Boca Raton Resort & Club Facts for Kids

Hotel facts and statistics
The Boca Raton


Location	Boca Raton, Florida, USA
Coordinates	26°20′29″N 80°04′39″W / 26.341403°N 80.077562°W / 26.341403; -80.077562
Developer	Mizner Development Corp. and Ritz-Carlton
Architect	Addison Mizner (original) Schultze and Weaver (1930s expansion) Donaldson Group Architects (1969 tower)
Owner	MSD Partners
No. of restaurants	13
No. of rooms	1,038
Parking	Valet parking only

The Boca Raton is a famous luxury resort and club in Boca Raton, Florida. It first opened its doors on February 6, 1926. Today, it has over 1,000 hotel rooms and covers a huge area of 337 acres.

This amazing place offers lots of fun things to do. It has two 18-hole golf courses and seven swimming pools. There are also 30 tennis courts and a large spa. You can find 13 restaurants and bars here! The resort is located right by Lake Boca and the Atlantic Ocean. It is currently owned by a company called MSD Partners.

History of The Boca Raton Resort
Images for kids

History of The Boca Raton Resort

How It All Began

The resort first opened in 1926. It was called the Ritz-Carlton Cloister Inn. It started with 100 rooms. The famous architect Addison Mizner designed it. He was also the city planner for Boca Raton. Mizner wanted this inn to be one of two hotels. He planned for another hotel right on the ocean.

However, a company called Ritz-Carlton got involved. They wanted the oceanfront hotel changed. So, they started building the smaller inn first. This inn was on the west side of Lake Boca Raton.

New Owners and Big Changes

Mizner's company faced problems in 1926. A big land boom ended, and a hurricane hit Miami. His company went bankrupt. In 1927, a rich man named Clarence H. Geist bought the inn. He expanded it and renamed it the Boca Raton Club.

An architecture firm called Schultze and Weaver helped. They made the inn twice as big. A special cabana club was also built.

A Hotel During Wartime

During World War II, the U.S. Army used the club. It became a place for soldiers to stay. Officials called it "the most elegant barracks in history." Soldiers lived there while working at the Boca Raton Army Air Field.

Changes After the War

After the war, the club got new owners. The Schine family bought it in 1944. They changed its name to the Boca Hotel and Club. People often called it "The Boca Raton" in brochures.

In 1969, Arthur Vining Davis helped modernize the hotel. He built the Boca Raton Club Tower. This tower is still very tall for the area. It is 300 feet (91 meters) high and has 27 floors. The tower is famous for its "Boca pink" color. Many people call it the "pink hotel." In 1980, a beach club was also built. This was on the spot Mizner first wanted the main hotel.

Recent Ownership and Updates

In 1983, VMS Realty, Incorporated bought the property. They renamed it the Boca Raton Resort & Club in 1988.

Later, in 2004, a company called The Blackstone Group bought the resort. They spent a lot of money to buy five Florida resorts. The Beach Club was renovated in 2009. The rooms in the original inn and tower were updated in 2006.

On June 4, 2019, MSD Partners L.P. bought the resort. This company is led by Michael Dell. The new owners plan to invest $75 million. This money will be used to renovate the hotel, restaurants, and other areas. As of July 12, 2021, the resort was renamed The Boca Raton Cloister.