The Nora Hotel, from the Mercer’s hoteliers, opens in West Palm Beach with Florida’s first Sisley spa

The Nora Hotel opened on Monday 19 October 2026 in West Palm Beach, the town next door to Palm Beach, Florida, with 201 rooms from the hoteliers behind The Mercer and The Bowery in New York. Set beside former railway warehouses, this independent boutique hotel is home to Florida’s first Sisley spa, the Pastis brasserie and, later on, a three-part rooftop.

☰Contents

1. The Mercer and Bowery hoteliers head to Florida
2. Nora, short for North Railroad Avenue
3. 201 rooms beneath cypress panelling
4. Pastis and Jack’s Bar, a Kennedy-era mood
5. Florida’s first Sisley spa: four treatment rooms
6. Up on the roof, Lillys will open in three parts
7. How much is a night at The Nora?

The Mercer and Bowery hoteliers head to Florida

BD Hotels was founded in New York in 1986 by Richard Born and Ira Drukier. In New York the pair own The Mercer in SoHo, The Bowery, Hotel Chelsea and The Greenwich. For The Nora, they have teamed up with hotelier Sean MacPherson, co-developer of the project. It is their first major joint project outside New York.

The hotel belongs to no major chain: it is not a Marriott or Hilton brand but an independent address, a member of The Leading Hotels of the World, the association that brings together independent luxury hotels.

Nora, short for North Railroad Avenue

West Palm Beach is the town next door to Palm Beach, Florida. The Nora stands north of downtown, in the Nora District: the name comes from North Railroad Avenue, the hotel’s street. The neighbourhood fills century-old railway warehouses along a cobbled street, over some 16 hectares.

The district is backed by three developers: NDT Development, Place Projects and Wheelock Street Capital.

201 rooms beneath cypress panelling

The architecture is by Stantec and the interiors by GACHOT, the New York studio of Christine and John Gachot, known for the Shinola Hotel in Detroit. The style draws on Spanish Colonial Revival, with arches, pale walls and chequerboard floors, and on the architect Addison Mizner, who gave Palm Beach its Mediterranean villas. The panelling is in “pecky” cypress, a wood naturally pitted with small pockets, and the rooms mix GACHOT furniture with antiques. The art was curated by Madison Melle Agency.

The 201 rooms and suites include accessible rooms, one-bedroom suites and an executive suite. The smallest room measures 28 to 30 m², the Junior Suite about 56 m².

Pastis and Jack’s Bar, a Kennedy-era mood

Food and drink are in the hands of STARR Restaurants, the group led by restaurateur Stephen Starr. On the ground floor, Pastis, the Parisian brasserie born in New York, opened with the hotel; Pastis Privé hosts private events.

In the lobby, Jack’s Bar plays on Camelot, the nickname given to the Kennedy years in the White House: a coffered ceiling and a grand piano.

Florida’s first Sisley spa: four treatment rooms

The French skincare house Sisley opens its first spa in Florida here. Covering about 370 m², it brings together four treatment rooms, a mixed hammam, a lounge and an outdoor terrace.

Up on the roof, Lillys will open in three parts

The roof will belong to Lillys, created by Mama Hospitality, the group behind the restaurant Mary Lou’s. It will have three spaces: Lillys Pool around the swimming pool, Bar Lilly and Cafe Lilly. On 20 October 2026, its website still announced an opening to come, with no date.

For another stay in Florida, take a look at the Don CeSar, the pink palace of St. Pete Beach, which is gearing up for its centenary.

How much is a night at The Nora?

The opening press release quotes rooms from 395 dollars a night. On the official booking engine, on 20 October 2026, for the night of 17 to 18 November 2026 and two adults, we found 347 dollars before tax for the Standard Queen (prepaid, non-refundable rate), 360 dollars for the Superior King and 875 dollars for the Junior Suite.