Cloister at The Boca Raton Hotel

The service was slow and inattentive throughout this stay. We waited more than 25 minutes for a bellman, then had the same wait when we asked for our car. Housekeeping also handled our personal things, moving items and putting my wife’s underwear and pajamas into a laundry bag without asking. That made us extremely uncomfortable and crossed a line. We left early even though we were still paying for the whole day, at a higher rate than the original stay. We visit this area once a year, but now we’re seriously reconsidering The Cloisters. This was our second visit to The Cloisters at Boca Raton. Last year we stayed at the Towers and had a wonderful experience, easily a 9+ out of 10. We came back this year and booked at the main hotel expecting that same standard. Instead, this stay was a major disappointment, no higher than a 6. We don’t spend much time in the room, but at a premium price we expect excellent service.

Much of the property was closed, including the women’s bathroom by the bar, and there were watermarks all over the place. We were put near a loud truck loading dock and could hear trucks at all hours, which disrupted our sleep. The elevator in our second-floor room stopped working the next day. Before coming, I emailed the property after the flood to ask if everything would be all right, and they assured me there would be no issues. On arrival, a fire alarm delayed check-in. The front desk first offered us a sixth-floor room with no elevator. We spent 30-45 minutes trying to get moved and were repeatedly told there were no other options at Cloister. Eventually, a manager found us a room at the far end of the property on the second floor with an elevator. We got a late checkout and half off the room rate, but felt that wasn’t enough, so we asked for a refund for the stay. The team declined to do anything further when I emailed. I’m disappointed in that decision from the leadership team, and we won’t be back.

The adults’ pool was peaceful and tranquil, even though it’s next to the family pool, and poolside service kept the drinks and food coming. There are also a lazy river, tennis and pickleball courts, and a big athletic club. You do need to reserve a court: we turned up without an appointment and the wait was too long. The boat takes you across the water to the other side of the Boca Club, which sits right on the waterfront. The historic Cloister is charming, and the holiday decorations made it even more attractive. Some rooms are small and a little dated, but ours was clean and maintained. Amenities like nuts, drinks, and water were included. We were told gratuity was already included throughout the property, so we didn’t have to think about tipping. The restaurants and bars were all fantastic, so we could stay on the resort and make the most of our time relaxing. The Moet bar by the yacht club was fun, especially with wood-fired pizza made right there in the open air. My first time in Boca set the bar very high. It’s luxurious, family-friendly, and full of thoughtful details. We really enjoyed it and can’t wait to visit again.

The food was good but expensive, and the service was excellent. For a 100-year-old property, it’s well maintained.