We had visited Destin in June and there were a couple travel changes when flying but for the most part not too different than usual. However, when we flew to Florida in July it was very strange. I felt like we were on the Walking Dead. Our departing airport was empty, our flight was practically empty and when we landed in Fort Lauderdale we only saw a handful of people.
When we flew in June masks were provided but not required on the flight. Only about half of the people on the plane wore them. This time everyone was required to wear a mask for the whole flight. Allegiant did a great job again and we will continue to fly with them.
We tried TURO for the first time to rent a car. It was a great experience. The car was waiting for us in the parking garage. Then when we were returning we just left the car in the same place in the parking garage. It was a great service in times of a pandemic when you are limiting your contact with other people. I would recommend!
The Resort
We have stayed at the Waldorf Boca Raton Resort a couple times in the past. However, this was our first time staying at the Boca Raton Beach Club and I hope it is not our last! The Waldorf Boca Raton is a great historic property. On the other hand the Beach Club is more modern. When you stay at the Beach Club, you still have access to the Waldorf Boca Resort. For us, it meant the best of both worlds.
We felt like royalty as we walked into the hotel with staff waiting for us and greeting us by name. We could have been the only people checking in that day for all I know. It was a ghost town. Upon arrival we all had our temperature checked. Then you get the option of how you would like to proceed with maid service. We choose just to receive a daily restock of towels and coffee. Masks were required inside but not outside. They had hand santizer stations through-out the property as well as self temperature check machines. Since the property was fairly empty anyway, we felt extremely safe even though we were considered to be in a ‘hot zone’.
The Room
After our warm welcome, we were pleasantly surprised to find we were upgraded! We had the most magnificent view. We had a wall that was a huge window overlooking the pool and ocean. We could open it and hear the waves crashing. This may have been the best hotel room we have ever stayed in for that reason!
The bathroom had double sinks which I loved! Plus it had a bath tub which is great for the kids. We had a Keurig machine and small refrigerator. We received free bottles of water daily.
Pools
At the beach club there are 3 pools. There is an adult-only pool, a zero entry pool, and the main pool. Again, we were extremely lucky that not many people were there and we had the pick of chairs. There was an attendant station where someone that would walk you to your chairs, provide you bottles of water and get you set up with plenty of towels. Then there were servers that came around to take food and drink orders. All of these staff members wore masks. They all provided exceptional service!
At the main resort, there is one big pool and the Flow Rider. This year they were offering free sessions on the Flow Rider to say thank you to guests. That was an awesome surprise! We ate lunch at the bar there and it was a great atmosphere and delicious.
The Beach
The weather wasn’t the best while we were there. A couple days the ocean was rough and had strong rip currents. It rained a lot early in the day there so we had some lazy and relaxed mornings. Then we would go for a walk on the beach after the rain cleared and usually by the time we got back the sun was out and we would go swimming.
They have attendants on the beach as well. Drinks and food are served at the beach. You can also rent the shade beds which are nice and comfy! Needless to say bring change to tip the pool and beach staff members.
The kids would find coconuts on the beach everyday and had so much fun trying to break them open. I enjoyed searching for the perfect sea shells. There was a jetty at the end of the beach where we would find all sorts of marine life. We would just sit on the rocks and watch the waves and crabs.
Food
Due to Covid, some of the restaurants were closed. This didn’t really bother us. We would order room service for Breakfast, eat lunch at the pool, and then ate dinner at the main lobby restaurant each evening. I guess we are creatures of habit but the staff was so amazing and accomodating to us that we wanted to give them our business.
They remembered us and each night at dinner and would chat up the kids. They would spoil the kids and pretty much make them anything they wanted. They often followed up dinner with huge bowls of ice cream. We sat outside on the patio overlooking the pool and ocean. It was the best dinner view! There also happened to be a resident iguana that lived out there so that was entertaining to the kids.
There were more resturants at the main hotel but we had eaten plenty at those places in the past so we didn’t venture over there. Normally they have an amazing breakfast buffet; but unfortunately it wasn’t open due to Covid. Luckily the kids favorite little shop was open called Serendipity. They have such items as breakfast pastries, ice cream, snacks, and candy.
Conclusion
This is our home away from home. We feel some comfortable at this place and I can’t really explain why. I wasn’t sure if we would be able to afford to come back. However, the price was almost half of what it normally would be during the summer. We had a fantastic travel agent that snagged us a fantastic deal. The main cost was food since we splurged and ate every meal at the hotel. You could easily choose to go outside the resort to save money. There are plenty of restaurants close by and there is a Publix as well.
On a side note, usually there is a shuttle and water taxi that go between resorts for guests. However, they were closed due to the new restrictions. It worked out fine for us because we had a car. Since the resorts are not within walking distance of eachother you will want to call ahead and see if the shuttles are running. If not, you may want to consider a car rental or it would be easy enough to just use a service such as Uber or Lyft as well.
Staying at the beach club for the first time was a great experience. We loved the convenience of being able to be so close to the pools and the beach. I love the historic feel of the main resort but there is something about having the ocean out your window that is so peaceful. I never would have thought one of our best vacations ever would be during a pandemic!
Check out the Boca Beach Club website here. You can also view information from our previous visits to the main resort here. It is important to note that these are Hilton Hotels so you do get points and can use points as well. We saved money by going through Heidi at Dream Vacation Hunters. I highly recommend her!
Follow along on instagram to see some more adventures!
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