Brazilian Court, Palm Beach

You'll feel as if you've been whisked to Monaco, eating out of doors by a beautiful stone fountain, among lush palm trees, with 5 star amenities, like Gilchrist & Soames gels & lotions, the NY Times delivered to your room, your familiar home toiletries like Crest toothpaste + brush, Gillette Foamy shave cream & razor. It's understated luxury for those who don't need to scream "I'm wealthy". At the Frederick Fekkai Salon, you can get your make-up professionally done for a special evening out on the town, with the best makeup by Chantecaille. If the salon is closed, make your in-room bath a mini-spa with the "Bain Ultra" Hydro-Thermo massage, a 20 minute indulgence of hot bubbling water gently massaging your body with warm penetrating heat and vapours. You can simultaneously delight in the mini petit-fours that were delivered to your room hand-crafted and wrapped by Cafe Boulud master pastry chefs. Walking into a masterpiece of Palm Beach historical architecture, where no two rooms are alike (there's a Brando Suite, a Douglas Fairbanks Suite), you can enjoy a glass of Coppola wine, a bottle of Bud Light, or Voss water from your stocked mini-fridge, which is emblematic of the hi-brow / low-brow kind of vibe of the Brazilian Court. A great place for a wedding for 100 of your guests, one courtyard in the 1920's building can set as the romantic backdrop for the ceremony where there is a historic wishing well, where you can make a wish for good luck to the bride and groom. The newer courtyard that opens onto the Cafe Boulud terrace, is a perfect place for the wedding reception. The "Ballroom" has a Tiffany style ochre and burnt sienna skylights, perfect for the wedding banquet. Boulud has pastry chefs who can custom-make the wedding cake and plan the menu. The "Conservatory" is a grand light-filled room that looks out onto the terrace and courtyard and is perfect for the champagne reception. Just kick back and relax as if it's your own home away from home (which it can be, since as a Condo-Hotel, you can purchase suites, replete with living room, such as the Lanai 2BR/ 2-1/2 bath suite, all custom designed furniture and moldings by interior designer Leslie Schlesinger, with a romantic Romeo & Juliet terrace facing onto the pool. The "Media Loggia" in the west has 5 flat-screen tv's to simultaneously watch all the newsfeeds for the media mavens who can't get enough of the news. The special limestone from France has red veins that happened when the juice from grapes washed onto the tile and stained it (it's from a wine-making region in France). For the quiet scholarly ones, there is the "Library Loggia" in the east, stocked with books from authors such as Joan Rivers, George Hamilton, as well as coffee table favourites like "Gardens by the Sea" (Garden Club of Palm Beach), "New Garden Paradise-Great Private Gardens of the World" (house & Garden). The Brazilian Court (like all great hotels of the world), is open to the public with its restaurant and weekly events such as The Authors Breakfasts series, where 2 authors are invited to give a talk and book signing; Thursday & Friday live entertainment and DJ; and the daily Happy Hour; with specialty cocktails and Sunday - Thursday Cafe Boulud Prix Fixe meals (great for Sunday brunch). Whether you're a traveler looking for an oasis, or a local, looking for a place to get away for an hour or so, whisk yourselves to the Brazilian Court.

This hotel, being small, offered us amazing guest service, with delicious cuisine and a perfect location for our trip. I usually stay at big hotels, but I will be a return guest here for sure.