Shortly after being purchased by Oracle software billionaire Larry Ellison for $277.391 million, the Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa in Manalapan – the affluent town south of Palm Beach – was named one of the best waterfront hotels in America by USA Today on Wednesday.
Ranked fifth out of 10 waterfront hotels and restaurants in USA Today’s 10Best travel and lifestyle awards program, the 7-acre Eau Palm Beach “offers breathtaking ocean views” and an “elegant atmosphere that is both inviting and serene,” according to 10Best editors.
They add that guests at the resort can “enjoy the ultimate relaxation while lounging by two oceanfront pools or dining at on-site restaurants with breathtaking views.”
Other renowned waterfront hotels include the Chatham Bars Inn in Chatham, Massachusetts (No. 1), the Acqualina Resort & Residences in Sunny Isles Beach (No. 2), and the Grand Hotel Golf Resort & Spa in Point Clear, Alabama (3).
Eau is the only award winner in Palm Beach County; the list can be viewed at www.10best.usatoday.com/awards/travel/best-waterfront-hotel-resort-2024/.
A panel of experts and editors will be involved in selecting the 10Best nominees and will then nominate the winners for the Readers’ Choice Awards, where readers can then vote.
The national recognition by 10Best is an “honor,” Eau CEO Tim Nardi told the Daily News on Thursday. The Daily News is owned by Gannett, the publisher of USA Today.
The award “reflects our commitment to providing our guests with an unparalleled luxury experience,” Nardi said. “Being named fifth among such distinguished companies reinforces our commitment to creating a sanctuary where relaxation and rejuvenation meet the beauty of Palm Beach.”
In addition to its 40,000-square-foot spa, Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa at 100 S. Ocean Blvd. features three tennis courts, two pools, over 30,000 square feet of meeting/event space and activity centers for young children and teens.
The property, which was modernized and expanded as part of a multi-million dollar transformation in 2022, features eight dining options, including Polpo Palm Beach, the sister venue to Polpo in Greenwich, Connecticut.
The Forbes Travel Guide has awarded Eau and its spa the highest rating – five stars – for ten years in a row.
At the beginning of the month, Eau changed ownership.
As the Daily News reported, the price Ellison paid for Eau may have been higher because prices recorded in Palm Beach County District Court sometimes do not reflect all of the costs associated with completing a real estate purchase.
Ellison, who also owns the largest residential estate in Manalapan and other luxury properties in the country, purchased the 300-plus room Manalapan resort from Zinfandel Holdings, a Delaware-based limited liability company affiliated with the Lewis Trust Group.
Eau’s history as a resort hotel dates back to the early 1990s, when the property, formerly home to a private club, opened as The Ritz-Carlton Palm Beach.
Since the name Eau Palm Beach was adopted in 2013, it has been regularly expanded with improvements and new amenities.
