Palm d'or - Palm beach

Despite the fact that the average resident of Palm Beach qualifies for a free bus pass, owing to the wizardry of plastic surgery, they don't look it. With the weather always just right for tennis, lavish houses, private polo pitches and jets galore, in Palm Beach the American Gilded Age is still in its heyday. Splendidly situated on some of Florida's prettiest beaches, the city has immaculately clean streets, and hedges so finely clipped you could place a ruler flat against them.

My husband Hugh and I were intrigued by a place in the sun where you are regarded as a frisky teenager at 50. We arrived at the Chesterfield Hotel late on a Friday night ready for a drink and immediately headed to the hotel bar, the fabulously named Leopard Room. The bar was festooned with leopard print and the clientele (who looked a lot like the cast of Casino, decked in crisp white suits and dazzling jewels) were lounging around a pretty, palm tree-filled courtyard sipping buckets of martini, or swaying gently in the warm tropical air to Sinatra tunes on the piano.

The next morning was clear and blindingly sunny. Inspired by the good weather, we set off early for the Flagler Museum. Henry Flagler, a self-made man, was one of the founding members of the Standard Oil Corporation, the most profitable company in history – and it shows. Considered single-handedly responsible for inventing modern Florida, he developed over two million acres along the coast, and created a series of luxury hotels along the way. His house, a 55-room Beaux Arts pile, resembles a multi-tiered wedding cake and is furnished in the grandest Gilded Age style. Flagler built the house for his third wife, the Edwardian beauty Mary Lily Kenan Flagler, whose portrait, wearing his other wedding present to her, a five foot-long string of perfectly-matched pearls with a 12-carat diamond clasp, now hangs in the gold music room. The necklace was world-famous at the time as the most expensive ever to be sold in the history of Tiffany's.

After the over-the-top opulence of the Flaglers, we opted for a more down-to-earth lunch. As Palm Beach is completely flat, getting around is easiest by bicycle and we rented enormous old-fashioned sit-up-and-begs with wicker baskets for the gentle ride to Charley's Crab, right on the beach. Stone Crab claws are to Florida what Beluga caviar is to Russia so we ordered a large quantity and tucked in. The claws came with a creamy, spicy dipping sauce and we washed them down with fiery Bloody Marys.

That evening, we went more upmarket, taking a stroll down Worth Avenue (luxury brand heaven – Armani, Vuitton, Cartier, to name a few) and ate out at Bice, one of Palm Beach's many courtyard restaurants. While the food was unremarkable, the crowd was unforgettable; it was as though a gang of pirates had raided Aladdin's cave and covered themselves with the entirety of their loot. Vast diamond rings, necklaces and bracelets glittered ferociously against the unnaturally smooth skin of ladies of a certain age, and the men, all tanned to a flawless George Hamilton mahogany, showed off their 1,000-watt dental work while pushing up their sleeves to reveal Rolexes and sapphire cufflinks. As we made our way out, I nearly tripped on a black diamond-studded cane.

But undoubtedly the most memorable moment in Palm Beach was my visit to the Mar-a-Lago Club, which is owned by Donald Trump. Built in 1927 by Marjorie Merriweather Post (whose family owned General Foods) it is a house of unparallel extravagance, even by Palm Beach standards. Trump bought it in 1995 and immediately turned it into a private club. There is a rumour (which Trump denies) that he did this because the nearby Bath & Tennis Club wouldn't let him join.

My tour began in the dining room which has delicately painted original murals of sea-faring scenes. On the terrace outside, a buffet table was laid out under large parasols with freshly shucked oysters, exotic fruits, and bottles of champagne chilling in huge tureens of ice. We moved into the cigar room where an oil portrait of Trump, looking vital and virile in tennis whites, hangs above the bar. It will come as no surprise to discover that The Donald hasn't spared the gold: everything in the club is covered in it, from the sinks to the ceilings. 'And, of course, there is the llama' said the manager, dutifully keeping up a constant patter of information about the club as we strolled along, bathed in the warm, flattering light reflecting off every surface. It wasn't until later that I realised he was talking about the Dalai Lama, and not a furry Andean animal, who had recently – somewhat surprisingly – paid the Mar-a-Lago a visit. Suddenly, retirement seems like something worth waiting for.

WHERE TO STAY
The Chesterfield (left) is a historic boutique hotel, named after the 18th-century Earl, located in downtown Palm Beach. It has a pretty open-air courtyard, a heated swimming pool, a cigar room named after Winston Churchill and, in case you're still missing home, serves a full cream tea in the library. The 41 rooms are airy with incredibly comfortable beds and down pillows. Rooms from £90 (chesterfieldpb.com).

WHAT TO BUY
Jan Salvador's Cashmere Palm Beach on Via Parigi has the prettiest, softest sweaters imaginable and lovely cotton prints and beach clothes. Men can shop for shoes at Stubbs & Wootton across the courtyard.

WHAT TO EAT
Michael R McCarty's (left) is the place to eat, and be seen. Billionaires, socialites and the occasional celebrity all turn up for the jumbo lump crabcakes and homemade meatloaf. 50 Coconut Row, Royal Poinciana Plaza(001 561 659 1899).

WHAT TO WEAR
If there was ever a time to pull out your mother's 60s vintage, this is it. Think Stepford Wives crossed with Mad Men. Pastel colours have never looked so appropriate, nor have pedal pushers. Pastel tops, floppy beach hats and cat sunglasses during the day and white trousers with slinky tops at night. Jeans would be frowned upon. Add some sparkle with coral and diamond Seaman Schepps earrings (pictured, buy them in New York or Palm Beach) or anything by David Webb. Coral and turquoise touches are an absolute must.