From The Harvester, June 1980

The Breakers

Site of FFVA’s 37th Annual Convention

Set in a 140-acre tract of lush, tropical gardens, this famous landmark overwhelms you with elegance. The Florentine fountain, which greets you at the entrance, was patterned after one in the Boboli gardens in Florence. The public rooms are pure Italian Renaissance, and the lobby exemplifies the Palazzo Corega in Genoa. The central courtyard was designed after the inner gardens of the Villa Sante in Rome – and all this grandeur is owed to Henry Morrison Flagler, railroad magnate and co-founder of Standard Oil.

At The Breakers, the Old World elegance and grandeur of the building and its public rooms blends beautifully and romantically with the modern conveniences and facilities found in its 566 rooms, sparklingly and leisurely decorated in Florida’s bright hues of yellow, blue and green.

Henry Flagler first built the Palm Beach Inn on this jewel of a site, later replacing it with a more elaborate hotel named The Breakers. Being of wooden construction, it was destroyed by fire.

Not to be daunted, the Flagler heirs decided to rebuild and give Palm Beach a resort hotel worthy of international acclaim. Over $6 million was spend in a record building time of 11 ½ months, first opening Dec. 29, 1926, thanks to the labor of 1,200 workers and artisans housed on the property.

In 1969, a dynamic expansion program was launched, including the redecorating of the lobby and loggias, and two oceanfront wings were added.

The Breakers then started catering to conventions, conferences and meetings – thus today this luxury resort is a busy year-round operation. The melding of the elegance of the past with the leisurely informality of the present really put the frosting on the cake.

Everything is designed for pleasure and comfort. Color TV and individual climate controls are in each room. Golfing on two championship courses, 14 tennis courts, lawn bowling, cycling, water skiing, snorkeling, sailing and deep sea fishing await sports enthusiasts. And a private sandy beach, a salt water outdoor pool and a fresh water indoor pool at the Beach Club are inviting and refreshing. An interesting weekly program of events is presented to each guest.

Entertainment every evening is also provided in the Florentine Room by Sam Kart. Here for your dining pleasure, thanks must be given to executive chef  Manfred Harker. Austrian-born and European-trained, he served his apprenticeship in Austria, Switzerland, France, England and the Channel Islands. Since coming to The Breakers, he has introduced several new and interesting dishes garnered from his European training. And he uses only fresh foods – nothing frozen or canned.

Small, hand-painted watering pitchers served as spouse gifts at FFVA's 1980 convention at The Breakers. (Courtesy of George and Joyce Sorn)

Palm Beach is admired for its Old World architecture, elegant homes and Worth Avenue. It is an oasis for artists and musical buffs. But it is famous for The Breakers – seven time recipient of the Mobil Five-Star Award for excellence. And well-deserved.

For updated information on The Breakers, see the resort’s Web site. We hope you'll join us at this beautiful resort for FFVA's 66th Annual Convention.