Individuals who love Fort Lauderdale actually love Fort Lauderdale. Take Evelyn Fortune Bartlett: the acclaimed painter, artwork patron, and South Florida socialite fondly remembered as town's grande dame. 

After her divorce from pharmaceutical inheritor Eli Lilly, Evelyn Fortune married the widowed Chicago artist Frederic Clay Bartlett in 1931. The pair quickly started frequenting his property in then-rural Fort Lauderdale, with Evelyn lending her personal eclectic aesthetic to the Caribbean-inspired residence often called the Bonnet Home. She additionally loved tending to the sprawling tropical gardens — bringing again vegetation from her world travels, and even adopting a troop of monkeys. Mrs. Bartlett wintered there into her superior age, defending the property from builders as Fort Lauderdale rose up round her. Her demise in 1997 was thought of the top of an period. 

"She actually was the girl of Fort Lauderdale," Mazen Saleh informed me once I visited from New York forward of the property's opening. "We felt like there wasn't actually a greater method to symbolize the spirit of the place." Saleh, basic supervisor of the brand new 4 Seasons Resort and Residences Fort Lauderdale, was telling me in regards to the "Bonnet Home" — a signature cocktail named after the close by property (now on the Nationwide Register of Historic Locations). Many concerned within the lodge's growth visited the museum and botanical backyard to be taught extra in regards to the metropolis's historical past; the lead mixologist took the chance to trace down Evelyn's daiquiri recipe. Evelyn was identified to make it by the pitcher, utilizing the Rangpur limes that grew on the grounds. 

The foyer at 4 Seasons Fort Lauderdale The foyer of the 4 Seasons Resort and Residences Fort Lauderdale. | Credit score: Courtesy of 4 Seasons Fort Lauderdale

The brand new 4 Seasons opened on Mar. 3 on Fort Lauderdale Seashore Boulevard, becoming a member of the model's 4 current Florida properties in Palm Seashore, Miami, Surfside, and Orlando. The splashy opening could be considerably of a shock on this laid-back enclave 30 miles north of Miami. "It's been some time for the reason that final luxurious property opened right here," Saleh defined, therefore the need to verify the property feels in concord with Fort Lauderdale at massive. "It's been heartwarming to see the welcome we've gotten from locals," he continued. "The town's prepared for it." 

The lodge occupies a bright-white constructing designed by Miami architect Kobi Karp, with 22 tales of curved traces and wraparound terraces — paying homage to the yachts that make this one of many boating capitals of the nation.

"The placement is unbeatable," architect Martin Brudnizki, whose design studio envisioned the lodge's restaurant and out of doors areas, mentioned. "I really feel that Fort Lauderdale straddles the magnificence and custom of Palm Seashore and the vibrancy of Miami." 

Prime Ocean View Room at 4 Seasons Fort Lauderdale An ocean-view room on property. | Credit score: Courtesy of 4 Seasons Fort Lauderdale

Tara Bernerd, whose agency oversaw the design for the visitor rooms and public areas, was additionally excited by the opportunity of Fort Lauderdale. "It was so totally different from what individuals informed me," she informed me of her first go to to town. "With the ability to cross the highway from any lodge onto the seashore, with the gorgeous palms, jogged my memory nearly of the Croisette in Cannes. Regardless that it's a lot nearer to the Bahamas, there’s that nostalgia of the Riviera."

Each heavy-hitting designers needed to nod to that nautical nostalgia in a delicate approach. On the restaurant, Brudnizki makes use of linens, sea grass, and marine colours that complement the ocean vistas from the eating room. For the 189 rooms and suites, Bernerd introduced in brass accents and lacquered wooden — calling to thoughts the modern detailing on a Riva yacht — in addition to stone flooring, wicker headboards and sliding doorways, and a palette of blues in some rooms, dusky blush and turquoise in others.

In every visitor room, a low console shelf stretches alongside a full wall, then curves out right into a sculptural window-facing desk with water views — whether or not or not it’s the Atlantic or town's well-known canals and intercoastal islets. Bogs are stocked with Le Labo merchandise in full sizes (there aren’t any single-use plastics on property). The constructing can also be shared with numerous residential models; these excited about an apartment-style keep can ebook lodge residences by way of 4 Seasons' rental program.  

Aerial view of the pool at 4 Seasons Fort Lauderdale The Ocean Solar Deck has two swimming pools and cabana seating with views of the Atlantic. | Credit score: Courtesy of 4 Seasons Fort Lauderdale

Additionally designed by Tara Bernerd & Companions is the expansive wellness middle, which features a serene spa and ocean-view fitness center full with "health wall" for digital solo exercises. Two swimming pools (and loads of sunny lounge area) could be discovered on the third-level principal deck, the place Brudnizki took benefit of "the unbroken views of the ocean past." The platform appears to jut out over the Atlantic just like the prow of a ship. 

In 4 Seasons fashion, meals is impeccable and plentiful: the foyer lounge, Honey Fitz, shortly turns into a visitor's middle of orbit, transitioning from morning espresso and baked items (by knockout pastry chef Christina Kaelberer) to a lunch unfold for packing up a seashore picnic. Within the night, it's a moody spot for a glass from the strong listing of grower Champagnes and pure wines.  

Inside of Evelyn's at 4 Seasons Fort Lauderdale The eating room of Evelyn’s Fort Lauderdale, helmed by chef Brandon Salomon. | Credit score: Courtesy of 4 Seasons Fort Lauderdale

The culinary program can also be serving to deliver the broader Fort Lauderdale group into the lodge to share a meal. Reservations are already laborious to come back by for the standout restaurant from chef Brandon Salomon — previously of Florie's, Mauro Colagreco's restaurant on the 4 Seasons resort in Palm Seashore.

Salomon's seafood-focused menu explores the delicacies the Japanese Mediterranean: highlights from my dinner included steaming contemporary pita and basic mezze (hummus, muhammara, baba ghanoush) garnished with edible flowers; small cubes of potato pavé, the chef's tackle batata harra, with loads of chili and paprika; and complete branzino filled with citrus and herbs, filleted tableside and bathed in smoky coriander chermoula. For a nightcap, I ordered the Bonnet Home — aromatic with citrus and za'atar-infused maple syrup.

The restaurant's title? Evelyn's, in fact.  

For extra info and to ebook a keep, go to fourseasons.com/fortlauderdale.