If you are looking for a beachfront resort that offers access to a private beach directly on the Atlantic ocean then Palm Beach Shores Resort & Vacation Villas is what you’re looking for. Immediately, upon arriving at this resort we were greeted by bellmen who offered to valet our truck while we checked in.
We were hosted for a week in a 2-bedroom, 2-bath condo by Palm Beach Shores Resort And Vacation Villas and this is my honest opinion and review about this resort.
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When I tell you about the direct close proximity to the beach, I mean directly on the beach. Palm Beach Shores Resort and Vacation Villas was everything and more!
The hospitality was definitely something that I appreciate it. We vacation over 90 days a year and I look for hospitality when I go to Resorts. Especially during this chaotic time of the pandemic, I truly respect resorts who go out of their way to make sure guests are pleased.
The area where the resort is located is in the prime area where there are several restaurants and bars literally walking distance. This resort also has its own restaurant, The Islander Tiki and Grill. There’s also a bar at the pool that serves food from the restaurant. This resort resembles more like a boutique hotel and had a fitness center, gift shop, and spa. This resort is associated with Vacation Village Resorts. Although we’ve been to several other Vacation Village Resorts, this was our very first time at this beach resort.
Inside Our Condo Suite
I was really impressed by our condo suite. We were checked into a 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom condo with partial kitchen, full living, and dining area. Our unit was a corner unit, and it was more like a lock of the unit. This means that this looks like at some point it was 2 separate rooms that we’re combined. Each bedroom had one king bed and the main unit had a sofa bed. The layout of the room was very spacious and made us feel comfortable for our family. The main unit also had a large balcony overlooking the pool and the ocean.
Laundry Options
Many of you know, that we typically stay in resorts that offer a washer and dryer inside the condo room. Unfortunately, this resort does not provide a washer and dryer inside the condo unit. However, they provided a common laundry site on each floor that included 1 washer and 1 dryer for $2.50 per load. At first, we were a little bit bummed at this however, we made the best of it. Towards the end of our stay, hubby went to the local laundromat that was literally a mile away and washed our dirty laundry. Because again, who likes to travel home with dirty clothes? Not us!
Family Dining and Cooking
Most of you know that I typically cook everyday while on vacation. Yes, it’s something that I choose to do because I am frugal and love saving money every opportunity I get. It’s something that my family is accustomed to at this point. There are times that we will enjoy a night out dining but most times I cook. This resort only provides partial kitchens which means that it doesn’t come with a full stove or range.
They do provide a medium size fridge, small dishwasher, small kitchen sink, and two top burners. They also provide full kitchen cutlery and dishes for cooking. It’s not something we’re accustomed to however, we made it work.
After we checked in, we went to the local Walmart and Publix which is 2 miles away. We brought some breakfast foods, cereal, bagels, eggs, coffee creamer, and other foods we typically eat. We also brought extra snacks for the beach because who doesn’t love snacks at the beach?
The resort doesn’t have any onsite grills either. Therefore, we brought our small portable gas grill with us. We used it safely on the beach and grilled some veggie burgers and Salmon filets. Other nights, I prepared some pasta dishes and other lighter dishes.
The resort does have an amazing restaurant on site The Islander Tiki Bar & Grill. We enjoyed great pizza here a few times during our stay. The prices are reasonable. They serve other Italian dishes and finger foods as well. They were having dining in up to 50% capacity according to the pandemic recommendations. All staff had on gloves and wore masks as well. The Islander Grill and Tiki Bar provide great food, live entertainment, and true island hospitality.
Room Cleaning Option
This resort does not provide a mid-week cleaning. Most resorts that we travel to, do provide a complimentary midweek cleaning option. Unfortunately, this resort does not. I am not for certain if the pandemic crisis has anything to do with this. I did not inquire as we were typically cleaning as we went. It is nice to have someone come and mop the floors as they become soiled with excess sand from the beach.
However, if you need new towels, or any kind of cleaning supplies such as toilet paper, tissues, dish liquid, you can call down to the front desk and request for extra supplies for free. As far as the garbage disposal goes, you just have to place the garbage on the outside of your front door. The housekeeping staff usually comes by and picks up the trash throughout the day.
Beach Fun For The Entire Family
Family Beach Day, Everyday
Since we had the liberty to stay directly on the beach with the ocean being only steps away, it’s safe to say that every day was a beach day. The water was the bluest I’ve ever seen the Atlantic ocean be. It was so clear, literally, I was able to see the bottom clearly while standing from afar. The sugary white sand felt like it kissed our toes every time. It was definitely peaceful and beautiful each morning going for our family walks alongside the ocean.
The first couple of days it rained like cats and dogs. It was dreadful however, I was so glad we picked up some board games from the local Target that was nearby. We used that time to build our family bond and enjoy one another
Soak up the West Palm Beach Sun
After 3 days of nonstop rain, the sun finally decided to come out and play. At that time, we were definitely ready to enjoy some sun. We spent our early mornings into the late afternoons at the beach. The resorts have beach chairs and umbrella rentals for $35 a day. That included 2 chairs and 1 umbrella. The resort also provides you with beach and pool towels. Therefore, we opted out of getting the rentals. Honestly, we weren’t going to be doing too much sitting and basking in the sun with our busy little ones. We literally ran up and down the shore chasing children.
Boogie Board Beach Surfing
Our children stayed in the water. We ordered our boogie boards from Amazon and I am so glad we did because Target only had the large ones for adults which were more expensive. Our children stayed on the boards the entire vacation and had a blast. The waves were awesome. They had great fun surfing over the waves. I enjoyed watching them, it didn’t seem like they were getting tired at all.
Family Fitness at the Beach
My husband is so committed to fitness and I think it’s awesome. Many of you know that he is a personal fitness trainer and any chance that he gets to work out, he does. He takes all advantage of every opportunity to do some push-ups and some sprints. I just love it, because my children imitate him and join in on the family fitness every time. I sat back and watch as he and our boys were working out on the beach.
West Palm Beach Kite Flying
Who doesn’t love kite flying? The beach was a great opportunity for us to fly our kites. We always promise to fly our kites at the beach therefore, this time we kept our word and did! We were prepared and bought some relatively inexpensive kites from Amazon and made a day out of it.
Our children had an awesome time learning how to fly their kites. The best part was learning to keep them up in the air. What a great experience it was keeping their activities frugal. I loved watching my children create new memories however, I love staying frugal at the same time. Therefore, it was a win-win.
Things to Consider When Booking This Beach Resort
Overall, we enjoyed this resort as a family. There were many other families who visited this resort for the week of Memorial Day. This resort has one swimming pool and it is not heated. Since the pandemic crisis, the hot tub is not being used. This resort has pet birds that are caged. We truly enjoyed seeing these exotic birds. However, they do make lots of loud noises throughout the day.
This resort was originally an Embassy suite by Hilton and was bought by Vacation Village Resorts and turned into a timeshare in the late 1990s. This is a timeshare rental affiliate resort with many owners who visit frequently. This resort is very boutique and feels more like a hotel with extra amenities. Palm Beach Shores Resort and Vacation Villas do have valet parking as well as self-parking options that cost $10 a day. The Resort does not come with central heat only central air condition. Not every unit faces the pool and ocean as the shape of the hotel is in a horseshoe.
When traveling to this hotel, please be mindful that this hotel is in South Florida and does require masks to be worn in the lobby areas even for children. This resort does provide free Wi-Fi however, the WiFi is very weak. I was better off using my hotspot while working because my WiFi kept dropping.
Check out the top 10 family activities to do in West Palm Beach
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