BOCA RATON, Fla. -- As the Boca Raton Resort & Club celebrated
its 75th anniversary on Feb. 6 before 1,000 guests in its
courtyard, the 963-room property announced a major expansion that
will include a 112-suite tower and a major health spa, both of
which will debut in the next 12 months.
During the celebration, fireworks exploded overhead while below
a formidable array of sparklers decorated a 1,000-pound cake with
pink icing.
Pink is the signature color that still adorns the original
100-room tower, called The Cloisters, that architect Addison Mizner
designed and inaugurated on Feb. 6, 1926, at a then record cost of
$1.25 million.
H. Wayne Huizenga purchased the resort in 1997 for $325 million
through his Florida Panthers Holdings (he later renamed the company
Boca Resorts).
"To many people, this resort is Florida," Huizenga told guests.
"We're proud of the role the resort and its 2,200-employees still
play today in the Boca Raton community."
Resort president Michael Glennie, who has overseen the property
since 1987, said, "We've tried to make absolutely certain that this
resort continues to be great."
Among new ventures Glennie cited was the 112-suite, eight-story
Marina Wing Hotel, set to open by early 2002, with a design
resembling a Venetian palace.
Overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway and the resort's marina,
the high-end suite accommodations will feature balconies and
personalized concierge-level services, he said.
A new 50,000-square-foot Cloister Spa, offering nearly 40
treatment suites, also will open within 12 months, Glennie said.
Its design elements will be reminiscent of Mizner's original
Cloister building.
The world-class spa, which Glennie said will fill a gap in the
resort's comprehensive facilities, will be at the northwest corner
of the Cloister building.
Meanwhile, the property late this year will open a two-story
golf clubhouse, he added, with a pro shop, locker rooms, storage
and a restaurant with an outdoor dining terrace and bar area.
Also planned, according to Catherine Dickinson, chairman
emeritus of the Boca Raton Historical Society, is the Mizner
Museum. Located at the resort, the museum will exhibit items from
the society's collection, including artifacts, furniture, paintings
and papers.
In related news, the hotel created a one-night In the Pink
Anniversary package, valid through Dec. 31, covering
accommodations, a 75-minute couples' massage, $75 in Boca Bucks for
on-site shopping and dining, a 75th anniversary commemorative gift
and a bottle of wine.
Package rates through April 30 are from $380 per night, double;
$315 from May 1 to May 24; $275 from May 25 to Sept. 30, and $315
from Oct. 1 to Dec. 20. Tax and service charges are additional.
For more information, call (888) 495-BOCA or check the major
CRSs.
A look back at property's expansions
BOCA RATON, Fla. -- Major expansions have occurred over the
years at the Boca Raton Resort & Club.
Among them was the expansion of the original Cloister wing to
338 rooms, including 49 concierge-level units tied to its Palm
Court Club.
The most visible new structure was the 26-story Tower wing,
overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway.
In 1980, the 214-room Boca Beach Club opened on a half-mile
stretch beach. In addition, the resort's Golf Villas have 120 rooms
and suites.
Over the past few years -- under the management of H. Wayne
Huizenga's Boca Resorts -- intensive development also has included
a new $12 million Tennis & Fitness Center, a $6.5 million
renovation and reconstruction of the resort's golf course, and the
Mizner Center, a $40 million meeting and conference center.