The Colony Hotel has long been a hub for celebrities visiting Palm Beach.
Since the resort known as "Pink Paradise" opened in 1947, it has drawn major international names including Judy Garland, John Lennon and Frank Sinatra.
And more recently, it played host to a slate of big names as part of a weeklong lineup of filming for "Entertainment Tonight" — including Amber Chardae Robinson, one of the stars of the Apple TV+ series "Palm Royale," which is set in 1969 Palm Beach.
The daily TV program that provides news and behind-the-scenes looks at the latest in pop culture set up a temporary poolside studio for Palm Beach Week, a partnership between the show, The Colony and Discover The Palm Beaches, the county's official tourism marketing agency.
Filming started July 22, with crews working three to four hours a day through July 25, when Robinson's interview filmed. The episodes ran the same week.
It was the actress' first time in Palm Beach — "Palm Royale" was filmed in and around Los Angeles — and while it was a short stay, she said she was excited to be here.
"I leave Saturday," she said Thursday, "so I do have a little bit of time to take in the city. I'm gonna go and try to get some good food, maybe go to the beach, spend a day by the pool."
Other guests during the week included Tyler Cameron, the Jupiter native and former contestant on "The Bachelorette," and Larsa Pippen of "The Real Housewives of Miami."
"Entertainment Tonight" also highlighted The Colony's Goop villa with a tour led by Gwyneth Paltrow, who helped to design the renovation with New York design firm Ronen Lev.
The show highlighted some local favorite attractions, including shopping on Worth Avenue and an Intracoastal cruise with Seed Sailing Co.
The 4 million people who watch "Entertainment Tonight" every day made the show a natural choice to showcase The Colony Hotel and the Palm Beaches, said Milton Segarra, president and chief executive of Discover The Palm Beaches.
"The show allows us to target a large national and international audience that may be interested in traveling to our iconic destination," he said. "The show also has a proven track record of increasing website traffic for destinations while broadcasting from a desirable location such as ours."
Calling Palm Beach County "Florida's Most Stylish Vacation Destination," Segarra said the show "was an ideal fit for us, as The Palm Beaches have attracted celebrities, barons and billionaires, presidents and even royalty since its inception to visit our luxurious resorts and legendary beaches." And with the popularity of shows including "Palm Royale" and "Apples Never Fall" — a Peacock series set in West Palm Beach — more people are noticing the Palm Beaches, Segarra said.
It was also the first time in Palm Beach for the show's hosts, Kevin Frazier and Nischelle Turner.
"It's been incredibly enlightening," Turner said. "It's been so much fun. The people here are really warm. It's so laid back, relaxed, but it does whisper wealth for sure."
Turner and Frazier said they spent time exploring Palm Beach and the surrounding area, walking to restaurants and shops and getting a feel for the island. "I've spent a good deal of time on Worth Avenue this week," Turner said, laughing as she added, "Sorry, not sorry."
She compared it to Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills — the show is based in Los Angeles — and said Worth Avenue has a certain joie de vivre.
Frazier said he was impressed as he drove along the ocean, looking up at the mansions. "Also, just getting to hang with the locals and talk," he said.
Turner is a fan of "Palm Royale," and said she was excited to film here because of that.
"The first place I went was the Lilly Pulitzer flagship store," she said of the Palm Beach-born brand's location on Worth Avenue. "When I stepped in there, I was like, 'I'm here. This is Palm Beach. This is Palm Royale. I have arrived.'"
Both hosts said they were excited to be interviewed by the Palm Beach Daily News, known as the Shiny Sheet, because of its prominence in the series. "I know it's weird. We do a national show, and we're like, 'This is the big news. The Shiny Sheet is here,'" Frazier said.
Robinson's appearance on "Entertainment Tonight" came in the wake of "Palm Royale" receiving 11 Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Comedy Series.
"It's such a huge blessing and such a sigh of relief," Robinson said of the nominations. "You never know how people are gonna perceive art, because it's subjective, so it's really exciting."
In the series, Kristen Wiig plays Maxine Dellacorte, an outsider desperate to break into Palm Beach society. She soon meets Linda (Laura Dern) and Virginia, played by Robinson, who run a counterculture bookstore named Our Bodies, Our Shelves in West Palm Beach. As a Black feminist, Virginia casts doubt on Maxine's intentions and the world of high society, while creating a safe space for women.
She's also one of the few characters who, it seems, doesn't get bogged down in backhanded schemes.
"It's kind of reminiscent of my real life," Robinson said. "I tend to be the more practical one in the room, and being a Southern girl, and being Black in the South, is very specific. So being Black in 1969 in Palm Beach is very specific. Her having that voice is what stood out to me the most."
Turner said she hopes "Entertainment Tonight" has a long relationship with the Palm Beaches. "It's been such a great week," she said.
"They have extended such a welcoming arm and it feels like we have a great partner," Frazier added.
Credit also goes to "Palm Royale" for introducing more people to Palm Beach, Turner said.
"It's what brought us here," she noted. "So to open up folks' eyes to this part of the country that is a little secret — and I have had some people say, 'Oh god, you're discovering our secret. Our secret's getting out.' Yes. It is getting out tonight.
"It's too late now. Hollywood's coming to have a little fun."
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Palm Beach hotel hosts 'Entertainment Tonight' with 'Palm Royale' star
Local News
Comments / 0