The Breakers
A decade of visits to one of America's most storied resort hotels—from that first $85 Sunday Brunch to learning what old money really looks like
The iconic façade of The Breakers, a testament to Italian Renaissance architecture on Florida's Gold Coast
My first visit to The Breakers was in 2009, when I had just moved to South Florida and knew nothing about the area. A local friend told me, "If you live here and haven't been to The Breakers, you might as well have never come to Palm Beach." At the time, I thought he was exaggerating.
He wasn't exaggerating.
That time I didn't stay at the hotel—I just went in for Sunday Brunch. $85 per person, 2009 prices. As a recent graduate with little money, that meal made my heart bleed. I remember clearly ordering a mimosa for $14, only to discover after finishing it that the brunch itself included unlimited champagne. That $14 was wasted. The server didn't remind me—perhaps he assumed anyone dining here wouldn't care about such a small amount.
The brunch venue is called The Circle, a circular grand hall in the hotel's main building. The ceiling must be five or six stories high, with frescoes covering the entire dome. I sat there, craning my neck to look up for several minutes. The guests around me were all dressed quite formally—men in suits, women in dresses. In my polo shirt and khaki pants, I barely passed muster. Later I learned the hotel has a dress code: shorts and flip-flops aren't allowed in the main restaurant during dinner hours.
The food was indeed excellent. The seafood station was impressive—oysters, crab legs, shrimp, all you could eat. There was also a live omelet station where you tell the chef what you want and he makes it on the spot. The dessert section had at least twenty options; I ate three pieces of cake and was stuffed to bursting. But honestly, what impressed me most wasn't the food itself—it was how the entire environment made you feel like you had stumbled into a world that didn't belong to you.
About the Hotel's History
1896 — Original hotel built by Henry Flagler
1903 — First fire destroys the building
1925 — Second fire
1926 — Current building completed in just 7 months
The Breakers was built in 1896 by Henry Flagler. Flagler's historical significance in Florida is roughly equivalent to the railroad magnates' importance in the American West. He extended the railroad from the north all the way to Key West, building hotels along the way and transforming Florida from a wilderness into a vacation destination. The Breakers is the most famous of the hotels he built.
However, the current building is actually a 1926 reconstruction. It burned down twice before. The first fire was in 1903, just seven years after it was built. After rebuilding, it burned again in 1925. Many old buildings in Florida share this fate—wooden structures in hot, humid conditions catch fire easily. The 1926 reconstruction used concrete and steel, and it hasn't burned since.
I later researched and found that the 1926 reconstruction took seven months, with 1,200 workers laboring day and night. Flagler had already passed away by then; his descendants completed the rebuilding. They specifically brought in 75 craftsmen from Florence, Italy. Just painting the ceilings took several months. Those frescoes are true frescoes—paint applied directly to wet plaster, becoming one with the wall as it dries. Almost no one knows this technique anymore.
I once met a hotel historian in the lobby. She leads guests on a tour of the hotel every afternoon at two o'clock, telling these stories. It's free, open to both hotel guests and visitors. I joined the tour, which lasted about an hour, and learned quite a bit. She said that one of those 75 Italian craftsmen stayed in Palm Beach, and his descendants still live here, occasionally coming to the hotel to see their ancestor's work. I don't know if it's true, but it's an interesting story.
That lobby is perfect for daydreaming. Italian Renaissance style, hand-painted ceiling frescoes, crystal chandeliers. Not the feel of a modern hotel lobby—this is genuine old money atmosphere.
The Visits That Followed
I've been back about seven or eight times over the years. A few times with clients, a few times on my own when I had nothing to do on weekends, driving up from Miami to sit in the lobby and have a cup of coffee. It sounds pretentious, but that lobby really is perfect for daydreaming. Italian Renaissance style, hand-painted ceiling frescoes, crystal chandeliers. Not the feel of a modern hotel lobby—this is genuine old money atmosphere.
I don't mean "old money" as a pejorative. Palm Beach is simply like this—for over a hundred years, it's been the place where wealthy Northeasterners come to escape winter. The Kennedy family used to have a house here; Trump's Mar-a-Lago is here too. The Breakers is where these people gather, dine, and play golf. Sitting in the lobby drinking coffee, the person next to you might be the owner of some hedge fund or the heir to some family business.
Fine Dining Experience
Sommelier Service
In 2012, I accompanied a client to dinner. He was in private equity in New York, visiting Florida for a deal. The venue he chose was The Breakers' Italian restaurant, called Flagler Steakhouse. I remember ordering a ribeye for $78, sides extra. The final bill came to over $400 for two people. The client paid—I certainly wouldn't have spent that on my own.
That dinner showed me how wealthy people dine. When the client ordered wine, he didn't even look at the wine list—he just told the sommelier he wanted a bottle of some 2008 vintage I'd never heard of. The sommelier didn't ask about price, just went to get it. Later I snuck a peek at the wine list: that bottle was $280. He drank about three glasses; I drank the rest. Honestly, I couldn't tell the difference between expensive and cheap wine, but I didn't say so.
In 2014, I took my parents to that Sunday Brunch. They had come from China to visit America, and I wanted to show them something special. By then, brunch had gone up to $110. The three of us spent over three hundred dollars. My mother kept saying it was too expensive, too expensive, but after we finished she said it was delicious, delicious, we should come again next time. My father was taking photos everywhere with his phone until a server politely pulled him aside—you can't photograph other guests in the dining hall. I was a bit embarrassed at the time, but the server was very gracious about it, didn't make anyone feel awkward.
Finally Stayed There in 2017
In 2017, I finally stayed overnight. Company expense—otherwise I wouldn't have spent the money myself. I was there for an industry conference in Palm Beach, and the organizers had negotiated a group rate that was cheaper than usual, something like $350 per night. But breakfast wasn't included, parking wasn't included, and parking was $35 per day. After taxes and tips, three nights came to nearly $1,300. Company paid, so I didn't mind.
At check-in, the front desk upgraded my room, from standard to one with a balcony. Maybe because I was a conference guest, maybe because standard rooms were sold out that day. I don't know. That balcony overlooked the hotel gardens and the sea in the distance—beautiful view. Every morning I would sit on the balcony for a while, drink a cup of coffee, watch the ocean.
The room itself was quite large, maybe 500 to 550 square feet. The décor was that traditional resort hotel style—light colors, rattan furniture, tropical plant patterns. Not my preferred style, but not bad looking either. The bathroom was new, with both bathtub and shower, excellent water pressure. The air conditioning was powerful—you can't survive a Florida summer without good AC. WiFi was fast; I needed video for meetings, no problems at all.
Once I moved in, I realized that old as the hotel is, the details are excellent. Not the kind of over-renovation that makes old buildings feel like new construction. You can sense the building's age—the hallway floors are old-style tiles, the door handles are brass, you can see wear marks in some places. But everything functional is modern: enough outlets, adjustable lighting, comfortable mattress.
I've stayed at some old hotels in Europe—Paris, Rome—and many have hardware that can't keep up. Rooms are small and old, air conditioning is poor, WiFi is a disaster. The Breakers doesn't have this problem. It preserves the old building's character while providing modern hotel comfort. That balance isn't easy to achieve.
During that conference, I explored most of the hotel. The property is huge—140 acres, with two 18-hole golf courses, several tennis courts, a private beach, and multiple pools. There's also a spa that I didn't visit—I heard it's expensive. The hotel has at least five or six restaurants with different styles: Italian, seafood, American steakhouse. Plus several bars with live music in the evenings.
Over those few days, I tried several restaurants. The Seafood Bar was pretty good—I ordered a lobster roll for $38, worth the price. I went back to Flagler Steakhouse, this time paying myself, ordered chicken for $42, didn't dare order steak. The best value was the casual restaurant by the pool called The Beach Club—burgers $22, fish tacos $24, relatively cheap by hotel restaurant standards.
Who Runs the Hotel
The hotel is run by Flagler's descendants and remains privately held to this day. This is quite rare among large American resort hotels. Most properties of this scale have long been acquired by conglomerates or gone public, becoming brands under Hilton, Marriott, or Four Seasons. The Breakers has never sold. I researched it: it's an asset of Flagler System, a family holding company established by Flagler's descendants that also owns some Florida railroads and real estate.
I know someone who worked there—a guy named Mike who spent two years in the hotel's food and beverage department around 2015. We chatted once, and he said the family controls quality very strictly, not allowing standards to drop to save money. He gave an example: the hotel's sheets are a specific brand of Egyptian cotton, costing several hundred dollars per set. The family insists on using this brand and won't allow switching to cheaper alternatives. The hotel gardens also have a dedicated landscaping team that clears fallen leaves and such every morning before guests wake up.
I don't know if everything he said is 100% true, but at least from a guest's perspective, the experience has been consistently stable. Going in 2009, 2017, and again in 2023, I haven't noticed any significant decline. Many old hotels gradually deteriorate over time—management changes, cost pressures mount, standards slip. The Breakers doesn't seem to have this problem, perhaps precisely because it hasn't been sold.
Mike also told me something else: many hotel employees have been there for decades. One doorman who opens car doors has been doing it for over forty years, from a young man to now with white hair. The hotel treats longtime employees well, with good benefits, so many people work there their whole lives. This is rare in today's hotel industry, where most hotels have high employee turnover.
Manicured Gardens
Historic Architecture
Attentive Service
Some Drawbacks
The Breakers' restaurant selection is actually somewhat limited, and prices are all on the expensive side. The hotel has several restaurants—I mentioned them earlier: Italian, seafood, steakhouse, plus that famous brunch. But if you stay three or four days, eating at the same few places gets monotonous. And with every meal starting at seventy or eighty dollars, your wallet takes a beating over time.
Palm Beach itself doesn't have that many dining options. Worth Avenue has a few decent places, but they're all expensive too. The whole Palm Beach vibe is like a rich people bubble—not a place for ordinary everyday spending. I eventually learned to drive over to West Palm Beach to eat. Cross that bridge and you're there in ten minutes—prices are half and choices are much more varied. There's a Vietnamese pho place called Pho 79 where a bowl of pho is around ten bucks, real quality ingredients. There's a Mexican place called Tacos Al Carbon where I always get their carnitas. These places are completely different worlds from The Breakers, but I prefer them.
This world really does have parallel universes. Her life and my life, though physically only two meters apart at that moment, were actually worlds apart.
Another thing: The Breakers' online booking system is terrible. In 2023 when I wanted to book a room, I spent forever on their website, couldn't find the room type I wanted, and the pricing was confusing—unclear whether it included taxes or resort fees. I finally called the front desk to sort it out. For a hotel charging several hundred dollars a night, having a website this bad is inexcusable. I mentioned this to the front desk person, who said she'd pass along the feedback, but I doubt anything will change. These old-school hotels don't prioritize digital stuff.
The pool area can get quite noisy sometimes. During peak season, especially spring break, many families bring children. Kids screaming in the pool is normal—I'm not saying they shouldn't—but if you want a quiet vacation, better avoid those weeks. Once in March, every lounge chair by the pool was taken, music was playing loud, it felt like a party rather than a vacation. I learned to swim in the mornings after that—eight or nine o'clock when there are fewer people.
About Palm Beach
Let me talk about Palm Beach itself. This place has a unique atmosphere. How to put it—it's very quiet, hardly anyone walking on the streets, everyone drives. The shopping street Worth Avenue is lined with luxury stores: Chanel, Hermès, Louis Vuitton, Cartier, one after another. You won't get kicked out for wearing shorts and a T-shirt, but you'll definitely feel out of place. Once I went into a shop just to look around, and the salespeople, seeing my obviously non-wealthy appearance, were dismissive. I didn't mind, looked around briefly and left.
At the end of Worth Avenue is a small alley called Via, actually an open-air shopping arcade with some small shops and restaurants. The atmosphere is better there, less pretentious than the main street. I had lunch once at an Italian restaurant inside—can't remember the name—cheaper than The Breakers and tasty too.
Palm Beach's residential areas are also worth driving through. Those houses are several million to tens of millions of dollars each, some even over a hundred million. Various styles: Spanish, Mediterranean, modernist. Every house has a big front lawn, trimmed perfectly neat. Occasionally you see someone walking a dog or jogging by their front gate, but most of the time the streets are completely empty. It feels like a sleeping town for the wealthy, everyone staying inside their houses, not coming out.
I remember once by the hotel pool, an elderly lady was lying next to me wearing what looked like very expensive swimwear, big sunglasses, a diamond ring on her hand about as big as my thumbnail. A young person beside her was applying sunscreen to her—looked like an assistant or butler of some kind. I thought then, this world really does have parallel universes. Her life and my life, though physically only two meters apart at that moment, were actually worlds apart.
This feeling comes up often in Palm Beach. You know you're just a visitor, here to look around, not one of these people. There's nothing wrong with that—it's just a recognition of reality.
The Pool and Beach
The Breakers' pool area is well done. Not the infinity pool style of Instagram hotels—it's more traditional resort layout. Several pools: adult pool, family pool, and one down by the beach. Coconut palms, white lounge chairs, that typical vacation vibe. Servers proactively come to ask if you want a drink. You say you want a mojito, and within minutes it's in your hand—just sign and charge it to your room.
I'm not really a pool person. Normally when I swim at my local pool, it's for exercise—get in, do some laps, get out. But at The Breakers, I actually can lie there for an entire afternoon. I don't know why—maybe it's the sunlight, maybe the sea breeze, maybe just the vacation mood. You lie there, thinking about nothing, looking at the sky, looking at the sea, listening to the people nearby talking. The people nearby are discussing which stocks went up, which private jets are good, where to go skiing next month. Has nothing to do with my life, but it's interesting to listen to.
The beach is private, only for hotel guests. The sand is very white and fine, the water that distinctive Florida turquoise. The beach also has lounge chairs and umbrellas, free, first come first served. Servers also come by to ask if you want drinks or food. Once I ordered fish tacos on the beach for lunch, ate them in the lounge chair—felt quite different. That feeling, how to describe it... decadent, luxurious, indulgent.
But I've been to many Florida beaches: South Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Key West, Sanibel Island. The Breakers' beach isn't the best. Its advantage is privacy—fewer people, better service. But as far as the beach itself goes, the sand and water are similar to other places. I think Sanibel Island's beach is more beautiful—lots of shells there, more natural scenery. Of course Sanibel Island doesn't have this kind of service; it's a different experience.
The Golf Courses
Two 18-hole courses: Ocean Course (est. 1897) and The Breakers Rees Jones Course. Ocean Course is one of Florida's oldest 18-hole courses. Green fees plus caddie tip approximately $300 per round.
I haven't played the golf courses, but I hear they're famous. The Breakers has two 18-hole courses: Ocean Course and The Breakers Rees Jones Course. Ocean Course was built in 1897, making it one of Florida's oldest 18-hole courses. Many people come to stay at The Breakers specifically for this course.
A colleague of mine named David is a golf fanatic who's been playing for over twenty years. In 2019, he went specifically for Ocean Course and stayed two nights. He said the course is impeccably maintained, the greens are fast, fairway width is appropriate, difficulty is moderate. The holes along the ocean are very windy, requiring strategy adjustments. He played two rounds, one at Ocean Course and one at Rees Jones, and preferred Ocean Course. He said old courses have a certain atmosphere that new courses don't have.
It's not cheap. David said those two rounds, including green fees and caddie tips, were around $300 each. Add accommodation and other expenses, and two days cost about $1,500. He thought it was worth it—said everyone should play this kind of course at least once in their life. I don't play golf, so I can't evaluate. But I know that for people who truly love golf, The Breakers really is a destination.
The hotel also has tennis courts—ten or twelve of them—and professional tennis coaches. I don't play tennis so I haven't been. Supposedly the tennis facilities are also very professional, and some professional players come here to train.
Ocean Course
Historic Fairways
My Last Visit in 2023
My most recent visit to The Breakers was in early 2023, in January. That time I went alone—no clients, no conferences, just wanted to relax. 2022 had been an exhausting work year, and at year's end I told myself: give yourself a vacation for the new year.
I booked one night, the cheapest room type, $520 per night. After taxes and resort fee, I paid over six hundred. I didn't upgrade, and this time the front desk didn't give me a free upgrade either. The room was on the third floor of the main building, window facing the interior courtyard, no ocean view. Room wasn't big, smaller than what I had in 2017, but adequate.
That time I didn't spend much time inside the hotel—mostly drove around Palm Beach and West Palm Beach. Driving from the hotel along the coastal road heading north, ocean on one side, mansions on the other, beautiful scenery. Drove up to Jupiter where there's a lighthouse you can climb for the view. I also visited the Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach—a pretty nice art museum, admission was about $18.
After that stay, I felt that The Breakers might not be ideal for solo travelers. The hotel's atmosphere suits couples or families—two people or more together, eating and drinking, lounging by the pool. Going alone feels a bit lonely, and the value isn't great. Over six hundred dollars for one night, just me sleeping in that big bed—felt wasteful no matter how I thought about it.
The hotel had just finished renovating some rooms. The front desk told me they invested substantially in renovations in 2022. I don't know if my room was newly renovated, but it looked new. The TV had been replaced with a large smart TV with screen mirroring. The bathroom seemed redone too—the tiles were new. These details show the hotel is still investing, not just coasting on reputation.
Prices have gone up considerably compared to before. The front desk person told me that business was actually good during the pandemic years—many wealthy Northeasterners fled to Florida to escape COVID, and Palm Beach housing prices doubled. The Breakers was basically fully booked during that period, with guests staying for weeks or even months because they didn't want to return to New York or Boston. These people pushed up prices, and now that the pandemic is over, prices haven't come back down.
A Few Final Words
I'm not writing this to advertise for the hotel. I have no connection with them and have never received anything from them. Over these dozen-plus years, I've been seven or eight times and spent a fair amount of money—experiences bought with real cash.
I think The Breakers is quite special in South Florida. It's not the best choice—if you're looking for modern, trendy, Instagram-style, the new hotels in Miami Beach are more suitable. It's not the best value either—the same money could get you a better room elsewhere. But it does represent something. Something old money, traditional, not homogenized by modern commerce.
These kinds of hotels are becoming rarer. Hotels around the world are becoming more and more alike—designed by the same design firms, managed by the same chain brands, with the same amenity lists. The Breakers is different. It has its own history, its own character, its own principles. Even if those principles seem stubborn or outdated to some people.
If you have the chance to go, I suggest at least walking through. Even if you don't stay, have a brunch or a cup of coffee in the lobby. The security at the door won't stop you—they're quite friendly to visitors.
If you have the chance to go, I suggest at least walking through. Even if you don't stay, have a brunch or a cup of coffee in the lobby. The security at the door won't stop you—they're quite friendly to visitors. Join that free history tour and listen to those old stories. After all, not everyone can afford to stay, but anyone can go and look.
I don't know when I'll next go to Palm Beach. Maybe next year, maybe the year after, who knows. But I'll probably still drop by The Breakers, just as I've been doing all these years. That lobby I know so well—sit there, have a cup of coffee, watch the people coming and going, think about how I've changed over the years. That feeling is quite nice.