A Return to Bliss: The Diplomat Beach Resort Revisited
A recap of my Bleisure trip to the South Florida resort
In June of 2021, while still more-or-less in the middle of a global pandemic, I spent three blissful days at the Diplomat Beach Resort & Spa. Last week, I checked in again for a work meeting.
Back in 2021, I blogged about my stay. I started my recap with this paragraph:
“This is a very nice resort,” my Uber driver said as he pulled up to the Diplomat’s Porte-cochere. But, as I hauled my bags up the stairs after waiting in vain for a bellhop, I wasn’t inclined to believe him. When I entered the spacious lobby, though, my hope was rekindled. I had to pause for a moment to take it all in.
When I arrived at the Diplomat last week, I again waited in vain for a bellhop. They just don’t exist at this property. After lugging my bags up the stairs, I stood once again in awe of the beautiful lobby. I learned during my stay that the palm trees will be removed and replaced by a variety of tropical plants when the property undergoes renovations in the next year. I will miss them, so I’ve posted the above photo of the lobby for posterity.
This time around, I got a room with a balcony. It truly made a difference. Even though the room was smaller, was missing robes and slippers, and had obvious signs of wear and tear, I was delighted to have it. However, I spent the majority of my short stay in a meeting room on the 33rd floor. The room had sunrise and sunset balconies, and views as far as the eye could see. Yet, it was designed so that they weren’t distracting. It was a productive meeting, but on that first day, I was looking forward to lunch.
When I visited in 2021, the only restaurant that was open was the beachfront casual-dining restaurant Playa. During my stay last week, every restaurant was open. I was spoiled for choice. Unfortunately, I chose Playa. I was thrilled to see that the three Mahi-Mahi Fish Tacos were still on the menu. My mouth watered as I ordered them, remembering the fresh, crisp, tasty treat that I had eaten for two days straight back then (photo left). However, what I received (photo right) was the opposite of tasty. I guess the saying is true: you can’t go home again. Fortunately, the other restaurants on the property had plenty of delicious culinary delights, so I could create new memories. One, in particular, was a key lime pie from Counterpoint Cafe that was worth the calories.
On the morning of my only leisure day, I awoke to a beautiful sunrise. I was so happy that I had packed a swimsuit. In less than an hour, I was on the beach jumping waves like a kid again. And quoting a friend I made on the same beach back in 2021, “I came here for this!”
THE HAMMOCK SOCIETY TRAVEL TIP
The Diplomat is within walking distance of a Walmart Supercenter. If you’re staying for more than two days, make that your first stop to save on water and snacks.