Tasteful elephant references abound from tusked bronze door knockers to embroidered pachyderm pillowcases. Backboards, desk chairs and throw pillows nod to Palm Beach with palm frond-and-flower print fabric while unique abstract art pieces set each room apart. The overall design aesthetic skews contemporary conservative, employing a neutral color palette with bright accent colors and patterns. The rooms: The property is definitely boutique by way of inventory-it has a total of 32 units, 13 rooms and 19 suites-but not necessarily boutique in room size: they range from 400- to 3,000-square feet. He enlisted the team at Boston-based Elkus Manfredi Architects and worked with the Town of Palm Beach to create a property true to its destination, at once honoring its architectural roots but also incorporating contemporary elements while adding hints of New England panache. That got the wheels in his head turning, and soon he was hard at work converting the four-story, circa 1924 property into the second outpost of the White Elephant. One fateful day in winter 2018, Stephen was walking on Sunset Avenue between the ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway when he noticed the Bradley Park Hotel was for sale and in real need of some TLC. Owners (and snowbirds) Stephen and Jill Karp had long maintained a home in Palm Beach, and, in recent years, Stephen had been looking to possibly expand the luxe-meets-unpretentious White Elephant brand.
The backstory: White Elephant Nantucket defined understated New England luxury when it opened back in 1999. (This is but one of 130 art pieces strewn throughout the 32-room property.) An outdoor U-shaped courtyard, capped with blacl-and-white umbrellas, lined with colorful banquette seating and serviced by restaurant Lola 41, commands an all-day and evening social scene of both hotel guests and locals. Step inside, and the lobby feels like an art collector’s cool and cozy living room: your eyes immediately gravitate towards a 54” round acrylic work by Orit Fuchs channeling timeless female beach glamour. It charms at first sight with classic black-and-white striped awnings, terracotta roof tiles, and a seven-foot white elephant statue by Santa Fe-based artist Fredrick Prescott, mirroring the icon in front of White Elephant Nantucket. Set the scene: Just off of Palm Beach's original Main Street (now known as Royal Poinciana Way), the White Elephant’s Addison Mizner-style facade speaks to the 1920’s Spanish-Mediterranean Revival roots of the landmark building. But for those wanting something more modern and approachable, White Elephant Palm Beach presents a stylish yet unpretentious option on the highbrow resort island. Why book? The exclusive island of Palm Beach has a stately (at times stuffy) feel-and, for many, that’s part of the charm.