PALM BEACH | FLORIDA

The Best Hotels in West Palm Beach: Waterfront Views, Downtown Buzz, Chic Boutiques

By Eric Barton | Sept. 8, 2025

AUTHOR BIO: Eric Barton is editor of The Adventurist and a freelance journalist who has reviewed restaurants for more than two decades. Email him here.

Back when I lived in the historic West Palm Beach neighborhood of Flamingo Park, my wife and I would spend our nights walking to Clematis, eating Cuban food by the fountains, then get a latte at the bookstore in CityPlace. Downtown West Palm had a few constants: lively, constantly under construction, and undeniably charming.

Now when I come back, I don’t stay across the bridge on Palm Beach, like most of the tourists here. I want the city I still love—the noise, the late hours, the easy walks between bars, restaurants, and the waterfront. Stay downtown and you’re steps from the best West Palm restaurants and the spots that have been here forever, which is exactly where the city feels most alive.

Here are the best hotels in West Palm Beach if, like me, you want to sleep where the action is.

AKA West Palm Beach

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If you want space to spread out, AKA gives you apartment-style suites with full kitchens and living rooms in a downtown building a short walk from CityPlace and Clematis Street. There’s a rooftop pool and deck for the end-of-day reset, plus a solid fitness center if you’re pretending this is still a routine. Flexible stays make it an easy call for a week in town or a longer project without giving up hotel polish.

Best for: Apartment-style space, Longer stays, Walkable downtown base

The Belgrove Resort & Spa

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West Palm’s newest and largest resort sits on Lake Mangonia with 150 rooms and suites, a full spa with eucalyptus steam room, and three pools, including an adults-only option with cabanas. The Belgrove’s restaurants are meant to keep you on property: Society 48 (modern brasserie), Deep End (pool bar/kitchen), and FlaminGO (grab-and-go), with room service if you’re staying horizontal. Guests can also access the private Dutchman’s Pipe golf club and its Jack Nicklaus Signature course; downtown and the island are a quick drive when you’re ready to roam.

Best for: When you want style and privacy without crossing the bridge

The Ben, Autograph Collection

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The Ben is my downtown base—an Autograph Collection hotel on the waterfront, with design nods to Byrd Spilman Dewey’s Ben Trovato estate and a quick walk to Clematis. Head to Spruzzo for the water-facing rooftop, where a heated saltwater pool and cabanas look out over Palm Harbor Marina toward Palm Beach. Proper Grit handles the eating (with afternoon tea on weekends), and you can stroll from here to CityPlace and the waterfront without thinking about your car.

Best for: A polished, walkable base with rooftop views

Canopy by Hilton

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This is the downtown pick if you want energy on your doorstep—an easy walk to The Square and a short stroll to the bars and restaurants along Clematis Street. Ride the elevator to Treehouse for the rooftop scene: a proper pool, a lively bar, and cabanas if you want to linger at sunset. Downstairs, Banter handles all-day bites so you can park the car and forget it.

Best for: A lively rooftop pool and walk-to-everything location

Grandview Gardens Bed & Breakfast

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This Mediterranean Revival B&B in the Grandview Heights historic district sits behind tropical gardens with a quiet, palm-shaded pool. Breakfast is part of the deal, and the whole place feels more like a private home than a hotel. You can walk to CityPlace and the Convention Center, with Clematis Street and the Norton Museum just a quick hop away. Or just explore the neighborhood, with historic homes, walkable streets, and houses that give a glimpse back into boomtown Florida of the 1920s.

Best for: A leafy, low-key B&B within walking distance of downtown

Hippocrates Wellness

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Hippocrates isn’t a conventional hotel; it’s a wellness campus in West Palm Beach built around plant-based nutrition, holistic therapies, and structured programs. Guests stay in simple, comfortable rooms or villas and spend their days in classes, treatments, and the spa—think raw, organic meals and wheatgrass instead of room service. If you want an immersive reset rather than a beach vacation, this is the move.

Best for: Full reset, Plant-based programming, Destination wellness

Hyatt Place

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This mid-rise puts you a short walk from The Square and the bars and restaurants along Clematis Street. Rooms come with sectional sofa-sleepers, mini-fridges, and workspaces, so two people (or a small family) can spread out without tripping over bags. The lobby runs the brand’s 24/7 market and coffee/bar and there’s a fitness center, making it an easy, central base.

Best for: A solid value with a walkable location

West Palm Beach Marriott

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If you’re in town for a conference or a show, this Marriott a few blocks from the Convention Center and Kravis Center is the easy, no-guesswork choice. Rooms are quiet and comfortable, and the hotel has all the basics: an outdoor pool, a decent gym, and a lobby bar and restaurant for quick meals. It’s a short walk to CityPlace and a quick drive from PBI, so you can land, check in, and get on with it.

Best for: Convention and Kravis Center events, quick PBI access