Where to stay

Downtown West Palm Beach offers a wide range of hotels near equally diverse cultural attractions. Attend the Palm Beach Opera or join the fun of the SunFest waterfront music festival along the Intracoastal Waterway. Arts venues here include the Henry Morrison Flagler Museum, Norton Museum of Art, and Kravis Center for the Performing Arts. Book a hotel near Vedado to bring the family to the South Florida Science Center. Stay north of the city in Riviera Beach to explore the Manatee Lagoon museum. Farther north Jupiter's hotels are close to touring Broadway shows and waterfront Shakespeare productions. To the south, Lake Worth has excellent choices for accommodations near its own performing arts center, the Lake Worth Playhouse, and cabaret can be seen at the Delray Beach Playhouse.

While most of the area's beach activities happen on the barrier island to the east, West Palm Beach has plenty of outdoor activities. Arrange accommodations near Westgate for Mounts Botanical Garden. Stay here to explore other areas on the western side of the city including Pond Cypress Natural Areas, Okeeheelee Park, Lion Country Safari, and McCarthys Wildlife Sanctuary in Loxahatchee. Book a hotel on the south side of West Palm Beach near Vedado to be close to the Palm Beach Zoo. Farther south along the ocean, Lake Worth is a popular place to stay for its inland park with a lake, as well as its dybeachfront parks and a municipal pier on a barrier island. To the north, Riviera Beach has accommodations near an inland natural area, a community marina, state and municipal parks, and pretty Peanut Island Park.

Downtown West Palm Beach offers plenty of choices for accommodations near multiple shopping areas. Look for a hotel along Clematis Street or close to CityPlace for boutiques and shopping chains. Northwood Village is another good shopping spot in the Northwood neighborhood, while Antique Row is close to hotels in the Vedado area just south of the city. Westgate has its own mall, Westward, with accommodations nearby. For bargain-hunting stay in the Palm Beach Lakes neighborhood and look for deals on high-end fashion at Palm Beach Outlets.