The Boca Raton Resort and Club,Retail Area and Yacht Club, Boca Raton, FL

“The Boca Raton (often called the Boca Resort by locals) is a 5-Star Luxury Resort and Club in Boca Raton, Florida, founded in 1926, today comprising 1,047 hotel rooms across 337 acres. Its facilities include an 18-hole golf course, a 50,000 sq. ft. Forbes Five-Star spa, eight swimming pools, 30 tennis courts, a full-service 32-slip marina, more than 15 restaurants and bars, and 200,000 sq. ft. of meeting space. The property fronts both Lake Boca (part of the Intracoastal Waterway) and the Atlantic Ocean. The resort was operated as part of Hilton’s Waldorf Astoria Hotels and Resorts, and it is now privately owned by an affiliate of MSD Partners with the new name, The Boca Raton.”

The Yacht Club is The Boca Raton’s adults-only all-suite haven, brushed against a yacht-lined marina. A hotel that exudes an air of serenity and sophistication, with premium all-suite accommodations, waterfront balconies in every suite, private butler service, and exclusive dining. Harry Wayne Huizenga Sr., an American businessman acquired the resort in 1997. He founded owned or co-owned Waste Management Inc., Blockbuster Video, AutoNation, the Miami Dolphins, of the National Football League, the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League, and the Miami Marlins of Major League Baseball. In 1998, the Mizner Center opened with four ballrooms and 80,000 square feet of space. It would become the go-to venue for all sorts of community events as well as convention patrons. In 2001, Spa Palazzo brought luxurious new services to the hotel, and in 2002, Yacht Club added 112 rooms, suites and over 30 yacht slips to the complex.

The Expansion and Renovation of the Retail Spaces brought a modern interpretation of classic traditional architecture to much needed existing and new Retail Spaces for Dining and Retail Shops and a casual pedestrian environment. The Yacht Club was a grand addition to an already grand facility. It provided a full-service Marina and slips for a number of Yacht Owners to dock their Yachts while traveling to the area and Boca Resort and Club as well as costal cruising and ocean-going voyages. Milton Pate Associates (Project Architect) retained CRESG to provide Architectural Contract Administration Services for (1) the Renovation and Expansion of the Retail Spaces and (2) the “Marina Wing” (working name) (now Yacht Club). CRESG responsibilities included monthly site visits, monitoring progress, adherence to contract documents, and quality of work. Other contract administrative duties include review of submittals, shop drawings, and responding to/processing contractor’s requests for information. Needless to say, the Projects provided a once in a lifetime(s) opportunity to see the world of the Rich and Famous. We were suitable impressed. Particularly by the Yachts!