“Palm Beach is the last American sanctuary”, muses Evelyn Rollins (portrayed by Allison Janey), the queen of the summer season in Palm Royale, as the camera pans to a tropical oasis thoroughly untouched by the turmoil the year 1969 is remembered by today. The only state of affairs that Apple TV’s stylish new period comedy is concerned with is the machinations of Tennessee-born pageant queen Maxine Simmons (portrayed by Kirsten Wiig). A Gatsby-esque figure set to conquer the upper echelons of Palm beach, Maxine’s story unfolds in the titular Palm Royale—Palm Beach’s most exclusive country club.
Created as a composite of The Breakers, the Everglades Club, the Bath & Tennis Club, and other high society dwellings in Palm Beach, the Palm Royale in the series is a love letter to not just Palm Beach, but also to the rarified, glamorous lifestyle embodied in the works of mid-century society photographer Slim Aarons. Known for his romantic portraits capturing the golden age of the international jet-set from Palm Beach to Marrakech, Aarons’s photography served as foremost inspiration to the show’s creator Abe Sylvia and director Tate Taylor. A society photographer who refused to work with set designers, stylists, and make-up artists, Aarons famously preferred to “[photograph] attractive people doing attractive things in attractive places”, which is perhaps a fitting header for the fictional Palm Royale and its socialite denizens.
Although many photographers of his time specialised in splendid surroundings and beautiful subjects, Aarons’s photography made a lasting impact because of its uniquely inviting nature, which is embodied in the palm trees and pink-hued palette of Palm Royale. Whether it reflected the reality of his time, the good life depicted in his photography is exclusive without being exclusionary. There is no visual evidence of IYKYK in-the-know, quiet luxury or unspoken codes in sight to weed out the people that don’t belong, and every country club, château, dock, and pool depicted seems like a fun experience instead of an intimidating one. While much has changed since the ’60s, the resorts, beach clubs, and all glitz and glamour that embody the very essence of the Palm Royale experience have only become more exclusive and less exclusionary—attached with their own terms and conditions.
On that note, colour us curious to seek out our own Palm Royale paradise. While Maxine could only gain entry to the Palm Royale by scaling a wall while nobody was looking, Vogue Singapore presents a shortlist of glamorous retreats that are all available by reservation.
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The Colony hotel in Palm Beach, Florida
The epicentre of the the Palm Royale social scene—the poolside is where everything takes place. Bright pink and neon, the country club’s pool was inspired by that of The Colony hotel, a favoured location for fashion shows back in the ’60s as evidenced by Slim Aarons’s photography. Its intimate relationship with society’s tastemakers lives on to this day, as the fashionable retreat beloved by royals, presidents, and film stars boasts residences curated by Goop, AERIN, Chairish, Serena & Lily, and more.
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The Breakers in Palm Beach, Florida
One of the chief inspirations to the Palm Royale, The Breakers overlooks the oceanfront south of Daytona Beach and gained its current name in 1901 from guests regularly requesting rooms “over by the breakers”. Often described as America’s greatest winter resort, the palatial hotel strikes a balance between conservation and renovation in its second century on Florida’s shimmering Atlantic coast. While the Grasshopper is not on the menu, discerning imbibers are bound for a lively, glamorous experience at The Breakers’s chic social club HMF, named after founder Henry Morrison Flagler, an institution in classic Palm Beach cocktail culture during the ’50s and ’60s.
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White Elephant Palm Beach in Palm Beach, Florida
Despite being a magnet for business tycoons and high rollers in the ‘60s, The Bradley Park Hotel was on its way to becoming more dated than charming prior to White Elephant Resorts’ gut renovation in 2020. With an artful touch of White Elephant’s trademark casual luxury, the Palm beach landmark preserves its landmark status, vintage charm, and distinctive arched interior arcade with interconnected terraces around the courtyard and outdoor staircases that Evelyn Rollins, reigning queen of the Palm Beach ladies in Palm Royale, would see fit to hold court in.
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The Brazilian Court Hotel in Palm Beach, Florida
Designed by Rosario Candela, the Sicilian-born architect responsible for scores of limestone-clad co-ops dotting Park and Fifth Avenues, the boutique hideaway offers a more intimate, quiet setting than most resorts in Palm Beach. With all the sophisticated luxury of a Manhattan pied-à-terre, the apartment-style hotel truly offers a home away from home and was a long-time favourite of the real-life Palm Beach old guard, including the “Queen of Society” and Post Toasties heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post.
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Marbella Club hotel in Marbella, Spain
With Palm Beach’s Spanish heritage in mind, it’s only fair that Marbella Club would be Palm Royale’s continental counterpart. The first luxury hotel to grace Marbella’s sun-kissed Costa del Sol, the storied destination was founded in 1954 by Prince Alfonso of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, transforming the former fishing village into a boating hotspot for Slim Aaron’s blue-blooded muses and Hollywood’s silver screen stars by the ‘60s. Over half a century later, Marbella Club still offers the same fashionable blend of fresh glamour and old world spirit to the avalanche of well-heeled guests descending upon the Andalusian summer with its iconic Clubhouse and furnishings hand-picked by upholsterers responsible for the restoration of Versailles and Elysée Palace.
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Soho House Mumbai in Mumbai, India
Soho House Mumbai, the first Asian outpost of the London-based chain of private members’ clubs, is where we would picture Slim Aarons photographing attractive people doing attractive things. Set in a renovated 11-story townhouse in the sprawling, sandy oasis of Juhu Beach and curated with locally sourced furniture and block-printed textiles from Rajasthan, Soho House Mumbai offers the Palm Royale experience of palm trees, cosmopolitan tranquility, and exclusivity across the Pacific ocean.
