One of the things I love about living in The Palm Beaches is the access to art. When my kids were younger, we’d spend rainy days at the Norton Museum of Art or the Boca Raton Museum of Art. When the weather was a bit cooler, we enjoyed the outdoor art at Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens and explored the murals around Lake Worth Beach.

Kx2, Waves Shelf Break, courtesy of The Sponder Gallery

However, as an avid hotel-goer, one of my favorite ways to experience art in Palm Beach County is at the various hotels and resorts nearby. From Boca Raton to Palm Beach, here are three of my favorite hotels in Palm Beach County where you can see art in the wild.

The Boca Raton

The largest resort in Boca Raton, The Boca Raton, is a sprawling property with nearly a century of history. Established in 1926, the resort has five different hotel properties and a popular beach club. Another unique amenity is the hotel’s on-site gallery, The Sponder Gallery at The Boca Raton, which opened in 2009. The gallery is available to hotel guests from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day and is also open to the public by appointment.

Jane Manus, Speaker of the House, courtesy of The Sponder Gallery

The hotel gallery includes the works of several South Florida artists, including Ruth Avra and Dana Kleinman, who go by Kx2. This sister duo creates stunning three-dimensional art installations using a unique blend of metal and paint that resembles colorful sets of paint pots. To raise awareness of environmental concerns, their art often incorporates recycled and salvaged materials,

Guests can also see the work of Jane Manus, a West Palm Beach-based artist specializing in abstract geometric metal sculptures. Manus uses aluminum to create striking pieces (often painted in saturated colors like red, blue, and orange) that seem to move as you walk around them.

Hilton West Palm Beach

 

Galley Restaurant, Hilton West Palm Beach

The Hilton West Palm Beach is popular with travelers and locals who want to stay close to everything. The hotel is adjacent to the Palm Beach County Convention Center, across the street from the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, and just steps from the shopping and dining at CityPlace. The hotel’s casual grill house and bar, Galley, is one of my favorite places for weekend brunch, and on Sundays, the hotel hosts daytime entertainment on the pool deck for hotel guests.

The Hilton West Palm Beach is also a haven for art. The artwork in the hotel’s Galley restaurant includes prints from iconic artist Ellsworth Kelly, known for his bold, abstract shapes. In the shared spaces like the lobby and hallways, guests can also find photography from Florida photographer Christina Cernick, whose work includes local Florida beachscapes.

Several more Florida artists are featured inside the hotel suites. Valerie Perreault’s relief prints of local plants adorn the walls, and Molly Aubry’s vivid abstract paintings complement the hotel’s sleek, contemporary look. The hotel’s collection of art represents the diverse landscapes of Florida while also making the hotel feel warm and welcoming.

The Colony Hotel

One of Palm Beach’s most treasured hotels, The Colony Hotel, is right around the corner from the iconic Worth Ave. The charming pink hotel dates back to 1947 and has hosted American presidents (including John F. Kennedy), international royalty, and business tycoons. When friends and family come into town, we make a beeline to the hotel’s poolside restaurant, Swifty’s, which is also a favorite of mine for date nights.

The Colony Hotel Gator Pool, Nick Mele.

Inside the hotel, the guestrooms feature retro decor, whimsical artwork, and bold patterned wallpaper. The painted ceilings and customized window shades match the bed linens, adding a touch of playful decadence. The hotel also partners with local artists, and in 2022, it welcomed Nick Mele, a Palm Beach-based lifestyle photographer, to showcase his fine photography.

Mele’s exhibition, Please Sign in All Guests, is an ode to Palm Beach’s glamorous but eccentric vibe. The photos were shot in collaboration with the hotel and include shots of a woman hanging poolside with an alligator and sunbathers in straw hats. You can see Mele’s photographs on display in some of the hotel’s guest rooms, which were recently redesigned in 2022 for the hotel’s 75th anniversary.

 

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