With luxe interior appointments that debuted to the public in November after a top-to-bottom renovation, Palm House hotel in Palm Beach is among the world’s “greatest places.”
That’s according to Time magazine, which March 13 released its annual list of the 100 “World’s Greatest Places,” highlighting one-of-a-kind spots and experiences.
Palm House — closed for years before reopening Nov. 26 at 160 Royal Palm Way — is the sole Florida venue in the 2025 list.
From hotels and cruises to museums, gardens, parks, art centers and monuments, the magazine’s list includes a prehistoric Native American site in Macon, Georgia; a Nintendo museum in Japan; a “ghost” whisky distillery in Scotland; and the newly restored Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France.
For Palm House, it’s an honor to be among the world’s “greatest places,” general manager, Natalie Le Clerc, told the Daily News.
“This distinction solidifies Palm House’s position on the global stage as a premier destination and is a testament to our team’s passion for delivering exceptional hospitality,” she said.
As noted by Time’s editors, guests at the extensively renovated Palm House “will find Slim Aarons photos lining corridors that lead to a secluded pool deck, complete with shell-pink sun umbrellas where cabana attendants eagerly mist Evian and wipe smudged sunglasses. An even more sequestered two-story Presidential Suite is outfitted with an immense Alaskan King bed.”
Also highlighted by Time is the hotel’s Nobu-inspired guest dining room, where blonde and coral tones complement “well-coiffed” patrons.
Numerous other worldwide hotels that earned a spot on Time’s list include New York’s famed Waldorf Astoria, set to reopen later this spring.
Each year, Time’s editorial board accepts applications for its “World’s Greatest Places” list, plus solicits nominations from its international network of correspondents and contributors. Various factors are weighed with each contender, including “relevance, innovation, impact and success,” according to Time.
Palm House, on a Royal Palm Way ocean block, underwent three years of renovation under its current owner, who in 2019 paid about $40 million for the property.
The lobby-and-bar area is decorated in pinks and greens with a vaulted ceiling, Murano-glass chandeliers and a wall installation with thousands of seashells. Beyond the dining room is an expansive pool courtyard that can be seen from many of the hotel’s 79 rooms and suites, which range in size from 340 to nearly 2,000 square feet for the presidential suite.
There’s also a poolside ballroom for events.
Before the November reopening, the hotel had not welcomed a guest in 17 years.
Prior to the 2019 sale to a new owner, it had had been mired in a tangle of issues, among them: code violations, SEC investigations and a foreclosure action, the Daily News has reported.
The owner since 2019 is an affiliate of London-based hospitality investment and management company L+R Hotels, also known as London and Regional Group Hotel Holdings. Palm House is the first U.S. hotel to be branded as part of the company’s Iconic Luxury Hotels collection, which includes, among other things, Cliveden House in Berkshire near Windsor, England.
Double-occupancy nightly room rates at Palm House start at around $1,200 in peak season and drop to $499 in the slower season, hotel officials have said.
To see the full Time magazine list, visit time.com/collections/worlds-greatest-places-2025/.
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