Inside The Colony – the Palm Beach hotel adored by royals and presidents

For seventy-five years, The Colony Hotel in Palm Beach has played colorful host to an array of royals, presidents, billionaires, movie stars, and Pucci-clad socialites.

And like many of the big ladies now lazing sensibly in the shade at poolside restaurant Swifty’s, this one has enjoyed a subtle, cosmetic refresh.

At the end of last year, the hotel’s 89 luxurious rooms and suites underwent a makeover; Matouk linens, Assouline coffee table books and Dyson hair dryers can be expected in the new, oh-so-chic rooms, all of which shoot out from hallways lined with the same shocking pink palm-print carpet.

The lobby is a loud yet sophisticated cocktail of pale pink, lime green, leopards, palms, stripes and oyster-shaped chairs – the special brand of stylish that can only be achieved on a budget as big as the designer’s aspirations.

Refresh: The property was closed for three months last year to undergo a stylish renovation

Fancy a dip? Candy-colored lounge chairs and scalloped umbrellas await poolside sunbathers

Upon arrival, guests are greeted with chilled Evian or champagne.

The biggest prize is undoubtedly a spot on the nearby beach

Cocktail hour is a predictable mish-mash of elegant classics, though martinis and rosé seem to be crowd pleasers.

In the stifling summer months, Swifty’s offers a comfortable indoor retreat with brightly upholstered loveseats and armchairs. In the spring, dining in the outdoor ‘hanging garden’ is a delight.

During the day, the poolside atmosphere is sophisticated yet cheerful.

But the biggest prize is undoubtedly a spot on the nearby beach.

With no effort at all, a beach butler dressed in a bubble gum pink shirt will shuttle guests in the palm-print golf cart and get them ready for the day.

The colony’s enduring elegance is such that the Duke and Duchess of Windsor made it their ‘home away from home’.

Sophie Loren, Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, Lena Horne, and John Lennon were all regulars at one time, and President John F. Kennedy was also a guest while in office.

Enter: A colorful yet elegant lobby greets guests upon arrival

Home from home: This Florida getaway is so beloved that the Duke and Duchess of Winsdor were known to spend months there. Above, a renovated junior suite

Built in the post-war construction boom of the 1940s, the candy-colored paradise is as much a part of the luxurious, local fabric as the adjacent Worth Avenue and periwinkle surf.

While working for Vogue, iconic British photographer Cecil Beaton described his Palm Beach schedule as follows.

‘Tennis, swimming, lunch. Golf, drinks, dinner. The patio. from Bradley. Bed. Tennis, swimming, lunch. Golf, drinks, dinner. The cinema. The colony. from Bradley. Bed. Tennis, swimming, lunch. Fishing, drinks, dinner. and so forth.’

There is perhaps no better way to describe this unique, charming hotel and its ubiquity in one of America’s most highly paid – and storied – beach towns.