The Boca Raton: An Honest Review
just landed from a week’s stay at the Boca Raton resort (my 8th stay!!), and thought it could be worth sharing a few of my opinions.
for context : there’s 5 hotels on one large resort complex on both a ‘harbor side’ and ‘beachside’, with lake boca in the middle. regular water taxis and shuttles connecting the two.
hotel 1 - cloister: main building, entry level rooms in need of renovation (which is planned). solid option for all demographics. heart of the resort with easy access to everything.
hotel 2 - tower: couples and families with older kids. warning, the elevators can be a nightmare. not suitable for those with claustrophobia, the windows do not open for safety reasons
hotel 3 - yacht club : adults only (16+). excellent for couples, or older groups. white glove & butler service. private fine dining restaurant and exclusive access to the spa
hotel 4 - beach club: newly renovated, excellent for all demographics. note that you will need to take the water taxi or shuttle to the main resort to use the pool club, spa, restaurants and majority of retail shops.
hotel 5 - bungalows: great for families. 2-bedroom suites, with kitchens and proper living and dining areas. great for long term stays. miniature golf course and own private pool area. more informal than rest of resort
spa: 10/10. one of the greatest in the USA in my opinion. Alhambra palace design, centred around a truly stunning garden. treat yourself to a ritual bath, you will not regret it!!
service: 6/10. hit or miss. such a large resort with so many food outlets, this is kind of to be expected. lots of college age kids with more informal serving standards at pool and beach club. servers overwhelmed with numbers of members and guests sometimes. resort is busy. BUT in saying that, there are a few who truly go above and beyond.
dining: 9/10. a lot of major food group restaurants. the steak house is incredible. didn’t rate the italian. mediterranean restaurant excellent on the beach side. sadelles too busy in my opinion. the sushi place is good but incredibly expensive and tiny portions. there’s fantastic options outside the resort too with downtown boca, ft lauderdale, delray beach and palm beach within a 30 min drive.
things to note: it doubles as a private membership club - it can get VERY BUSY. weekends, holidays, the pool club and beach club are packed with members. & i’m not trying to be mean but a lot of these boca types can be grating - you’ll be enjoying the sunshine and hear someone very loudly complaining to the staff that there’s only 3 ice cubes in their wine vs 4😭
also … currently renovating their golf course, projected to reopen in september (but we’ll see).
overall vibe: 8/10. i love it here for the relaxed, easy nature. everything’s laid out simply, good food, great spa, friendly staff, good restaurants and bars off property if you want to explore etc.
happy to answer any specific questions 👇