Think of this not as a recap, but as your blueprint for a girls’ trip that goes beyond the basic—

equal parts glamorous, cheeky, and unforgettable.

Our inaugural FLIGHTS OF FANCY girls’ trip was one for the books!

Be sure to check out our PALM BEACH STYLE GUIDE if you need a vision board to go along with the playbook, and our CAFTANS & CONFESSIONS SWAG BAG if you’re looking for inspiration for all the personalized goodies to share with your krewe for your own Flight of Fancy.

• FIRST TOAST | Girls gather, corks pop at home and the adventure begins
• TRANSFER | Private party bus transfer to the airport
• FLY | New Orleans > Fort Lauderdale
• TRANSFER | Private party bus transfer to Palm Beach
• CHECK IN | Villa Jasmine plus extra rooms & suites at The Colony Hotel
• REFRESH | Quick change artists get ready for a​n epic start to this adventure

{Fun Fact: A lot of these are mine. Can there ever be too much swag?!}

Every story worth telling begins with a toast, and ours started with Poor Kent playing host.

He even dressed the part in his pink The Colony Hotel polo, his (my) souvenir from our last visit, and was very proud of the fact that he spied “Coligny” rosé at the liquor store when he was on the hunt to fill our wine bucket.

Popping corks and sending us off with that perfect mix of concern and amusement he does so well, he sent us more than well on our way.

We had to set the tone for the grandest of girls’ getaways and only made sense to share a ride, so a private coach carried our krewe to the airport, laughter and secrets spilling faster than the bubbles. Thank you to Luxury Rides LLC in New Orleans for being such good sports and getting us to the airport (and many other places around town) in style.

We only live 10 minutes from the airport but girls get thirsty and there may or may not have been more cork-popping involved.

After a quick lunch at the airport- with more toasts of course – it was…

WHEELS UP!

Our flight was blissfully empty—at least two rows to a person—but not without drama playing out in the row right in front of us. Midair, a passenger clutched his chest thinking he was having a heart attack and the cabin snapped to attention.

We were minutes from an emergency landing before the crew, a married doctor/nurse team onboard, some oxygen, and an expired Benadryl tablet from my carryon bag calmed him enough so we could continue all the way to FLL where the ground medics confirmed he was ok.

We touched down shaken but not stirred, reunited with our final leading lady who flew in from Atlanta, and enjoyed the 45 min seamless drive toward our pink palace: The Colony Hotel.

She was just as I’d remembered.

And just as grand as I’d promised the krewe she would be.

From the moment we first glimpsed her shining around the corner from Worth Avenue, The Colony Hotel felt like a love letter written in pink chinoiserie perfection. It’s a scene where rattan and chintz live their best lives alongside de Gornay lovingly and so thoughtfully splashed walls.

The mood is softly glamorous and you can just close your eyes and see the Slim Aarons scene unfold alternating martinis and grasshoppers at Swifty’s while lounging on sherbet striped chaises, only pausing to ponder life’s great debates like where to go for dinner and who’d be wearing what.

At least that was our plan.

Bags dropped, rosé ordered — Palm Beach, we’ve arrived.

For more about The Colony Hotel, be sure to check out last year’s trip report when Poor Kent and I enjoyed both Villa Jasmine and Villa Lantana, The Pink Paradise.

And to see how The Colony Hotel and specifically Villa Lantana inspired our Amazon Backyard Makeover at home, check out Backyard Bliss.

• FIRST (Palm Beach) TOAST | Swifty’s Bar – Live Music Poolside
• TRANSIT | The Colony House Car or walk from the hotel to dinner
• DINNER | Buccan (don’t worry about what to order, let them tell you!)
• TURN DOWN (for what?) | Either walk to Bar A Vin by Buccan, or Uber to Cucina Palm Beach for more toasts & laughs, and cue the dance party — or stumble back to the hotel early and call it a successful first night

We traded Ticket to Fly attire for Palm Beach Chic and let the evening play out as scripted…sorta.

We gathered at Swifty’s for the first toast, live music threading through the poolside palms behind us while glasses chimed like a starting bell. Then the Colony house car floated us the few blissful blocks we could have easily walked (because why not), and Buccan did what Buccan does—courses appeared as if they’d been reading our minds, each bite better than the one before it. And while the menu at Buccan changes constantly, if you’re lucky enough to go when Duck Empanadas are on rotation…marry them.

Before we go any further with this epic adventure recount – I want to say a heartfelt THANK YOU to Marta and Fern at The Colony Hotel for being my partners is fabulous crime. You’ll often hear me say that in the luxury travel industry, it’s not what you know but WHO you know that matters, and that the people are what make me love my role in this world so much. Marta, thank you for working your usual magic with our accommodations and VIP status and Fern, our honorary attendee, your skill in scoring hard to get reservations and offering the most personalized suggestions…chef’s kiss!

It takes a village, and I’m so glad you both live in mine.

• BREAKFAST | Swifty’s or Room Service at The Colony Hotel
• EXPLORE | 4 hrs in a Limo Sprinter for Treasure Hunting and Palm Beach exploration (Stops at: Worth Avenue, Clock Tower, The Church Mouse, The Breakers, and more!)
• LUNCH | Seafood Bar at The Breakers
• REFRESH | Back to the Colony, quick change artists get ready for an afternoon on the water

Morning drifted in gently (ish)...gentlier for others than some (me), but we all made it to breakfast at Swifty’s - we couldn't miss it since daily breakfast was one of our treasured Virtuoso amenities included with our reservations, and it did not disappoint!

By mid-morning our Limo Sprinter rolled up and we set off treasure hunting — but not without a quick stop at Scotti’s for provisions for our adventure at sea planned for later. Pro Tip: Scotti’s Liquor will not only have your order iced and ready for pickup, but they’ll deliver to The Colony Hotel, too (it’s also an easy walk from the hotel).

{Yes, there were personalized car magnets….no one should be surprised by this.}

From there., Worth Avenue was our runway. Between vintage boutiques, jewel-box shops, and more photo ops than we could count, this parade of pinks, pastels, and perfectly polished storefronts had us leaning fully into the Palm Royale fantasy.

A breezy photo pause at the Clock Tower, a lucky haul at The Church Mouse, and then we were off for a sweep through The Breakers for a little architectural awe and beautiful oceanfront bliss. The weather couldn’t have been better so we stayed for lunch at The Seafood Bar, watching the aquarium countertop and the Atlantic trade glances.

Afterward, we headed back to The Colony Hotel for a swift reset—quick-change artists, every one of us—before the afternoon shifted to the water and the day took on that easy, salt-tinged shine that Palm Beach delivers so perfectly.

• TRANSIT | Limo Sprinter from The Colony Hotel to the Marina
• YACHT ROCK | 3 hour Private Yacht Charter
• TRANSIT | Uber from the Marina back to The Colony Hotel
• REFRESH | Quick change artists get ready for a night on the town

Champagne tastes better with sea spray in the air.

Our beverage provisions from Scotti’s partnered perfectly with the InstaCart delivery from Publix which had been delivered to The Colony while we toured, and the amazing hotel team even refrigerated things in our villa for us pending our return…from lettuce wraps to chocolate covered strawberries, who knew grocery store delivery could bring the wow so well?!

Food and drink not withstanding, let’s take a moment for the boat. One of our favorite things to do at FILLING THE NEST is arrange private yacht days for our clients so of course we arranged one for ourselves.

The most delightful husband-and-wife duo captained and first mated our sleek navy, gold & white (how beautifully on brand) vessel with effortless choreography—glasses topped off in a constant, quiet flow—while yacht rock hummed, the breeze softened every edge, and the afternoon slipped, beautifully, into golden hour.

We sailed, we swam, we laughed.

And there may or may not have been a life-saving moment to keep one of us from floating out to sea.

And minus the unconventional way we sat on laps and triple buckled all eight of us into one small ride back to the hotel -shoutout to Steph who sat on a steptstool our driver had just purchased at Kirkland’s so he could fit us …

It was pretty much Palm Beach – and FLIGHTS OF FANCY – perfection.

• TRANSIT | Uber from The Colony Hotel to MaryLou’s
• DINNER | MaryLou’s
• TRANSIT | Uber from MaryLou’s back to The Colony Hotel for late night drinks at Swifty’s

By nightfall, having come off the water sun-kissed and buoyant, we traded deck shoes for heels, and Ubered our way to MaryLou’s, the island’s hottest new late night spot. The space was just starting to purr – espresso martinis crisp, lighting kind—and our shared tapas dinner unfolded just right.

Then the party set rolled in and we realized our prime perch for dinner had been reserved for late night bottle service…for someone else. We were left to choose between fighting for elbow space on the bump-and-grind dance floor or moving on, so we took our time with final sips and then parted with tongue in cheek smiles before slipping back to the Pink Paradise where we gladly poured ourselves into another round at Swifty’s — which was much more our tempo anyway.

• BREAKFAST | Swifty’s or Room Service at The Colony Hotel
• BEACH | {Option} Beach Butler setup by The Colony Hotel
• POOL | {Option} Claim your chaise at The Colony Hotel Live Music Poolside 11:30AM-3:30 PM
• BOUTIQUES | {Optional} Worth Avenue Stroll
• EXPLORE | {Optional} Hotel House Car to The Flagler Museum

Sunday eased in with all the options beckoning. Some of us answered the call at Swifty’s; the rest let room service and balcony breezes do the honors.

By midmorning, we had scattered exactly as planned.

A quick text had The Colony’s Beach Butler set our umbrellas and striped towels in perfect formation along the sand and back at the Colony pool, chaises were claimed as the live music began.

A few wandered Worth Avenue for a last treasure (or two), while the culture set drifted to the Flagler Museum for marble, murals, and a quiet hour of Gilded Age air-conditioning.

Lunch was a choose-your-own—salads under palms, a club sandwich by the pool to give solid companionship to the icy margs—leaving the afternoon to unfurl at precisely the speed everyone wanted.

And there was no shortage of pool chatter.

• CAFTAILING | Swifty’s – Poolside
• BINGO | Swifty’s at The Colony Hotel
• DINNER | La Goulue

Next up was caftailing at Swifty’s before Bingo— not a single one of us won (or even came close) but at least we had a nice consolation prize: a full see-and-be-seen scene that did not disappoint.

A light drizzle and craving for a hearty dinner sent us strolling (and a few in the house car) to La Goulue, which is usually packed and like Buccan, can be really hard to get in—but tonight we practically had the place to ourselves. Insider note: even on a quiet off-season night, call ahead to reserve the Prime Rib.

• REFRESH | Quick change artists get ready for a night to remember
• SLUMBER PARTY | Flights of Fancy Nest (Villa Jasmine)

We drifted out of dinner, poured ourselves into The Colony house car – this time the golf cart – and in no time we were back at The Pink Paradise where we traded caftans for housecoats, and regrouped at Swifty’s (of course) where the order practically placed itself: a round of espresso martinis and grasshoppers under a moon that knew our names….and our story.

Then it was back to Villa Jasmine for the grand finale: karaoke that started demure and went delightfully off-key, custom pillowcases and silk sleep masks lined up like party favors, and “only a little” pillow fighting—we promised to behave and mostly did.

Or did we? What happens in Palm Beach stays in Palm Beach and some secrets we’ll never tell.

• LAZY AM | The Colony Hotel (pool, beach, or last call for shopping!)
• CHECK OUT | The Colony Hotel (store luggage)
• TRANSIT | Walk or The Colony House Car Hotel to Brunch
• LUNCH | Le Bilboquet One last Cheers before we go!
• TRANSIT | Walk or The Colony House Car Lunch back to the Hotel, grab luggage
• TRANSFER | Private luxury limo bus transfer The Colony Hotel to FLL

Our last morning was gentle—late wake-ups, soft robes, slow packing…and a final wander through the lobby we’d started calling home.

Then it was off to Le Bilboquet for one more Palm Beach moment: crisp wine and the kind of table that encourages lingering.

Proud Louisiana girl that I am, and descendant of too many great Cajun cooks to count – none of whom passed on the skillset to me – I tend to avoid any dish out of state that claims to be “Cajun”, but I can attest that Le Poulet Cajun – the longtime speciality of Le Bilboquet – was not only my favorite meal of the trip, but I’m currently googling the recipe and approach so Poor Kent can attempt to duplicate for me at home.

{Most likely laughing over dorm secrets from 1988}

Brunch chatter was not surpisingly a story recap and recount (for those of us with slightly hazy memories of certain moments) of our perfectly paced four days: sunshine, straw hats, warm smiles, and well-made martinis — amongst a friend group that laughed its way through every scene.

We arrived as a group chat and left as a running inside joke, not wanting this chapter to end.

Palm Beach, keep our seats warm…we’re already plotting the sequel.

Caftans & Confessions wasn’t just a Palm Beach getaway—it was the first in a series of curated Flights of Fancy escapes designed for women who want more than a typical girls’ trip. Think bespoke itineraries where glamour meets good fun, caftans meet confessions, and every toast becomes part of the story.

We’re here to help you write it…because your story was always meant to be extraordinary.