Freestyle skier Eileen Gu strikes a pose at Cloister at The Boca Raton. Photo provided by Sports Illustrated
By Joe Capozzi
The swimsuit models get all the attention in the annual Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. But folks in south Palm Beach County are excited about a certain other model gracing the 2025 cover — The Boca Raton resort and spa.
The Boca Raton is one of five featured locations for the 61st swimsuit edition, released May 13. One of four sites that won cover spots, the resort served as the backdrop for shoots featuring mostly Olympic medal-winning athletes.
That’s gold-medal gymnast Jordan Chiles on the cover, lounging on the beach. Those are WNBA player Cameron Brink and gold-medal freestyle skier Eileen Gu on the roof of the Cloister wearing bikinis that would make Addison Mizner, the hotel’s original designer, blush.
“Approaching its 100th birthday, The Boca Raton shows off plenty of Mizner’s signature Spanish Mediterranean, Moorish and Gothic influences,’’ the magazine says in its opening page, describing the resort as “a sanctuary that blends the laid-back luxury of beachfront living with the vibrancy and amenities of a world-class destination.’’
The release of the issue allows The Boca Raton to show off its all-new Beach Club hotel, which opened in January after an extensive $130 million redesign.
“SI has such a global reach. It makes for great PR for both parties. We were really pleased to be selected,’’ said Daniel A. Hostettler, the resort’s president & CEO, who credited Laura Davidson Public Relations, the resort’s PR firm, for successfully pitching The Boca Raton to Sports Illustrated.
For 11 days last November, a “small army” of photographers and swimsuit models converged on The Boca Raton, “mostly out of view of guests,” he said.
Other Olympic medalists photographed at The Boca Raton include track and field’s Gabby Thomas, gymnast Sunisa Lee, golfer Nelly Korda, surfer Caroline Marks, and swimmer Ali Truwit, along with race-car driver Toni Breidinger.
“These are some phenomenal athletes so it’s really neat to see them scattered about the resort. There’s a lot of pride for us,’’ Hostettler said.
“They found some great locations here including the roof of the Cloister with some great architecture and the restaurant decks. When you see the magazine, you’ll recognize instantly that a good 50 percent of the photos were done here,’’ he said.
Other shooting locations were in Bermuda, Mexico, Switzerland and Fort Worth, Texas. The magazine’s three other covers feature resorts in Mexico and Bermuda.
Within days of the magazine’s release in May, Hostettler started hearing reaction.
“People were thrilled to see us and how we were on the cover and so prominent throughout the magazine,’’ he said. “We’ve had a lot of industry colleagues saying, ‘Wow, this is big!’’’
Since 1964, the annual Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue has featured shoots in exotic locations across the world. Florida has been featured several times, starting in 1981 when Christie Brinkley graced the cover on Captiva.
“It was an honor to collaborate with the Sports Illustrated team who captured our property’s energy and spirit of eternal summer permanently within its pages,” Hostettler said.
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