The Breakers is a grand Renaissance Revival hotel on the oceanfront, built in 1926 and still operating as a luxury resort. It is the most prominent building in Palm Beach and the one that best expresses the town's aspirations: Italian ceilings, twin campaniles, a half-mile of private beach, two golf courses, and service calibrated to the expectations of the very wealthy.
Non-guests can walk the public paths along the oceanfront and appreciate the exterior, which is imposing from almost any angle. The hotel lobby and ground-floor spaces are theoretically accessible, though the staff maintain clear distinctions between guests and browsers. The most enjoyable approach for a non-guest is to have a drink or a meal in one of the ground-floor restaurants, which gives legitimate access to the interior spaces, including the main loggia with its ornate painted ceilings. The hotel's history tours, run on selected days, are worth taking for those seriously interested in Palm Beach architecture and the Flagler era.