Entrance to the storied Boca Raton Resort

When a resort has been around since the Roaring 20′s and it sits smack in the retirement zone of southern Florida, you go in expecting it to have a serious tinge of “crusty” with its “upper crust.” Thankfully the Boca Raton Resort has managed to move with the times while still retaining the elegance that’s been bringing in old money guests for eight decades.

First of all, this is one big, sprawling beach and golf resort. When Addison Mizner bought the land and started the eventual empire in the 1920s, nobody could know the extent of the development that would follow, even when it sold for $3 million in 1944. When I gazed out the window of my 22nd-floor tower room down at the extensive golf course below—right off the Intercoastal Waterway—it was mind-boggling to think what this land must be worth now, even after the recent property slump. There are rooms in the original building, rooms in the tower, bungalows by the golf course, and suites with a killer view at the beach. I’m talking 1,000+ rooms on 356 acres of prime real estate.

Beach Club at the Boca Raton Resort

The Boca Raton Resort is one of those places set up to meet your every need on site, with management hoping you won’t find the need to go anywhere else. There’s a perfectly manicured golf course (which was usually empty during my June stay), a tennis club that ranks among the best in the country, six restaurants, several bars, and a great gym. A shuttle bus or boat will take you from the main complex on the Intercoastal over to the beach club—and vice-versa.

Maintaining all of this requires a huge staff, but for the most part everything is impeccable, despite all the white furniture in the lobby. My only real complaint was the seemingly complete lack of environmental effort: plastic throwaway cups littered the beach and flew into the sea since the resort can’t be bothered to wash reusable ones. Despite the relentless sun, there are there are no signs of solar panels and no recycling bins. With Hummers outnumbering hybrids in Boca Raton, perhaps they’re just a decade behind the times.

Tower Suite at Boca Raton Resort

Otherwise though, this is a grand old luxury resort that has aged well, with flashy restaurants, cozy bars, and rooms that range from traditional to Miami-cool. Prices can make you gulp, but they’re on par with other hotels in the Waldorf-Astoria Collection. For once I didn’t even get fired up about the “resort fee” tacked onto the room rate: here it includes Wi-Fi, phone calls, gym access, and enough other services to make it feel like a wash at least.

With a polished but friendly staff and facilities that will make jaded luxury travelers happy, this is a historic resort that has grown up without looking old. See more at BocaResort.com.

Review and photos by Tim Leffel, who won a two-night stay at the resort in the annual Best Travel Writing contest from the North American Travel Journalists Association (NATJA.org).