The Colony Palm Beach

Why book The Colony Palm Beach?

Book The Colony when you want the definitive old Palm Beach experience with a current, joyful interior rather than a big beach resort. The hotel opened on November 15, 1947 as a Colonial-style newcomer in the island's post-war boom, and it has spent the decades since as a social clubhouse for a well-heeled, multigenerational crowd. Its address, 155 Hammon Avenue, puts it one block from the boutiques of Worth Avenue and a short walk from the Atlantic, which is the most walkable luxury position on the island.

What makes it worth the rate is atmosphere you cannot manufacture. The building has been the Pink Paradise for generations, its guest book runs from Frank Sinatra and Judy Garland to visiting royalty, and the current owners Andrew and Sarah Wetenhall have leaned into that heritage rather than sanding it down. The result is a hotel that reads as genuinely festive, which is why it earns strong Room and Location scores and a place among Palm Beach's most characterful stays.

What did the Kemble Interiors restoration change?

The restoration ran from 2018 to 2022 and was led by Kemble Interiors, the Palm Beach firm of Mimi McMakin and her daughter Celerie Kemble, culminating in a full refresh of the guest rooms and public spaces for the hotel's 75th anniversary in 2022. To be clear on a point some older writeups get wrong, this was Kemble Interiors, not any other designer, and the pink exterior and the banana-leaf Brazilliance wallpaper predate it, introduced during Carleton Varney's 2014 refurbishment.

The signature villa residences were handed to guest designers, with Aerin Lauder and Mark D. Sikes among those creating distinct looks, so the property reads as a collection of rooms rather than a single stamped scheme. For the 75th anniversary the exterior was even repainted in a custom Farrow and Ball rose christened Pink Paradise. The through line is confident color and pattern, executed with enough restraint to feel designed rather than themed.

What are the rooms and suites like?

The rooms are the reason to come and the reason to book carefully. The main hotel holds about 89 guest rooms and suites, and with the villa residences the property is often counted at roughly 93 keys, which keeps the whole place at an intimate, boutique scale. Expect lattice, chintz, rattan and bursts of coral and green, the kind of maximalism that photographs beautifully and rewards guests who actively want personality over a neutral palette.

Because this is a 1947 building, standard rooms can run smaller than a modern resort's, so if space matters, step up to a suite or one of the villa residences, which also give you more privacy from the pool scene below. The suites are where the design partnerships show most clearly and where a special-occasion stay pays off. Ask about which category faces the pool versus the quieter garden side before you commit.

What is Swifty's, and what is the pool scene like?

Swifty's at The Colony is the hotel's dining and social heart, a transplant of New York's clubby Swifty's that opened here in 2019. It serves breakfast, lunch and dinner wrapped around the pool under a canopy of live and faux greenery, adds weekend brunch, and pulls in Palm Beach regulars as much as hotel guests. The menu leans comfort-luxe, with longtime favorites like the Billionaire's Bacon, and evenings bring live music and a genuine buzz.

The pool is compact rather than resort-sized, and that is the point: it functions as an open-air living room where the hotel's energy concentrates. If you love a scene, it is one of the most enjoyable in Florida. If you picture a hotel pool as a quiet place to read, understand that on a high-season weekend this one is a party, and plan your room choice accordingly.

What are the honest trade-offs?

The Colony is a distinctive, well-restored landmark, but it is a specific taste and not the right fit for everyone.

• It is not on the beach. The hotel sits a block off Worth Avenue and a short walk from the ocean; guests who want to step from room to sand should look at The Breakers or Four Seasons Palm Beach.
• The style is polarizing. The bold pattern-on-pattern maximalism delights its fans and overwhelms guests who prefer calm, neutral interiors.
• The pool is social, not serene. With Swifty's built around it, the pool is a scene; light sleepers should request a garden-side room away from the action.
• Rooms can be compact. This is a 1947 building, so entry-level categories run smaller than a new-build resort; size up to a suite for more room.
• Peak-season pricing. From December through April rates climb sharply and the best suites command a premium, so value is strongest in the shoulder months.

How does it compare in Palm Beach?

The Colony wins on character, walkability and scene, and gives ground to the island's oceanfront grande dames on space and beach access. Here is how it lines up with the hotels ranked around it.

Choose The Colony for personality, a Worth Avenue base and a lively pool; move to The Breakers or Four Seasons for direct beach and resort scale, or Brazilian Court for a quieter courtyard mood. All appear on our full Palm Beach ranking.

From $350/night. Independent review; we may earn a commission at no cost to you.