The Colony Hotel & Cabana Club, Delray Beach

As soon as you arrive at The Colony Hotel you feel like you have just gotten to an old friends house. There is a certian homeiness not olny in the ambience, but in the attitude of the staff. The Hotel is 'Old Florida' in its decor; terrazzo floors, big paddle fans and wicker furniture adorn the (literally) warm lobby. The Hotel has been redone recently though, so don't worry that you won't have air conditioning in your room (although that is a window box due to the buildings age). Each room is decorated differently, besides the wood floors and tile baths as far as I could tell, which really gives the place charm. Free breakfast is available in the lobby each morning, which consists of more than just muffins, although it is nothing spectatular. Step out the front door and you are on Delray's main drag, Atlantic Ave., so shopping, great restaurants & bars and the public beach are all in walking distance. The Hotel has a bar and music on the front terreace in the evening; where although small, people dance and socialize (There are many regulars from years prior)before calling it a night. The Hotels private beach club is a short drive away, which is a bit of a bummer, but that is the trade off for staying right in the middle of the main walking street. The Beach Club itself is very unpretensous, a big salt water pool, a lunch menu or you can grill on your own, and the beach of course - which is beautiful. All in all The Colony Hotel and Beach Club is a fantastic place to stay if you like charm and History. From the little birds flying though the lobby and the dogs staying at the Hotel also, (which I never heard from my room mind you) the guest really feels at home.