St. Regis Sabbatical

Why you need to book a stay at The St. Regis Bal Harbour. Now.

If I could create the resort of my dreams, I think it would be The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort. I’d seen photos of the resort’s majestic mirrored entrance and glass towers with sweeping ocean views before my arrival and was prepared to be stunned. But no photo did justice to the moment when I saw the resort in person. I actually had to catch my breath. In fact, the awe-inspiring moments during my stay never stopped. Some highlights:

Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s J&G Grill

One of three restaurants at the St. Regis, J&G Grill is a gem. The black truffle dishes are divine (I still think about both the black truffle pizza and cheese fritters), and the salted caramel ice cream sundae (with peanuts, popcorn and chocolate sauce) is the perfect combo of salty and sweet.



Ocean views in every room

Ocean views in every room

Perched directly on the Bal Harbour beach, the St. Regis is designed with a feature found at no other hotel in South Florida: All 243 rooms have a view of the Atlantic Ocean.



Tech Talk

Tech Talk

My favorite features: the window curtains operated by remote control, a TV built into the mirror in the bathroom, and smart keys for the elevator that are programmed to take you directly to your floor – no need to press any elevator buttons.



Boot camp on the beach

Boot camp on the beach

Celebrity fitness trainers Tracie Wright Vlaun and Christopher Vlaun teach boot camp and yoga classes by the beach, and they also offer private fitness sessions. No need to bring a water bottle or yoga mat; the Vlauns have this all set up for you. But be warned: this coaching pair will keep you sweating for the entire fitness session.



Customized sports massages

Customized sports massages

The Remède Spa’s Royal Muscle Rejuvenation is by far the most unique massage I’ve ever had. The massage utilizes an herbal poultice in a centuries-old Thai practice that was once used to treat wounded soldiers. (This is the perfect treatment after a few hard-core fitness sessions with the Vlauns.) The spa itself is an extension of the resort, designed brilliantly by award-winning design firm Yabu Pushelberg.



Butler service

Butler service

The St. Regis brand is known for this feature, but I was still amazed at my personal butler’s ability to make anything I wanted happen. From ironing to private dining, my butler was ready whenever I needed him – even for a run to the drugstore when I forgot my contact lens case. My butler’s attentiveness matched the way I was treated everywhere I went in the resort, from the spa to my fitness session with the Vlauns to dinner at J&G Grill: I always felt I was being taken care of.

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