Royal Blues Hotel

A Producer's Eye on the Gold Coast

Royal Blues Hotel opened in October 2014, the creation of Broadway and film producer Edward Walson, who grew up vacationing on this stretch of Florida coast and returned to build something personal rather than branded. The result reads more like a private commission than a hotel: twelve rooms and suites, each with an uninterrupted ocean view, wrapped in a building whose glass-and-metal lines borrow directly from yacht construction. Marble, leather, and teak run through the interiors, and the walls carry original artworks from Walson's own collection rather than hotel-standard prints. It is the kind of detail that only shows up when an owner is also the guest.

Why It Works

Royal Blues earns its place on a Luxury and Premium list by doing the opposite of what a beach-town hotel usually does: it stays small. Twelve keys means no convention floor, no lobby crowds, no families cycling through on a package deal. It is also the only Relais & Châteaux address in Florida, a distinction the group reserves for properties with genuine character rather than scale, and the hotel treats that membership as a standard rather than a marketing line, from Frette linens and thoughtfully stocked minibars to a welcome reception poured in the wine lounge on arrival.

Why This Location

Deerfield Beach sits on Florida's Gold Coast, about forty-five minutes north of Miami and thirty minutes from Fort Lauderdale's airport, in a low-rise beach town that has resisted the high-rise sprawl of its neighbors. The hotel sits oceanfront, next to a fishing pier and a beachfront promenade lined with restaurants and live music, and the town carries Blue Wave certification for its water quality and beach conditions. It is a contrast the hotel leans into deliberately: a design-forward, art-filled interior set against an unpretentious, old-Florida street.

Fast Facts

• Price: €€€€

• Vibe: Oceanfront boutique, yacht-inspired design, art-filled

• Chambres: 12 rooms and suites, all with ocean views

• Best For: Couples and design-minded travelers seeking a quiet, intimate stay

• Our Favorite Thing About the Hotel: The owner's private art collection on the walls, in place of standard hotel prints

• Dining: Chanson, fine dining built around a saltwater aquarium and coastal Florida ingredients, plus a wine lounge with nightly tapas

• Amenities: Pool deck, valet parking, Frette linens and robes, personalized welcome amenities

• Attractions: Fishing pier, beachfront promenade, sea turtle nesting season from March to October

The Chanson Difference

The hotel's restaurant, Chanson, is built around a cooking philosophy as much as a kitchen: a menu drawn from local coastal ingredients, prepared fresh enough that the kitchen reportedly works without a freezer. A large saltwater aquarium is mounted above the dining room, a detail striking enough that it drew television coverage, though at Royal Blues it functions as a centerpiece rather than a gimmick, lit low against the original artwork and ocean-facing windows. Next door, the wine lounge runs a daily tapas tasting paired against a focused wine list, and doubles as the spot for the hotel's welcome reception.

Suite Life

Layouts vary room to room rather than following a single template. Two-bedroom suites join via a shared living space, useful for a family splitting a stay into separate bedrooms with a common area between them. The penthouse suite adds a private bar and what the hotel considers its best balcony view. A handful of rooms open directly onto the pool deck, a detail worth knowing before booking if privacy matters more than convenience, since deck guests can see into those rooms unless the curtains are drawn. Classic and Corner Terrace rooms are built for two, keeping the smaller categories intimate rather than cramped.

Beyond the Hotel

Deerfield Beach rewards guests willing to walk rather than drive. The beachfront promenade runs past casual restaurants and live music within a few minutes of the hotel, and the adjacent fishing pier is a local landmark worth an early-morning walk. The coastline here is part of a sea turtle nesting habitat, with nesting season running from March to October, a detail that shapes beach rules and evening lighting along this stretch. High season runs November through April, when the town's low-rise, old-Florida feel is easiest to enjoy before the summer humidity sets in.