Living luxe without breaking the bank (maybe a little, though).
By Haley Dockendorff
When you live where most people only dream of vacationing, it can be easy to overlook the resort-like features of South Florida. If your budget is tight — or if you can’t fathom getting on an airplane right now — a staycation can be just as relaxing, if not more, than a destination vacation. Why sit in a tin can of a car or plane for hours when you can soak up all the vacation vibes in your own backyard? Plus, you won’t have to be paranoid about bed bugs or lost luggage.
The great thing about a staycation is a bigger budget now that you’re not spending an arm and a leg on travel expenses. If you’re looking to fully immerse yourself in the luxury world of Boca, look no further than the town’s literal and figurative crown jewel — The Boca Raton.
With its historic presence in Boca Raton’s skyline (and the flamingo-pink Tower), you won’t even need directions to find it. The Boca Raton is private to guests and members, so to enjoy the luxurious amenities, we suggest booking a night or a weekend at one of five different hotels available on the resort grounds.
The resort is split into “Harborside” and “Beachside,” with water taxis and pastel Moke’s shuttling guests between them. There are tennis courts, a pristine golf course, a sprawling pool, and more than a dozen different restaurants for your dining pleasure. The resort is a gorgeous display of Boca Raton’s history — celebrating its centennial anniversary this year — and an ode to Addison Mizner’s iconic architecture.
Booking an experience at the five-star Spa Palmera is a must if you’re looking to transform into your bougiest self. Anything from signature spa packages to the salon to couples’ massages and cleansing baths is offered here. There is even an all-day café!
But, if you’re looking to be bougie but on a friendlier budget, skip the hotel stay and instead stick to the rest of our suggestions below. There’s no place like home, right?
The first suggestion is an obvious, but necessary, one. While some of you might have the beach integrated as a part of your daily routine, we know better than most that life gets in the way, and even if you live a few miles from the beach, it can be hard to get there and truly relax between snowbird season and windy winters.
A staycation is your chance to soak in the beach parks in a way you haven’t before. Go ahead and leave the chairs at home. Nothing says luxury like having your beach chairs and towels set up for you and Oceanside Beach Service offers rentals at Red Reef, Spanish River, and South Beach.
If you’re more the active type, don your finest country club attire, gold watches, and designer sunglasses and mosey on up A1A to the Alan C. Alford Red Reef Family Golf Course. What’s more luxe than a tee time on the water? It is open to the public with views of the ocean as it runs parallel to the beach. The nine-hole course also offers a discount for Boca Raton residents.
After you’ve tanned or had your tee time, head over the bridge on Palmetto Park Road into Downtown Boca. You’ll pass Luff’s Fish House, a Boca Raton staple seafood restaurant. Bringing the Florida Keys to the East Coast, you’ll find a seafood lover’s dream menu here. All seating is first come, first serve, so make sure to plan ahead. Remember to ask for their signature Key Lime Pie!
Then, cruise down Camino Real Road, snap the perfect picture of the Instagram-able rows of royal palm trees, and soon you’ll see Royal Palm Place, home to several high-end restaurants and bars that will make you wish you could eat there every night.
Twenty Twenty Grille is one of our favorites, offering a one-of-a-kind, intimate dining experience (seriously intimate, there’s only a handful of tables in the restaurant) with fresh, organic produce.
Another nod to Boca’s history and Addison Mizner’s defining architecture is in the heart of Downtown Boca: Mizner Park. Filled with luxury retailers, fine dining, and twinkling lights, Mizner Park is the perfect one-stop shop for all things bougie that you’ll need on your staycation (or to just treat yourself!).
Stop at Bluemercury for a three-figure, but oh-so-worth it, moisturizer that will last for weeks and remind you of daily luxury. Tommy Bahama will have the perfect button-up … even for the husband with no sense of style, and Cotton Natural has a whole store of resort wear made of cotton, the standard in breathable and beachy fabrics.
While you’re in Mizner Park, you’ll want to stop into Kapow! Whether you’re there on a weekday for happy hour or a weekend for brunch, you won’t regret ordering for the table and trying a bite of everything.
For decadence most of us will never be able to afford, The Boca Raton Museum of Art is just around the corner, packed with the rich culture and history of the city — for window shopping purposes. Tickets are free for children under the age of 18, and they’re only $16 for adults.
So, rather than spend hundreds of dollars on travel expenses, spend some time in a city that elite New Yorkers only get to vacation in. Everyone can use a day to be bougie; at least, that’s what we believe, and where better to be bougie than Boca.
