arts & life

travel

Vacay In Style

Luxuriate at the
Jewish-owned
Eau Palm Beach.

Alice Burdick Schweiger
Special to the Jewish News

48 March 24 • 2016

T

here are plenty of luxury
resorts in Florida. But
not all can claim to have
Jewish owners, designers and
chefs — with kosher offerings,
to boot.
One that can: The Eau
Palm Beach Resort and Spa in
Manalapan, Fla., just south of
Palm Beach. The Lewis Trust
Group, a Jewish family-run U.K.
corporation (co-founder Bernard
Lewis got his start selling wool
from a Nazi-Luftwaffe bombed-
out site on London’s East End)
owns 17 hotels in Israel (the
Isrotel chain). The group, whose
hotel division is headed up by
family members Simon and
Julian Lewis, had taken over the
Ritz-Carlton Palm Beach a while

back, but a couple of years ago
renamed it the Eau Palm Beach
and gave the seven-acre property
an overhaul.
They hired Jewish designer
Jonathan Adler to give the 309
guest rooms and hotel interior a
facelift — he infused it with his
signature bright colors, modern
designs, bold prints and whimsical
ceramics. Rugs in the halls, paint-
ings on the walls, hanging lights,
bedding and accessories were all
beautifully styled by Adler.
In striving for ultimate din-
ing experiences, they brought in
accomplished Jewish chef Josh
Thompsen to oversee all four
restaurants on site and add his
personal culinary touch with
the local and seasonal cuisine.

He’s also in charge of banquets,
weddings, room service and
groups, offering both kosher
and non-kosher choices — the
hotel’s primary eatery, Temple
Orange, includes matzah-ball
soup on the menu. In his more
than 23 years of industry expe-
rience, Thompsen has worked
alongside renowned chefs such as
the French Laundry and Per Se’s
Thomas Keller.
According to Eva Hill, the
CEO of Britannia Pacific Inc.,
the U.S. holding company for
Lewis Family Trust, the owners
also brought in chefs from their
Israeli hotels to bring recipes for
a Mediterranean breakfast.
“Overall, along with new
menus, the hotel owners wanted

to create a new luxury destina-
tion in Palm Beach,” says Nick
Gold, director of public relations
for the hotel. “They wanted
more personalized service —
they wanted to think ahead for
the guests so nothing is left to
chance.”
With their new vision in mind,
all arriving guests are greeted
with a glass of champagne and a
cold towel. Guests also find a gift
of flip-flops and a teal-striped
canvas tote bag waiting for them
on the bed. A parade of hotel
staff is always available to meet
guests’ needs. Their reward for
above-and-beyond customer ser-
vice: This month, the Eau Palm
Beach received the Forbes five-
star award.