The Spa at The Breakers encompasses 20,000 serene square feet at The Breakers Palm Beach, an historic oceanfront resort that opened its luxurious doors in 1896. Its current reincarnation debuted in the late 1920s, after a second fire destroyed the wooden beachfront hotel. To this day, it continues to be a posh winter retreat. The family-owned property is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and invests $30 million annually for maintenance, restoration, and improvements.
A peek into the nail salon
A shaded walkway leads to the seafront spa with its gracious reception and retail area and spacious hair and nail salon. Calming lights, music, and wafts of aromatherapy prevail in lounges decorated in white, cream, sand, and silver and accented by blue mosaic tiles. The soothing color palette continues throughout roomy locker rooms, a wet room with pebble-tiled floors, steam shower, ice fountain, and steam bath. Among the 17 tranquil treatment rooms, one of the two Couple’s Suites in the Ladies spa boasts an en suite steam shower and a window wall facing the enclosed Outdoor Courtyard.
This secluded co-ed garden terrace is bordered by a stunning pergola; verdant bushes separate it from The Breaker’s Beach Club, where four beachside pools, whirlpools, restaurants, and bungalows are reserved for hotel guests. This oasis is centered by a long, fountain-fed, two-foot-deep water feature surrounded by comfy white couches and chaise lounges and reached through private lounges, where fresh fruits and drinks are available.
A Lovely Spa Menu Featuring Luxury Spa Brands
During my first spa visit here in 2016—not long after renowned spa designer, Sylvia Sepielli, completed the renovation working along with Peacock + Lewis Architects and landscape architect Gregory Lombardi Design—I experienced a Tammy Fender facial. On my most recent visit, in February of this year, I experienced a newly introduced Tata Harper Skincare facial during my second stay at the recently updated Flagler Club. This private 21-room boutique “hotel-within-a-hotel” atop The Breakers was recently refurbished by New York City-based Tihany Design.
Tata Harper, the farm-to-face pioneer, founded the company because she couldn’t find 100 percent natural products that met her standards of efficacy, quality, and purity. Tata Harper Skincare services specialize in using high-performing products that incorporate non-GMO plants, some grown on her family’s 120-acre organic farm in Vermont. The owner notes, “Our brand features hyper-potent, one-hundred-percent natural and nontoxic products, delivering a custom, targeted service for each guest with unparalleled results. We deliver real results without the use of synthetic chemicals.”
The Spa recently added Tata Harper services to its menu.
Alli Fritz, a superb esthetician, explained to me that there are three variants for Tata Harper’s high-performing Supernaturals line, and she chooses the best one for each individual, after a client’s complexion analysis. For my sensitive skin, Alli primarily used products from the Superkind line and started with aromatherapy using Tata Harper’s Unwind Elixir. Next, she applied the Nourishing Oil Cleanser to remove makeup, SPF, and sweat; then, she followed that with a series of Superkind products: Softening Cleanser, Refining Cleanser (the exfoliant), Bio-Barrier Serum, Bio-Barrier Eye Crème, and Fortifying Moisturizer. Alli decided that the Clarifying mask—which contains salicylic and lactic acids—would be best to assist with clearing the pores in my nose. After the extractions, she applied a toner: Tata Harper Hydrating Floral Essence and used the Hydrating Floral Mask for the rest of the face, neck, and décolleté. The 50-minute-long sensory escape included a restorative, circulation-boosting hand, shoulder, neck, scalp, and décolleté massage as well as a facial massage.
I felt radiant after the over-the-top session.
The myriad of choices on the spa treatment menu includes results-driven Guerlain facials, among which the 80-minute Guerlain Black Orchid Treatment incorporates a Peruvian black orchid that blooms once a year and is claimed to be more potent than other orchid species. The Guerlain treatments at the spa complement the Guerlain cosmetics and perfumes available at the recently reimagined Guerlain Boutique at The Breakers, which has a 25-year history at the hotel.
My daughter Sharon chose a luxe manicure at a large, curved table centered within the hair and nail salon and a pedicure on a throne, which features Osea’s Salts of the Earth Scrub. During our stay, she worked out in the 6,000-square-foot Ocean Fitness Center above the spa, where yoga sessions take place on an outdoor terrace facing the Atlantic. Each morning, we walked together, along the oceanfront beach or the IntraCoastal Waterway; others biked, played golf or tennis.
The Spa at The Breakers, an alluring retreat within a luxe AAA Five Diamond resort, offers an abundance of healthful activities, stylish shops, and numerous restaurants, including one devoted to seafood. Non-resident guests are welcome to book appointments from Monday through Thursday, with one caveat: there are occasional black-out dates.
Irvina Lew
Irvina Lew is an award-winning freelance contributor to a variety of travel books, lifestyle magazines, and websites. As a dedicated spa aficionado, the Long Island, New York native has been introducing readers to the world’s best spa venues and experiences for decades. A Travel Classic alumnus, Lew is a member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors and the Society of American Travel Writers. Readers can find many of her published pieces posted on her website: irvinalew.com and by following @sipsupstayspa.