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Florida


showcases fabulous early 20th-century art,


architecture and antiques in a magnificent estate setting. Miami, Naples and Palm Beach are all


obvious choices when looking for true Floridian luxury, but one relatively new contender in this pantheon of opulence is the city of Tampa, which is rapidly making a name for itself in five-star terms. Just an hour west of Orlando, Tampa has


elbowed its way into the conversation with hotels such as the Innisbrook Golf & Spa Resort and the new Le Meridien, a conversion of the old Federal Courthouse and on the National Register of Historic Places. The shopping is equally distinctive at the


International Plaza and Hyde Park Village, while five-star dining is increasingly on the menu, notably with steakhouses like Fleming’s, Malio’s and the superb old-school charm of Bern’s Steak House (jacket and tie required), a local institution since 1956 and with one of the largest wine collections in the world, featuring more than 7,000 vintages. Finally, as a memo to all true foodies, Florida


boasts three Five Diamond-rated restaurants, all found in suitably upmarket hotels. Notably these include the modern French


cuisine of award-winning chef Gregory Pugin of the Palm D’Or at the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables in Miami; the organic farm-to-table


How to book it North America Travel Service’s Florida Favourites 14-night fly drive, starting in Orlando and ending in Miami, costs from £2,375pp (based on two sharing) including flights. Hotel stays include Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, Longboat Key Club & Resort, La Playa Beach & Golf Resort, Hyatt Key West Resort & Spa, Cheeca Lodge & Spa and the Loews Miami Beach Hotel. Tel: 0113 246 1466, northamericatravelservice.co.uk


offerings of Salt, at the Ritz-Carlton in Fernandina Beach; and the grandiose adults-only choice of Victoria & Albert’s inside the Grand Floridian Resort at Walt Disney World, Orlando, where the new Four Seasons is also the latest to earn the Five Diamond hotel award. It all adds up to an outstanding array of


luxury options in the Sunshine State and proves that Flagler really knew what he was doing all those years ago…


Pictured 1. Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa 2. Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort 3. Acqualina Resort & Spa 4. Naples beach scene 5. Vizcaya Museum and Gardens


68  TTGLUXURY.COM  SUMMER 2015  DESTINATIONS


The Breakers Dating back to 1896 and built by oil and railroad tycoon Henry Flagler, this 140-acre paragon to all things stately is arguably the most remarkable hotel in America for its grand design, immaculate service and amazing history, with the original main wooden building having burnt down twice before being rebuilt in stone, concrete and marble in 1926. The cathedral-like lobby


features ceiling designs by classical painters from Florence, and the ornate public rooms are beacons of Italianate design, with opulent light fittings, tapestries and antiques. Rooms are all equally


lavish and formal, albeit with mod cons like flatscreen TVs, walk-in showers and Wi-Fi, while the facilities include four ocean-front pools, a huge spa, eight restaurants, shopping arcade, a new fitness centre, beachside bungalows and two golf courses. Needless to say, it is on the National Register of Historic Places and is a true Floridian treasure. Rooms start from $349pn, room-only. Tel: 00 1 561 659 844 thebreakers.com


Bill Sumner


Tried&Tested


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