The Nora Hotel, a 201-key hotel from hotelier Sean MacPherson and BD Hotels, will open later this month at 1135 North Railroad Avenue in West Palm Beach, Fla.
The Nora marks MacPherson and BD Hotels’ first major collaborative project outside New York City. The hotel is a member of Leading Hotels of the World and anchors West Palm Beach’s NORA District. NDT Development, Place Projects and Wheelock Street Capital developed the property.
Design firm GACHOT, led by Christine and John Gachot, designed the hotel, which reinterprets Spanish Colonial Revival and early 20th-century Mediterranean influences. Features include pecky cypress woodwork and custom GACHOT furniture and antiques. The Madison Melle Agency curated the artwork. The 201 guest rooms include ADA rooms, one-bedroom suites and an executive suite.
Renowned restaurateur Stephen Starr oversees culinary programming at STARR Restaurants. Jack’s Bar, a lobby bar, and Pastis, a Parisian-style brasserie, occupy the ground floor.
Mama Hospitality, the group behind Mary Lou’s in Palm Beach, Miami and Montauk, conceived and developed the Lillys rooftop restaurant and will lead its concept, guest experience, programming and cultural identity. Lillys has three areas: Lillys Pool, Bar Lilly and Cafe Lilly.
The hotel houses the first Sisley Spa in Florida. It has four private treatment rooms, a co-ed steam room and spa lounge, and an outdoor terrace. Treatments include deep-tissue, hot stone, sports and Swedish massages, as well as facials and body scrubs. The spa is open daily, and reservations are required for all treatments.
Founded in 1986 in New York City by Richard Born and Ira Drukier, BD Hotels owns and operates dozens of properties, mostly across Manhattan, and has developed boutique hotels such as The Bowery, The Mercer, The Chelsea and The Greenwich hotels.