FLIGHT PLAN
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THE ELEPHANT ON THE ISLAND
Nantucket cements its connection to Palm Beach with the recent opening of the new White Elephant Palm Beach. Less than six months old, the new White Elephant Palm Beach debuted in Palm Beach during an auspicious time, to say the least. However, even with COVID-19 affecting travel, the demand for Palm Beach has remained steadfast and thus the hotel and its 32 completely rebuilt suites have enjoyed continual occupancy since opening. It doesn’t hurt that in house restaurant, Lola 41—another Nantucket transplant, which opened prior to the hotel—is a total hit with the locals ensuring a buzzy vibe. The historic building, formerly the Bradley Park Hotel, was taken down to the studs and thoughtfully redesigned by Boston-based architecture firm, Elkus Manfredi whose credits include the Peninsula Chicago. The design is meant to evoke that of a private home—albeit a grand one—with a contemporary interpretation of the historic Mediterranean Revival architecture and a neutral color palette with sleek metal accents, Carrara marble, rattan-covered light fixtures and bronze elephant door knockers. The Mizner-style facade is painted a cream color accented by classic black-and-white striped awnings. Like the Nantucket property, the White Elephant Palm Beach welcomes guests onto property with a seven-foot white elephant statue by Santa Fe-based artist Fredrick Prescott. The statue is just one of the 130 original pieces of modern and pop art selected by the owners, New England Land Development and the design team, Elkus Manfredi. General Manager, Bernhard Duerrmeier, previously of Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, loves sharing the details of the art collection with the guests, especially the pieces that were commissioned specifically for the property including a piece titled ‘Lady of the House’ by Orit Fuchs, which serves as a focal point in the lobby and 32 exclusive artworks by Doodle Boy, a 11-year-old British artist, where each piece features a hidden elephant. In addition to spacious guest suites, there are two penthouse suites, well-suited to long-term guests with large living rooms, fully equipped kitchens and sweeping terraces with views of Bradley Park. According to Bernhard, the two penthouses are a fantastic option for families and multi-generational travel. As he explains, “Families don’t need to worry about packing necessities like pack-n-plays or beach toys—we have it all.” In addition to eschewing the traditional pink and green décor palette of the island, the White Elephant Palm Beach also presents a more contemporary mindset towards guest relations, allowing the guests to dictate their schedule between complimentary access to a fleet of BMW cars, an exclusive partnership with Barton & Gray’s Hinckley picnic boats and a beach shuttle with no set schedule simply at the guests’ whim. LEARN MORE
whitelephantpalmbeach.com WINTER DIGITAL 2021 | PAGE 7
