in September. Mark Timothy is led by Mark Pulte, son of the late founder of Atlanta-based PulteGroup, Bill Pulte. Pascal Liguori and Antonio Liguori of Premier Estate Properties represented both the buyer and sellers. The Rothbergs bought the 1.19-acre oceanfront property in 2017 for $13.4 million.
The Boca Chamber of Commerce hosted its annual business awards celebration virtually on Oct. 23. Recognized for their commitment to economic growth and dedication to the mission of the Boca Raton Chamber, honorees included Pastor Bill Mitchell of Boca Raton Community Church, business leader of the year; Ahnich Khalid of Maggiano’s Little Italy, small business leader of the year; and TherapeuticsMD, business of the year. The chamber announced that Michael Daszkal will remain as chairman for another year.
The Boca Chamber’s Boynton Beach First Responders Awards Program, which was held virtually in September, recognized police officer Agent Shaun James, firefighter/paramedic Roxanne Girardi and firefighter Capt. Jeff Powers.
“Since our merger with the Boynton Beach Chamber of Commerce almost two years ago, this program was a priority for us to bring back,” said Troy McLellan, president and CEO of the Boca Chamber. “This program showcases the passion for service, dedication to a higher cause, and personal sacrifices that are at the core of being a first responder.”
Program sponsors included Baptist Health, Get Dry, Inc., ADT, All Dry USA and Florida Power and Light.
The Florida League of Cities announced in September that Boca Raton Deputy City Manager George Brown was appointed to serve on its 2020-2021 municipal administration legislative policy committee. Brown will help develop the league’s legislative action agenda and will help league staff understand implications of proposed legislation.
Brown has served Boca Raton in administrative and management roles for 37 out of the past 43 years as a city employee, and he has been deputy city manager since 1999. He has been involved in the Florida League of Cities legislative policy process since 2007 and was recognized by the league as a “Home Rule Hero” in 2012.
The board of Florida Peninsula Insurance Co., a homeowners insurance company headquartered in Boca Raton, promoted Virginia Austin to the position of director of special investigations. Austin, who began her career with the company as a claims examiner, has managed its special investigations unit for the last seven years. In her new role, she will represent the company regarding claims suspected of fraud in conjunction with the Department of Financial Services and associated Florida law enforcement agencies.
With the launch of an inaugural holiday ornament, Downtown Delray Beach encourages shopping locally this holiday season as well as celebrating Small Business Saturday on Nov. 27-28.
To participate, customers are asked to save receipts of $200 or more at venues within the Downtown Development Authority district, after which they can receive a limited-supply fused-glass-mosaic ornament.
It can be picked up from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 28 at a location to be announced.
The offer is one ornament per customer, limited to the first 200 people on a first-come, first-served basis.
Exclusions include food or beverage purchases, hotel accommodation receipts, parking or transportation receipts, as well as any retailer that does not fall within the DDA district.
The Boca Real Estate Investment Club will present “Deal of the Year” on Nov. 12, a competition featuring deals closed in 2020. Ben Sens of Boss Construction Group will speak on permitting during the pandemic. Social distancing will be followed and wearing masks is required.
The meeting, which starts at 7 p.m., will be at the DoubleTree Hilton, 100 Fairway Drive, Deerfield Beach. The cost is $20 and free to members.
For information, call 561-391- 7325 or visit bocarealestateclub.com.
Lang Realty agent Brian Battaglia of Boca Raton, a native of Lake Charles, Louisiana, helped organize aid for the Lake Charles community, which was hit by Hurricane Laura.
Lang Realty and its agents made a donation of $4,600 and collected supplies. Battaglia then rented a truck to transport the donated goods to Lake Charles.
Send business news to Christine Davis at cdavis9797@gmail.com.
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