Soak this in: Scoring a piece of pool-front real estate in Palm Beach takes more than tossing down a towel — a reserved bed for fun in the sun now costs as much as $1 million.
“They’re kind of a precious thing on Palm Beach,” said Corcoran broker Suzanne Frisbie. “They can get very expensive depending on how large they are.”
But these aren’t the cabanas from your parent’s favorite beach resort.
“They’re kind of a precious thing on Palm Beach [and] can get very expensive depending on how large they are.”
Corcoran broker Suzanne Frisbie
They’re tricked-out luxury spaces that only multi-million-dollar condo ownership entitles you to. And though they often trade with condos (like parking spaces or storage), they’re actually separate pieces of real estate with their own pint-sized deeds.
That also means owners must pay maintenance fees and taxes on their poolside escapes. And if their finances are sinking, they might decided to jettison their splash pads for a little floating capital. There are other senecios, too.
“If you sell your property and the buyer doesn’t want your cabana, you must sell that cabana right away,” said Fern Fodiman of Sotheby’s International Realty.
Looking to (Marco) make a splash yourself (Polo)? Go ahead, cannonball: These are the priciest cabanas in PB.
$1 million-plus: 2200 PGA Blvd. No. 301-302
There are just six privately owned cabanas at the Ritz-Carlton Residences in Palm Beach Gardens, a small city on South Florida’s mainland, each worth a cool $1 million.
Every cabana has a living area, a kitchenette and a bathroom, offering a gentle reprieve from the sun, said John Greene of Douglas Elliman. He represents unit 301-302 in the development at 2200 PGA Blvd., which is slated for completion next year. Priced at $15.5 million, the condo listing includes not only the cabana, but a boat slip.
“It gives you a sense of what you get for a million dollars in this market,” he said. “You get a private cabana.”
The east-facing poolside cubbies, which span up to 383 square feet, sit in the lap of luxury, looking across to the project’s private marina in the North Palm Beach Waterway.
Residents heading right to the gym or a restaurant can pop in for a quick change without going to their apartments, Greene added.
$500,000-plus: 2000 S Ocean 504N
The 93 cabanas at Sloans Curve, at 2000 and 2001 South Ocean Blvd. on Palm Beach, are each worth about $500,000, partially due to the condo’s proximity to the homes of Tommy Hilfiger and other celebrities, said Frisbie.
Frisbie represents unit 504N in 2000 South Ocean, which is priced at $7.99 million and includes a cabana. Along with a kitchenette and a full bath, it has pretty vegetation outside and privacy from the rest of the row.
And while a half-million-dollar valuation may seem absurd to some, thanks to the arch of the building, “The cabanas are nestled down in the dune and protected from the prevailing breeze,” she said. Plus, “Because it’s such a tiny market, as soon as one person pays it, that’s it.”
$500,000-plus: 2 N Breakers Row No. Penthouse 4
Over on Palm Beach island, the Breakers at 2 N Breakers Row has 40 cabanas, each tucked discretely behind a sliding glass door.
Measuring 175 square feet, they offer seclusion in the pool area, which is shared by residents and their guests (leading to nasty looks in the competition for chairs on busy days).
“When it’s 75 degrees, you just open the door and you have this amazing cross breeze,” said Jack Elkins of William Raveis South Florida.
His listing, the 3,560-square-foot No. PH4, is priced at $17.5 million and has a cabana.
Providing the ultimate convenience, snacks can be ordered right to it, Elkins said, but the proximity to the ocean makes it worth at least $500,000.
$500,000-plus: 2100 S Ocean 308N
Fodiman sold unit 308N at 2100 South Ocean Blvd. for $8.95 million in April 2023. Nicely updated and in a desirable location along the pool, the cabana attached that sale was also worth about $500,000, she said.
But even at that price point, demand is driving up prices up, up and away, said Fodiman, noting that most condos have lengthy waiting lists of hopeful buyers vying for cabanas. And while those in sunny spots were once more desirable: “Now people want them on the ocean side where they’re not in the sun,” she said. “On the ocean side, you’re literally watching the waves come in. It’s amazing.”
