PBSCV1599
Gen. James Patton Anderson Camp 1599
Celebrating 34 Years 1992 - 2026
PALM BEACH HISTORIC INN - 365 SOUTH COUNTY ROAD
Properties such as The Breakers, The Brazilian Court and The Four Seasons Resort set a high standard for luxurious full-service hotel stays on the island, but some travelers seek a somewhat more down-to-earth experience when visiting.
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That there are notably few places for the more budget-conscious to stay is not so surprising, considering the wealthier demographic that has been the target market.
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Since 1923, the Palm Beach Historic Inn, 365 S. County Road, has been an exception to that rule, offering quaint and modestly priced accommodations to guests from all over the globe. Rates range from $99 for a queen room during the summer months to $329 for a suite from December to April. A breakfast buffet and light snacks are included in the daily tariff.
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But the 17-room inn was not in the best shape, physically or financially, until Alicia Grace’s family purchased the down-on-its-heels bed-and-breakfast in 2010.
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Until last fall, the previous operators continued to manage the inn. That’s when Grace, 23 and fresh out of Florida Atlantic University with a degree in psychology, stepped into the role of innkeeper, upgrading the property and upping its profile while in turn aiming to improve her family’s return on the investment.
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“I had no experience in the hospitality business before I took this on,” said Grace, who relied on the Internet for ideas on operating a successful bed-and-breakfast.
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The first order of business was aesthetic improvements, starting with fresh coats of paint for the exterior and interiors.
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“We also redid the electrical systems, added central air-conditioning and installed new key card locks throughout,” she said.
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Grace “kept it simple,” she said, in terms of redecorating.
“We bought some area rugs and purchased new beds and bedding, keeping most of the existing furniture that was in good condition, adding a few new pieces as needed.”
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Rooms also now feature Smartphone, MP3 and tablet chargers and speakers, along with flat-screen HDTVs, high-speed Internet access, blackout shades and new bath products.
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“We haven’t gone overboard,” she said. “We have just brought the rooms up to current standards and to a level that most guests have come to expect.”
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“The recent freshening up was sorely needed,” said Michael Stephen, a Wellington resident who has been a regular at the inn for 15 years. Stephen is a frequent business traveler, who often stays at the inn for a day or two during the week when he needs to get to the Palm Beach airport for an early flight.
“I like the inn’s convenient location and proximity to the airport,” he said. “It’s quaint and quiet, and has a unique charm that appeals to me.”
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Stephen is pleased with the upgrades.
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“I was actually more impressed with simple things like USB chargers in every room,” he said. “This attention to detail tells me that the new folks in charge have actually stayed in hotels and know what’s really needed and appreciated.”
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Since Grace has been on the scene, occupancy is up, she said.
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“We launched a new website, have arranged for guest parking at 150 Worth and gym privileges at Palm Beach Fitness around the corner, joined the Chamber of Commerce and met with the Convention and Visitors bureau to get the word out.
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“And we’ll continue to make improvements as we go forward.”
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The Palm Beach Post
Sun, Jul 09, 2000
Page 150
The Palm Beach Post
Sun, Jul 09, 2000
Page 150
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Historic Small Hotel sold for $1.4 million
PALM BEACH — A New York-based corporation has paid $1.4 million for the Small Hotel, a landmark at 365 S. County Road.
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The company, doing business as the Palm Beach Historic Inn, plans to renovate the 12,000-square-foot building over the next three months. The inn will have 16 hotel rooms and 8,000 square feet of commercial space for upscale retail shops, a release said.
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Built in 1923, the inn is part of a group of historic buildings near the newly renovated Town Hall. The seller, G. J. Hannon of Annapolis, Md., paid $980,000 for the building last year, according to Barbara Tolley, who handled the sale for Westchester Ltd. in Palm Beach. The sale closed Tuesday, she said.
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The Palm Beach Post
Sun, Sep 09, 2018
Page A5
By JOHN NELANDER Special to the Daily News
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Historic Inn undergoes modern upgrades $100,000 face-lift, focusing on remodeling 13 guest rooms, is expected to be completed by Veterans Day.
Palm Beach hoteliers were busy polishing things up over the summer — in some cases doing major renovations — to prepare for the upcoming season.
The Palm Beach Historic Inn joined the effort with a $100,000 "face-lift" that's expected to be completed by Veterans Day, Nov. 12. The hotel at 365 S. County Road, built in 1923, was closed for most of August. Work continued into this month as rooms were upgraded with new furniture, paint and window treatments. The inn, at the corner of Chilean Avenue, is an L-shaped structure with all of its 13 rooms on the second floor and a lobby with an entrance off a courtyard it shares with Ocean Sandwiches.
The building, which also houses Scotti's Wines & Liquors and Palm Beach Fitness, was purchased by Grace Development in 2015. The inn's interior remodeling efforts mostly amount to more of a face-lift for the hotel, as there have been no structural changes, general manager Anthony De Jacimo said.
"Because of the historical nature of the building, we can't put screens on the outside of the building, so we found a retractable screen that can be installed on the inside of the windows," he said. "People will be able to open their windows, and that's good especially for our international travelers who don't like to use the A/C."
"We're putting in new blackout shades with blinds and curtains, so we're giving the room a different feel from the way it looked before, when we had bamboo shades." "We're going from traditional lamps to hotel-style lamps with USB ports in them. We're putting a desk in every room, because that's become a functional thing for tourists on vacation."
The rooms include three with queen-sized beds, six with king-sized beds facing Chilean Avenue and four suites, which face South County Road and Town Hall. The suites were being reconfigured into one-bedroom units with an adjacent sitting room. Each room has its own decor, although De Jacimo said they stop short of being themed.
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Courtyard changes
The courtyard also will have a different look with new landscaping planned for the space. At the adjacent Ocean Sandwiches, the town recently approved four outdoor tables. Owners Michael Cohen and Suki Loutzenhiser, who also own Pastry Heaven at 375 S. County Road, have closed that location and will move the business into the sandwich shop after a summer hiatus.
"We'll combine the menus," Cohen said, and give it the Pastry Heaven name. The placement of the tables in the courtyard will be coordinated with the inn, but Cohen thinks they'll be a boost for both businesses. "People are passing; they see tables, they figure it's a place to eat. So now they're going to have somewhere to sit down, maybe with some umbrellas."
The Palm Beach Historic Inn has never seen itself as competing with the island's more storied hotels, such as The Colony, Brazilian Court or Chesterfield, De Jacimo said. Rates are as low as $119 a night off-season and $289 for a suite in-season.
"We're the most affordable option in Palm Beach. We wanted to be able to keep it that way even after the renovation," De Jacimo said. "People stay with us because of the smallness of the inn. They like the informalness of the staff.
We like to think that when people stay here, they actually have money to spend elsewhere, like on Worth Avenue. We think of ourselves as a very intricate part of the local economy." "There really is nobody else like us on the island," he added. "We're a block from the beach; we're a block from some of the best restaurants on the island. It's walkable to most things. We have a very unique vantage point here."