The Breakers Palm Beach

To mark our 40th year of coming to Florida from the UK we wanted a standout stay for the final night of a 10 night holiday and this was definitely that. We booked an ocean front suite with balcony. We ended up with a corner suite which had 4 balconies wrapped around the lounge and bedroom. This was an absolutely superb room just ooozing in quality and style. As it was our final night and because the suite was just perfect - we ordered dinner in the room. We had the most wonderful service from Freddy - he has such a warm and professional character and is really good at his job. The food too was wonderful. We paid $3100 for the suite which is at the pricey end but for a treat it was well worth it. The Breakers is a legendary hotel with a huge reputation. Whilst we loved the suite, the hotel when held up to our previous stay for two nights (The Yacht Club at The Boca) lacked in effort. The staff were definitely on autopilot (except Freddy) and there was no where near as warm a welcome nor the finesse of first class received at The Boca. No champagne or offer of a cold drink on arrival though and the check in guy had an open collar and would seem more at home at a Holiday Inn, valets run off their feet with no time for niceties and generally there was a feel like "we're the Breakers - we don't need to impress". No "would you like showing around" none of the warmth or appreciation one would expect. Reputation, location and design only get you so far. Without the extra care expected from a 5 star plus hotel the experience is lacking - and it was. All that said, our concierge pulled it out of the bag with a complimentary bottle of champagne delivered to our room. A nice and very welcome treat. Maybe he sensed we were unimpressed. So 100 out of 10 for the suite 7 out of 10 for a first class welcome - which is a shame. We won't stay again but as a one off - was it worth $3100? yes I would say so - because of the room and the view for a special occasion.

We went as part of a galleries invite. The service is five stars and the attention to detail was amazing. Beautifully decorated for the holidays.

Expected much more from The Breakers. We checked in this evening, I couldn’t find the front desk. I asked someone standing there where the lobby was and they said that we weee in the lobby. A woman with a name tag was annoyed that I asked the question and wanted to know what I wanted. I asked at the front desk for a room not near an elevator or an ice machine, we were sent on a long walk up to our room to find our room right next to not only an elevator but the stairway down to the main floor. We had to go all the way back to the front desk to ask for a new room. We told the front desk we needed to get our luggage quickly as we had dinner reservations with friends, we arrived at 5:30 pm, our luggage did not find us in our room until 6:30 pm after 3 calls to the desk. We were moved to a room in the middle of the hall with 2 full size beds. They look like oversized twin beds. There must have been 20 people working at the valet and it took an hour to have our luggage delivered. Very disappointing start to our stay.

Impeccable and memorable, as always. Whenever we arrive at the breathtaking entrance to this hotel, we are reminded that we are about to be transported. This time, that journey was even better than before.

I’m a frequent visitor to the Breakers, and I find myself on property pretty regularly. Over time, I’ve come to recognize many of the staff by face, and while The Breakers is known for great service, one employee stands out every time: Seneca Skipper from housekeeping. Seneca isn’t in a front-facing customer service role. He’s not stationed at a desk or greeting guests as part of his job. And yet, time and time again, he takes the time—mid-task, often in the courtyard—to stop, smile, and warmly greet me and others with genuine positivity. “Good morning! Beautiful day! Nice to see you!” It may seem small, but it makes a big impact. His energy is contagious, and he makes every guest feel noticed and valued. In today’s world, where going the extra mile is no longer the norm, Seneca is a rare gem. You’re lucky to have him on your team—and as a guest, I’m lucky to have crossed paths with him.