A Legendary Palm Beach Resort Reopens Its Doors

After an eight-week closure, one of America’s most storied and beloved resorts, The Breakers Palm Beach, is open again. The first returning guests on Memorial Day weekend were mostly in-state residents, especially from the South Florida tri-county area. 

With summer approaching, kids out of school, and many camp closures, families across the nation are eager to head to beaches, hotels and resorts, especially ones close to home. They yearn to re-experience the relaxation and pleasures they cherished before life was put on pause—as experts began figuring out how to prevent, mitigate and treat the coronavirus. But now, above all, travelers want to feel safe.

To protect the health of returning guests and allay anxieties about travel during a time mired by uncertainty, the entire hotel industry has had to pivot, and make health and safety the new luxury. More flexible cancellation policies are helping reassure skittish travelers. 

Facing the Covid-19 challenge

The Breakers, a grand dame hotel listed in the National Register of Historic Places, was founded in 1896 by industrialist and railroad tycoon Henry Morrison Flagler. Owned by three successive generations of Flagler descendants, the resort claims the distinction of being the longest continuously operating business in the state. Over this time, it has managed to survive fires, hurricanes, and economic downturns, continually attracting new and repeat visitors while meeting return-on-investment goals.

“We have persevered through challenging times and always come out better than before,” says Paul N. Leone, CEO of the Breakers Palm Beach. 

The family owners’ sense of optimism and commitment to the property, staff, guests and local community has never wavered. “At the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, our independent status fueled us with a deep sense of responsibility and hopefulness to reimagine our operations with a larger magnifying lens on health and safety, while preserving our unique brand of hospitality,” says Leone. 

From the time the 140-acre property shuttered in March, hotel management was focused on reopening, closely monitored policies evolving at all levels of government, as well as health and safety guidelines emerging from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA), and the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association (FRLA).

They also examined protocols proposed by major hotel chains, like Marriott and Four Seasons while senior leadership reviewed every aspect of hotel operations to see what changes had to be made..

What guests can expect at The Breakers

One outcome of this effort was the creation of a comprehensive, 16-page manual outlining the hotel’s health and safety practices (posted on the hotel website). Here are some of the changes guests can expect:

Prior to arrival

• Guests are provided with a Guest Health Attestation (GHA). The document asks them to affirm that they (or anyone else in their party) are not infected, are currently not experiencing or displaying symptoms, or have not shown symptoms of Covid-19 in the last 14 days.
• At the Security Guardhouse, guests are offered the option of self-parking or using valet service. Valet attendants won’t open car doors, unless asked to.
• Luggage assistance is provided only upon request, on bell carts that are cleaned and disinfected after each use.

At the resort

• The presence of signage, hand sanitizer stations, and no-touch waste disposals continually reinforce health messaging and healthy behaviors, for both guests and staff.
• Touchless transactions, using email, cell phone and texts, have been implemented throughout the guest experience.
• Glass partitions have been added to front desks and all other workstations to separate receptionists and guests. Guests receive one-time-use room keys.
• Elevators are limited to one family or party at a time, with frequent cleaning and disinfection of buttons. 
• All overnight hotel guests are provided with a complimentary hygiene kit with hand sanitizer, facial tissues, and disinfecting wipes and spray. 
• Guests are not required to wear masks or cloth face coverings but are encouraged to do so in public areas, where appropriate. 
• Restaurant seating, beach and pool chairs. and other amenities are arranged to provide appropriate distancing.
• If a presumptive case of covid-19 should occur, guests will be isolated in their rooms; receive medical attention, as needed; and await departure transportation. The guest room will be removed from service, quarantined and thoroughly disinfected before further use.

Staff policies 

• Employees are screened daily for COVID-19 symptoms and temperatures over 100.4F. Anyone with a fever isn’t allowed to enter the property and be directed to appropriate medical care. 
• Employees have been instructed about the importance of proper hygiene and frequent handwashing and will be reminded of physical distancing.
• Appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is worn by all employees, based on their role and responsibilities and in adherence with state and local guidelines. 
• Every employee has been issued multiple cloth face coverings and is required to wear them when physical distancing is not possible.

Cleaning protocols

• Prior to Covid-19, operational practices at The Breakers already adhered to EPA guidelines. But now, using a combination of ionization and UV-light technology, the resort has increased the frequency of cleaning heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, 
• Electrostatic spray disinfectant technology has been added to the existing use of EPA-approved antimicrobial and surface disinfectants (including hydrogen peroxide, alcohol and bleach-based solutions).
• Guest rooms cleaning and disinfecting procedures pay special attention to high-touch items, such as doors, furniture handles and pulls, nightstands, toilet seats and handles, telephone, thermostats, light switches, TV remotes, alarm clocks, luggage racks, safe keypads, carpets and flooring.
• The frequency of housekeeping services is at guest discretion; housekeepers wear cloth face coverings, disposable gloves and protective shoe coverings.
• Bed linens and towels continue to be washed at high temperatures.

Food and beverage service

• The Breakers is one of only a few hotels in the U.S. that already had a dedicated Food Safety Manager, now employed full-time to oversee food production, safety and sanitation in restaurants, banquets and in-room dining.
• Seating capacities at restaurants and bars has been reduced in compliance with government mandates.
• Other modifications include the suspension of buffet and self-serve food options and a switch to single-use containers for condiments and sugar, individually portioned bar snacks, single-use menus, and appropriate physical distancing. 
• In-room dining, ordered by phone or text, is delivered outside the guest room door, either with plate covers or sealed with tamper-proof stickers.

Other resort amenities

• Precautions have been put in place to allow individual golf and tennis lessons to continue. 
• The Breakers Spa is open for salon and nail services (using face coverings and gloves, as necessary) and the Ocean Fitness facility is open daily for workouts and personal training—along with offerings of outdoor fitness classes, such as cycling and water aerobics.
• Some club operations are still being phased in; facial and body treatments will be added in the next phase.

Challenges facing the hospitality industry

On March 24, the Governor of Florida issued an executive order requiring all individuals from the New York tristate region (Connecticut, New Jersey and New York) entering the state to isolate or quarantine for a period of 14 days. Despite that, the number of bookings has increased, especially for summer, since the announcement of the May 22 reopening. Occupancy at the 538-room property over the Memorial Day weekend averaged 45 percent. Once the executive order is lifted, the property expects reservations to rebound further.

But finding a way to deftly balance expectations of warmth and hospitality with meticulous attention to health and safety—even when risks have been minimized—is a bit of a tricky balancing act. Yet, the team at The Breakers is confident that they can achieve that balance.

“It comes down to the art of delivering a safe, memorable guest experience,” says Mr. Leone. “We are mindful that how we implement these precautions is critically important. This is a new journey, but we are an organization that constantly self-evaluates in order to find the right balance.”

“Trust, integrity and continuity have become important to concerned travelers as they consider a destination,” he adds. “Guests appreciate the value of our stability, the allure of an ever-evolving resort experience, and the care and concern of a family-style culture that gives them peace of mind.”