Boca Beach Club and What I Really Packed For Spring Break!

After our Fall and Winter we really wanted to get away for a proper Spring Break. We needed some sunshine and some relaxation and not much else. But where to go?

We rely heavily on Bermuda for getaways (why wouldn’t we!) but a friend recommended The Boca Beach Club, a Waldorf Astoria Hotel, when we couldn’t find anything else that peaked our interest.  Amazingly they had availability and the flights into West Palm Beach weren’t astronomical when we went to book… only two weeks ahead. Sold.

What was appealing about the property is it is actually three hotels under one umbrella. You have access to the restaurants and activities at all three resorts that are a short shuttle ride away. This also means there is a great range of pricing to stay there. Efficiency suites all the way up to the penthouse, it makes it easy for a family vacation, there were many large family gatherings while we were there.

The main hotel, Boca Raton Resort, originally designed by Addison Mizner as The Cloister Inn, is modeled after a Spanish castle.  The space still has the charm and the grandeur of the 20’s particularly the Palm Court which is great place to sit and have a drink at night after dinner at Lucca.

The Beach Club, where we stayed, is right on the beach… the view is lovely. (See above. Photo http://www.bocaresort.com.)  The hotel itself is clean and current, or as my kids described it, “very fancy” with extremely comfortable rooms. Nice sheets, big bathroom, you know, the important things.

There were three pools on our property, one “adults only” and two family pools- one with a zero edge which we preferred as it was a little quieter and the kids a little younger. All pools had a path that lead straight down to the beach where the shell collecting was excellent.

 

They have a well appointed gym complete with Orangetheory classes, as well as many other fitness classes offered throughout the day at the multiple hotels.

They also had a kids club… with an arcade. They had several camp options, and you received a complimentary 2 hour window in the kids club for your kids to be dropped off. Also, on Saturday nights they offer parents night out where you can drop your kids for a small fee and they get dinner and arcade time (also a mini movie set up) while you dine on property.

They have golf, tennis, paddle boarding, boat rentals, shopping… they even have a wave pool with surfing lessons! You won’t (can NOT!) be bored.

Now… the food! There are 13 restaurants & bars spread out through the properties which meant plenty of dining options. I was so impressed with how they handled food allergies. Upon check-in they provide you with an “allergy card” that you fill out and hand to your server any time you dine. They were beyond accommodating to make sure our meals were perfect and often made custom meals. The breakfast buffet was also complete with a full gluten free table! Our favorites were The Sea Grille, which is where we had the Boca Heat (amazing!), Beaches for the BEST GF fries, Serendipity (calling all New Yorkers!) for the Frozen Hot Chocolate, and The Blue for Happy Hour with the most amazing view of the Intercoastal Waterway.

I wish I had more photos of my own to show you, but my phone really didn’t come out of my bag often… it was that relaxing. Needless to say, we will be back Boca!

Now… what I really ended up packing! Not exactly everything that was in my Packing For Spring Break post, but you never know what’s really going to work!

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1. J. Crew White Denim Shift Dress – I adore this dress. It is so flattering and comfortable, dresses down for day with flip flops and up at night with sandals and a pretty necklace! A must have for summer!
2. Ulla Johnson Tala Tote – I am obsessed with this bag and can’t wait to bring it back out for summer. It was the perfect tote for hauling sunscreen to the pool and coloring books and notepads to dinner! The woven leather straps are my favorite part!
3. Roberta Roller Rabbit Cover Up – My favorite cover up EVER!
4. Becca West Village One Piece – This bathing suit was a little outside my comfort zone so I am not even sure what possessed me to try it own but it is SO FLATTERING.
5. Vince French Terry Short – I love a good pull on short. These look darling with a shirt tucked in a bit at the front. Either this tee (#6) or this tank (#8).
6. Lululemon Love Crew III – Perfect basic t-shirt. It has washed very well and always looks crisp.
7. TOMS Viv Sandal – I need to buy a second pair of these in another color. I wear them ALL THE TIME.
8. Sundry Falling Stars V Neck Tank – Perfect little tank, great with shorts! (I love all Sundry!)
9. Athleta Farallon Short – Great short for exploring.
10. Eric Javits Hampton Straw Sun Hat– Best sun hat ever! And it’s pack-able (aka: crush proof!) so it is a must have on all sunny vacations!
11. Athleta Camo Print Mesh Racer Short – I did manage to squeeze in a few workouts! (I wore my sneakers on the plane down so I didn’t have to pack them!)
12. Gap Breathe Racerback Tank – My favorite work out tank.
13. Elan Maxi Dress – I actually don’t have this, but I always travel with a black maxi. This one is super cute with the halter neckline!
14. Reef Ginger Flip Flop – From the beach back to the pool this simple black flip flop can even work at night in a pinch!
15. Lizzie Fortunato Fortune Necklace – A fun statement necklace to dress up your basic dresses for dinner.
16. J.Crew Pajamas – Best pajamas ever. Perfect for movie nights in the hotel room after dinner!
17. Beach Bum Sunscreen – Last but certainly not least, sunscreen. We actually needed to buy more down there because the Florida sun was SO HOT we were applying constantly. Beach Bum worked great!

We have traveled a lot with the kids this year, whether by plane or car I always tuck in some small toys to entertain while traveling or more importantly at a restaurant table. A friend of mine up in Rhode Island makes the most darling little zip pouches that I corral everything in- she doesn’t have an ecommerce yet, but when she does I will let you all know!

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1. Magnatile Qubix – Like it’s parent toy, Magnatile, these magnetic cubes provide hours of building entertainment. I have two sets of these (they are small) and they are awesome!
2. Metal Nanofigs – my kids are OBSESSED with these little metal figures. Tiny little action figures to keep their imaginations moving. So many options from Disney to Harry Potter to X-Men, there is a favorite character group for everyone.
3. Crayola Colored Pencils – I stick with pencils because you can’t lose the marker cap on the airplane or accidently get marker on the table cloth, bed sheets, white button down shirt etc… and they don’t melt like crayons!
4. Melissa & Doug Mini Sketch Pad – Small enough it fits right in that Ulla Johnson bag above and the spiral is key for ease.
5. Lego Sticker Book – I always find a new sticker/activity book or two- perfect “waiting at the airport to board” activity!
6. Where The Wild Things Are Zip Pouch – As I said above, the pouches are key. I love my friend Julie’s pouches but these would work well too!
7. iSuperb Pencil Case – The boxiness of this works great for the cubes and metal figures!
8. Iota – Teeny card game that is great for older kids!