City: Manalapan, FL

Category: Accommodations

Telephone: (561) 533-6000 or (800) 542-86

Address: 100 S. Ocean Blvd.

Description: Manalapan is a tiny community just south of West Palm Beach with 321 lucky residents who live the good life. And it’s the perfect spot for a Ritz-Carlton. As those who have stayed here before know, a Ritz-Carlton is, perhaps more than anything else, an experience.A tan, red-roofed castle rising on the beach, this hotel was built in 1991. Its 310 rooms, most of which have either a king or two doubles, are set amidst seven tropical acres and a private beach. All rooms feature marble baths with rain showerheads and separate bathtubs, Italian custom-made mahogany furniture, wireless Internet access, and complimentary morning paper. There’s a state-of-the art fitness facility for those who want to stay in shape, and the comprehensive business center is very well-equipped. The pool area is one of the most beautiful in Florida. Tennis courts are on-site, and excellent golf is just a couple of miles away. Para-sailing, jet-skiing, and kayaking are among the water sports offered.You’ll never taste cookies again like the ones offered in the Club Lounge in the afternoon, and you’ll enjoy at least one of the five dining options on the premises. At Temple Orange, you can eat indoors or al fresco; either way, you’ll see the ocean while you enjoy Italian/Mediterranean cuisine. This restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. At the Stir Bar and Terrace you can enjoy cocktails and light dishes during the day and at night, bask in the glow of the outdoor fire-pit while enjoying Flames of the Fire desserts (such as crème puff tic tac toe) and international coffees. The Breeze is an ocean-front cafe offering Caribbean-inspired specialties and drinks for lunch (no charge for the view!). At the world-class Eau Spa you can sit in a swinging chair in the Garden while indulging in imaginative goodies that take the senses for a very pleasurable ride, before your treatment, after your treatment, or even without a treatment. And you can even choose an option called Oceanfront Cabana Dining in which a custom meal is prepared only for you and your party in a private cabana.Then there’s the aforementioned Eau Spa with its water-gardens and rainfalls, and its 42,000 square feet of pure indulgence and pampering. In the Self-Centered Garden you can relax on a swinging chair while swishing your feet in a pool of shallow water. Or you can relax on waterfall benches while being caressed by warm, gently falling water. Create your own beauty kit at the Scrub and Polish Bar. Or get a massage, perhaps using aromatherapy, or warm stones, or thermal hydrating of the hands and feet. There are 19 private spa villas . . . three of them for couples only.

City: Manalapan, FL

Category: Nightlife

Telephone: (561) 585-3433

Address: 262 South Ocean Blvd.

Description: Florida Stage was originally called the Learning Stage when it was founded in 1985 by award-winning actor/director Louis Tyrell. Today it’s a leading producer of contemporary works by both established and emerging playwrights. The company’s first home was the Duncan Theatre Second Stage, at Palm Beach State College. In 1991, the company moved to a new 250-seat space in nearby Manalapan, and became Pope Theatre Company. In September of 1997, to begin its second decade, the company took its new name, Florida Stage. It has carved an exciting niche for itself, and it’s now recognized as the Southeast’s largest theater dedicated to producing exclusively new and developing work. The company has staged the world premiers of more than 30 plays, including works by renowned playwrights such as William Mastrosimone, Deborah Zoe Laufer, and Nilo Cruz. Florida Stage is consistently nominated for Carbonell Awards, the highest theater honors in South Florida.The 250-seat, three-quarter thrust auditorium is designed to maximize the quality of the sound and the sightlines. Innovative productions over the past year included Two Jews Walk Into a War, a funny, poignant play based on a true story about the last two Jews left in Afghanistan; a world premiere of The Storytelling Ability of a Boy, a dark comedy about an English teacher who gets too involved in the lives of two of her students; and Sins of the Mother, about the tragic truths that bind the families of an old fishing town together, and the secret that threatens to tear them apart.An afternoon or evening at Florida Stage promises to be provocative, intriguing, and thought-provoking. And you’ll be one of the first to see a play that you may very well hear about on larger stages a few months down the line.

City: Manalapan, FL

Category: Restaurants

Address: 100 South Ocean Blvd.

Description: Imagine an outdoor deck overlooking the Atlantic, with the sounds of the waves rushing in and the sea-breezes caressing your face. Then imagine yourself sitting there and enjoying fresh, delicious food and drink. If your imagination is vivid enough, you’ll find yourself sitting at Breeze, surrounded by the luxurious trappings of the Ritz-Carlton.Breeze has a fun way of classifying the dishes on its menu. You might want to start off, for instance, with something from the Cast Off section—blue crab taquitos, perhaps, or chicken nachos. There’s the Trim Sails category, with items such as the Key West cobb salad or the tropical fruit plate. The Main Sail section has dishes like the grilled Florida grouper sandwich and the tuna melt. You can top everything off with a Breezy Treat—the key lime pie with tropical chutney and citrus Chantilly, perhaps, or the fudge brownie, with caramel mousse and raspberry. And you can’t go to Breeze without trying one of their mojitos, the house specialty. These are a variety of great tropical drinks involving rums, schnapps, champagne, or liquers—among other items—in a variety of mixes and combinations. You may want to just take in that breeze and that aqua-green for a few hours, and try a couple of them.

City: Manalapan, FL

Category: Shopping

Telephone: (561) 585-8211

Address: 267 South Ocean Blvd.