What it's like to stay at Donald Trump's Florida resort home, the Mar-a-Lago Club

Raisa Bruner

Mar 17, 2016, 02:20 IST

(Photo by Evan Agostini/Getty Images)

Both Donald Trump and his son, Donald Trump, Jr., were married on the estate. Pictured, above: Donald, Jr.'s wedding day.

The Mar-a-Lago Club is Donald Trump's Florida resort - and home base outside of Manhattan.

It's the top-ranked spa in Palm Beach on Trip Advisor, and gets five stars on Yelp. But what's it really like to stay there?

James Taylor, the famous singer-songwriter, spent a week there with his wife and children to perform at a charity gala on the property. His wife penned an account of their stay at the Mar-a-Lago for Vanity Fair. Calling herself and her husband "dyed-in-the-wool, yellow dog Democrats", Taylor still attempts to offer an unbiased review of the hotel.Advertisement

See what it's like to stay at the ultimate in lavish Trump real estate, below.

Mar-a-Lago is a beach and pool club and spa, with rooms, suites, and cottages spread over 20 acres. The club has been the site of everything from Trump's most recent wedding to Maya Angelou's 80th birthday party, hosted by Oprah Winfrey.

It's one of the most "exotic, larger-than-life" hotels Taylor says she's ever visited. The 118-room resort was originally built in the 1920s by Marjorie Merriweather Post, America's richest woman, until she bequeathed it to the U.S. government and it fell into disrepair.

Trump scooped it up in 1985 for less than $10 million, renovated it, and ultimately turned it into the society destination it is today. Taylor describes the clientele as "lacquered blondes" wearing "five-inch Louboutins."

The casual patio restaurant serves dishes like "Barron's Macaroni", named after Trump's youngest son. The pasta dish receives top marks from the Taylor family.

Big charity and private events are often staged at the Mar-a-Lago; the Taylors were in town for an event benefiting a Boston cancer research hospital. Below is an image from the Palm Beach Zoo Ball, also held at the club.

The Cavallino Car Classic was another recent swanky party.

The family stayed in the suite usually reserved for Ivanka Trump, the Banyan Bungalow. She's a regular visitor.

Taylor's two young sons enjoyed time at the beach and pool, below.

A tunnel connects the pristine, manicured croquet grounds...

... to the beach. But you can't go inside while in beach or pool attire, as there's a formal dress code.

"The Mar-a-Lago staff was gracious, kind, and always at attention," Taylor notes. She notices "certain demographics": Jamaican security personnel, housekeepers of Caribbean or Latin American background, and restaurant staff of Eastern European descent.

When she asks about Trump, they respond politely. "He is [a] sweet, sweet man," one staff member says.

Trump happened to stop by while the Taylors were staying at the Mar-a-Lago. Their charity party ended in a Trump victory celebration, thanks to a primary win. Below is another recent victory celebration.

Taylor's parting thoughts? She may not be returning, but about the resort itself she has nothing bad to say. "Well, the staff was dear. The food was good, the boys had fun. We got a tan."

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