Waterstone Resort & Marina, Boca Raton
Photos and information from visit August 2015 and March 2017
Direct link to website for booking: www.waterstoneboca.com
Stayed in room 806 (Intercoastal view) and room 903 (Lake Boca view)
Direct link to website for booking: www.waterstoneboca.com
Stayed in room 806 (Intercoastal view) and room 903 (Lake Boca view)
Review of Waterstone Resort in Boca Raton for Family Travel
A detailed photo tour and review of Waterstone Resort and Marina in Boca Raton. It's a fantastic intimate resort, which makes it truly personal with lots to do, great accommodations, and terrific service. It recently changed over from Hilton's DoubleTree brand to the Curio collection. We've stayed twice under both branding and enjoyed it equally. Our most recent visit was unexpected and we made our reservations within 48 hours of arriving. What a relief it was to find that they had availability to fit our family for the number of days we needed. We couldn't wait to check in!
The location of this hotel in Boca Raton can't be beat. It provides great views of Lake Boca and the Intercoastal, and is just a quick hop to the beach. It's easy to get in and out (with self or valet parking for the same cost), close to a movie theater, grocery store, retail shops, and not far from some wonderful restaurants. Check out my reviews of a few area Boca Raton restaurants that I highly recommend.
The location of this hotel in Boca Raton can't be beat. It provides great views of Lake Boca and the Intercoastal, and is just a quick hop to the beach. It's easy to get in and out (with self or valet parking for the same cost), close to a movie theater, grocery store, retail shops, and not far from some wonderful restaurants. Check out my reviews of a few area Boca Raton restaurants that I highly recommend.
Room
During both visits, we enjoyed a perfect sized room (1 King 2 Room Suite with Water View Balcony).This room is a fantastic size at approximately 720 square feet, with a large balcony overlooking the Intracoastal waterway and peeking at the ocean not too far away. Any room you stay in has it's perks with a view. Facing one direction, it's fun to watch the bridge raising and lowering outside while admiring many beautiful, expensive sport cars, yachts and large fishing boats. Or if you are on the Lake Boca side, you have a terrific view of Boca Raton, homes, and expansive water views.
We arrived prepared for our two teenage boys and brought our own air mattress, which worked out great! For both of our stays, I asked housekeeping for extra sheets before we went out on the first night. When we returned, the air mattress was made it up for us and then again every day afterwards. You can request nightly turndown service or if you are a HiltonHonors member, they will automatically provide it every night for you. They do a terrific job to make sure you are relaxed before retiring for the night.
The best feature of our room was the amount of storage space...two closets with lots of hangers, two large dressers with drawers and a wall unit with wet bar surrounded by shelving and cabinets (with even more drawers and shelves inside.) I definitely recommend this room for a family, since you may need a little extra space, especially if staying for a week or more. The bedroom door shuts between the living area so everyone can have their own privacy too. You can see by the pictures below the rooms are very clean and modern.
We arrived prepared for our two teenage boys and brought our own air mattress, which worked out great! For both of our stays, I asked housekeeping for extra sheets before we went out on the first night. When we returned, the air mattress was made it up for us and then again every day afterwards. You can request nightly turndown service or if you are a HiltonHonors member, they will automatically provide it every night for you. They do a terrific job to make sure you are relaxed before retiring for the night.
The best feature of our room was the amount of storage space...two closets with lots of hangers, two large dressers with drawers and a wall unit with wet bar surrounded by shelving and cabinets (with even more drawers and shelves inside.) I definitely recommend this room for a family, since you may need a little extra space, especially if staying for a week or more. The bedroom door shuts between the living area so everyone can have their own privacy too. You can see by the pictures below the rooms are very clean and modern.
Room 806 [1 King 2 Room Suite with Water View Balcony]
Separate bedroom. This is room 806; it's the same layout in 903 but has a large window instead of a separate walkout balcony.
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Large shower with tub inside glass doors. Great water pressure in our room as well.
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Super large bathtub.
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Living area with walkout to balcony. This is the area that we used the sleeper sofa and set up an inflatable mattress also.
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Great storage! Plus, wet bar and mini fridge make it easy to bring a snack back to the room.
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View from our balcony in 806. It's a great place to watch the boats cruise by.
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Room 903 [1 King 2 Room Suite with Water View Balcony]
See the inflatable bed below? We bring it with us where ever we go. My son is happy to sleep on this every chance he gets. It's definitely a must to have and I've listed it in my favorite travel products. I loved that the housekeeping staff made it up for us everyday!
This is the same layout except on the Lake Boca side of the hotel. AND you have 2 balconies to enjoy in this room. Both balconies included a table and chairs to sit and enjoy the amazing view. We loved it!
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This is our own inflatable mattress (shown in Favorite Travel Products under Quick Tips) which we put next to the sofa bed in the living area. Housekeeping made up both every day and night. The best!
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Gorgeous view from the balcony in this room.
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Another beautiful balcony view. Perfect to bring a snack or drink out on the balcony to enjoy while looking at this view.
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Dining
We sampled more than a few meals at the hotel's two restaurants. We had dinner at Boca Landing the first night (reservations made ahead through www.OpenTable.com) and they are more than gracious to be kid-friendly. You can get anything made to order. For example, the Filet Mignon was available plain, instead of with the sauces and they happily swapped the asparagus for french fries. Plus, they always have delicious cheeseburgers. Both times we've visited, that turned out to be my younger son's favorite meal for the whole trip. But don't hesitate to bring the family to any of the restaurants on the property since the service is wonderful, as is the food. One time, our friendly server even stepped outside with us to snap a family picture of us right by the water.
We ate numerous times at the outside casual restaurant. The food was delicious for breakfast, lunch, dinner and late night desserts. They even had poolside service during the day and night. For dinner, they also offered Boca Landing's fine dining menu in addition to the bar and grill menu. This outside spot was perfect for watching the boats or swimming while having a large variety of gourmet cuisine to enjoy. The truffle-parmesan french fries are not to miss! Even my picky eater requested them multiple times throughout the week.
We ate numerous times at the outside casual restaurant. The food was delicious for breakfast, lunch, dinner and late night desserts. They even had poolside service during the day and night. For dinner, they also offered Boca Landing's fine dining menu in addition to the bar and grill menu. This outside spot was perfect for watching the boats or swimming while having a large variety of gourmet cuisine to enjoy. The truffle-parmesan french fries are not to miss! Even my picky eater requested them multiple times throughout the week.
Enjoy breakfast in bed? They have an expansive morning room service menu to choose from. It's the perfect way to start the day.
In 2017, when the hotel became a Curio Collection brand, the menu changed slightly but is still just as delicious! One new treat they offer is complimentary champagne every evening at 4:00PM.
Cheers! Enjoy complimentary champagne by the water.
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Waterside dining from morning until night is a HUGE perk for me.
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You can experience the amazing food from Boca Landing either inside or "On-the-Water". When visiting the Waterstone, we love these options to enjoy fine dining anywhere we prefer at the time.
And the food! Everything we had was prepared perfectly and was delicious.
Jumbo shrimp cocktail. Seriously jumbo and delicious. The sauces they are served with are perfect.
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Handcrafted Burrata with heirloom tomatoes. This was a perfect start to the meal. The burrata literally melts in your mouth.
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Luckily, they still feature their special truffle pomme frites. (Truffled Parmesan French Fries.)
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This photo doesn't do it justice, but the side of Lobster Mac & Cheese is AMAZING.
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I think my son ate a bacon-cheeseburger every other day. They got a thumbs up!
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Mustard Crusted Yellowtail Snapper
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Waterstone Resort "On-the-Water" Dining for Breakfast
Beautiful restaurant to enjoy dining right on the water.
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Waterstone Benedict with Smoked Salmon
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DoubleTree Chocolate Chip Cookie Pancakes, served with Nutella sauce...so good! Unfortunately, they don't currently have these on the Curio menu, but if you visit another DoubleTree, don't miss them!
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Chorizo Hash with Egg, Guacamole and Pico de Gallo. Delicious!
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And We Never Miss Dessert!
Below is just a small selection of what we enjoyed. They also offer delicious ice cream and provide nice-sized servings. The Nutella ice cream is a family favorite.
Peanut Butter and Chocolate Mousse Cake
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Key Lime Pie
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The "Chocolate Beast" A big cheer that they haven't taken this off of the new menu. It's amazing!
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Activities
The water sport menu is full of choices with rentals for wave runners, 21' boat, kayaks, standup paddle boards, and scuba bubble helmets. We chose wave runners and they were fantastic for seeing parts of the Intracoastal you could otherwise not get to.
They also have bicycle rentals that are tons of fun. I loved the one-speed, brightly colored touristy bikes with big baskets in the front. They were perfect for the great bike paths and gorgeous neighborhoods close by to ride in. My older son is a coconut lover, and filled up his basket with coconuts he collected from the streets.
If you are looking for quick exercise to burn off some calories from the delicious dining at the resort, they have a nice fitness room with treadmills, weights, and other cardiovascular equipment. Complimentary bottled water and fresh oranges are offered to rehydrate you after your work-out.
The resort pool is wonderful! It's right by the Intercoastal waterway so you can swim with a beautiful view. You'll find lots of cushy lounge chairs and terrific wait staff for food service. (That's definitely the way to relax for me!) They also provide a few water toys, iced fruit-water, and towels. The pool is even lit for night swimming which is always a treat for the kids.
For a change of scenery, head over to the beach which is not too far of a walk away. Or ask at the front desk and they have a complimentary shuttle that will take you there. Included in your resort fee, they will provide portable beach chairs, an umbrella, and towels you can take to the beach. After a day in the sun and sand, give the hotel a call and they will pick you back up. (And, of course, don't forget to pick up a cup of delicious fruited water and fresh orange when returning your beach gear to the front desk.)
They also have bicycle rentals that are tons of fun. I loved the one-speed, brightly colored touristy bikes with big baskets in the front. They were perfect for the great bike paths and gorgeous neighborhoods close by to ride in. My older son is a coconut lover, and filled up his basket with coconuts he collected from the streets.
If you are looking for quick exercise to burn off some calories from the delicious dining at the resort, they have a nice fitness room with treadmills, weights, and other cardiovascular equipment. Complimentary bottled water and fresh oranges are offered to rehydrate you after your work-out.
The resort pool is wonderful! It's right by the Intercoastal waterway so you can swim with a beautiful view. You'll find lots of cushy lounge chairs and terrific wait staff for food service. (That's definitely the way to relax for me!) They also provide a few water toys, iced fruit-water, and towels. The pool is even lit for night swimming which is always a treat for the kids.
For a change of scenery, head over to the beach which is not too far of a walk away. Or ask at the front desk and they have a complimentary shuttle that will take you there. Included in your resort fee, they will provide portable beach chairs, an umbrella, and towels you can take to the beach. After a day in the sun and sand, give the hotel a call and they will pick you back up. (And, of course, don't forget to pick up a cup of delicious fruited water and fresh orange when returning your beach gear to the front desk.)
Not an enormous pool, but lots of seating
and lots of fun.
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Dusk is approaching for night swimming. It's perfect on a Friday night when live music is playing right on the deck to enjoy while in the pool or having a drink.
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Relax in the corner by the water in a hammock.
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Rent a waverunner to go exploring.
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Virtual Hint: At night, the water under the dock behind the restaurant is lit up. This is a great way to see the fish swimming. Throw in some bread and watch them jump!
Waterstone Resort and Marina is definitely a favorite choice to stay when visiting Boca Raton, Florida. The hotel's warm welcome, cheerful property, and five star dining exemplifies luxury family travel in a Curio brand. What's up next for us? We are hoping to get back for another visit soon, of course! There are always new things we want to experience...taking out a boat and exploring beautiful Boca Raton by water, trying my luck with a paddleboard, and enjoying a truly refined and leisurely meal at Boca Landing prepared by Chef Matthew Mixon. In the meantime, I'd love to hear if you have a chance to visit this amazing property.
We always have a memorable stay and we are already looking forward to another excuse to visit again!
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