Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa

Character and identity

Set on a golden stretch of Manalapan beach about nine miles south of Worth Avenue, this 309-room oceanfront resort is the playful, Jonathan Adler-redesigned counterpoint to Palm Beach's more formal grande dames. The design language pulls from Capri, Santorini, and Palm Beach itself: crisp whites, metallic wallpapers, oversized parakeet paintings, embroidered throw pillows. Dining runs deep, with the onyx-tabled Angle for Floridian seafood, the Riviera-flavoured Breeze Ocean Kitchen, Polpo for Southern Italian, and a Nobu preview restaurant. The 42,000-square-foot Eau Spa, with its bromeliad gardens and reflecting pools, is the property's signature. Service is friendly rather than starchy.

Who's it for

Bottom line

The spa and the beachfront itself are the reasons to come, both genuinely outstanding, and the absence of a resort fee is a refreshing rarity at this tier. Book an oceanfront suite with the floor-to-ceiling sliders if the budget allows; the yacht-like balcony view is the room product's whole argument. Aim for shoulder season to dodge peak winter rates.