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One of my favorite places in the world? Palm Beach, Florida! I have been vacationing in Palm Beach every year since I was 19 and have stayed at almost every single property on the island (if you’re looking for a full Palm Beach travel guide, you can find one here!). A few weeks ago, Chris and I returned to Palm Beach to stay at The Colony Hotel. While I have stayed at The Colony many times, they have made some recent updates, and I thought it would be nice to write a full review on this hotel, as it truly is one of the best luxury hotels in Palm Beach (and Florida in general!). If you’ve been to Palm Beach, then you most likely know what hotel I’m referring to… The Colony is a *classic* Palm Beach hotel with a very fun vibe: the entire outside is a beautiful shade of PINK! The rooms are impeccably decorated in fun colors and patterns and the pool is adorned with pink and white umbrellas. This is definitely the most stylish hotel in Palm Beach! I love the proximity to Worth Avenue as well as lounging by their pool for hours on end…. read on for my full Colony Hotel Palm Beach review!

Why is The Colony Hotel famous?

The Colony Hotel is indeed famous! Since 1947, this “Pink Paradise” has been a favorite for celebrities including John Lennon and Judy Garland, and continues to attract celebrities, socialites and elite guests. The hotel is recognized for its signature pink exterior and its uniquely designed rooms that embrace a whimsical, vintage and highly-styled aesthetic. It’s situated right in the heart of Palm Beach, just steps away from the iconic Worth Avenue, and even served as the inspiration for the Apple+ TV series Palm Royale.

Rooms

I have stayed in a few different types of rooms throughout the years at The Colony! A few years ago, they did a hotel-wide renovation and I LOVE the style of their new decor – think “Palm Beach Luxe,” with beautiful prints, rattan furniture, fun wallpaper and luxurious fabrics. The rooms are all nice, from the standard guest rooms to the villas and penthouses. The standard guest rooms are not overly large, but they are all beautifully decorated by Kemble Interiors in punchy shades with scalloped trim. On our most recent stay in Palm Beach, we stayed in one of the villas located right next door, Villa Poinciana. This 2,700-square-foot villa is absolutely GORGEOUS and features two bedrooms (one king bed and two twin beds), a dining room, living room, extra bathroom and it’s own fully functioning kitchen. Perhaps the most desirable element of this villa is the sun-drenched expansive patio overlooking the private villa pool – we spent as much time out here as possible on our stay, especially considering that we were escaping the cold January weather in North Carolina!

Food

The Colony Palm Beach restaurant, called Swifty’s, is a destination in itself. The restaurant serves food throughout the day, including breakfast, lunch and dinner, but it’s particularly fun at night. I love dressing up, sitting outside, and feeling the warm Floridian breeze under the twinkling fairy lights (and people watching!). Their pasta, Paccheri Mezze with Calabrian Chili and Tomato Cream, was truly one of the best pastas I’ve ever eaten in my entire life.

The Colony Palm Beach is also home to a little grab-and-go cafe called The Pink Paradise Café. It is – you guessed it – decked out in pink, with a tasty selection of breakfast sandwiches, salads and smoothies. I am still dreaming about the “Tropical Wave” smoothie, which tasted JUST like a piña colada to this pregnant mama. I have to brag on their coffee, too, my latte was delicious. This place was a daily staple in our mornings!

Pool

The pool is arguably the heart of The Colony Hotel. The pool itself isn’t huge, but there are lots of pool chairs around in perfectly “Palm Beach chic” patterns and prints. The pool is soooo relaxing, I could lay out there for hours, either in the sun or positioned perfectly underneath a pink and white umbrella. There’s an old-school newsstand right beside the pool where guests can get fresh towels, infused water or a magazine to read while sun-bathing. This is the perfect spot to read a book, people-watch, or indulge in some poolside gossip… and when you get hungry, grab a poolside table at Swifty’s for lunch.

Beach

Palm Beach is known for its crystal-clear water, and The Colony is just a few blocks away from the sand – an easy walk, or use The Colony’s Beach Butler (a cute little golf cart!) since they give you a ride and set up chairs, towels and umbrellas for you. They’re also able to deliver gourmet bites in custom-branded, YETI coolers (with dishware, ice and napkins!). The beach is very kid-friendly, with super soft sand and hardly any waves.

Activities

There’s lots to do while staying at The Colony in Palm Beach! I would say the number one activity to do in Palm Beach (aside from the beach or pool), is SHOP! The Colony is located right at the tip of Worth Avenue, one of the most famous streets and world-renowned as a shopping destination. Just a quick walk along Worth Avenue and you’ll see boutiques, baby stores, luxury jewelry shops, along with well-known stores like Chanel, Gucci and Lily Pulitzer. Not every store is super high-end, with little boutiques that offer unique and affordable clothes and accessories. Just make sure to arrive with a little extra room in your suitcase, so you can take home your treasures!

You can also borrow one of The Colony’s custom-branded beach cruisers and bike all along the island, or you may choose to play a round of golf, charter a boat, or break a sweat at one of The Colony’s in-house workout classes.

Transportation

Getting to The Colony is easy peasy! Fly into Palm Beach International Airport (PBI) and you’ll find that The Colony is only a 15-minute car ride away. We always fly from Charlotte, North Carolina, and there is a direct flight that is only an hour long! Once you check into The Colony, you’ll find that you don’t really need a car to get around. Most everything is walking distance and if you do want to go a bit further, The Colony has a car available for on-demand drives, or it is easy to grab an Uber.

What to Wear

One question I’ve received a lot is: is there a dress code at The Colony? While there’s not an “official” dress code, you’ll find that most people dress up to stay at The Colony! Sitting poolside is like watching a fashion show. Most looks are what I’d call “Palm Beach Chic,” it is a very specific look, usually incorporating fun colors, a beautiful pattern and maybe even a little retro (for example, this outfit!). I also saw a lot of crisp white looks in Palm Beach, like this one. Men do need collared shirts and slacks/dress shorts to dine at Swifty’s, and you’ll see most women wearing elegant resort wear. Poolside looks are generally swimsuits with a nice cover-up on top. The only place I saw people wearing more casual looks was in the morning to grab coffee or if they were going on a long beach walk. You can find all of the outfits I wore on our recent trip to Palm Beach here.