You absolutely must…
Must Eat
Miami’s South Beach must be a contender for the greatest density of high quality restaurants in a relatively small radius. The choice is truly vast, but there are some favourites such as Casa Tua, AGO at the Shore Club, The Restaurant at the Setai.
Must Shop
This neck of the woods offers three distinct alternatives, the large all American, all luxury air-conditioned shopping mall of Bal Harbour. The slightly more eclectic collection of shops dotted all the way along Lincoln Road Mall. And the more “surf-dude” oriented shopping experiences just off Ocean Drive.
Must Visit
Put a day aside, rent a car, and drive to the Keys for something different and distinctly Hemingway-esque.
•LOCATION A beachfront location to die for, in the heart of Miami’s art deco area and so close to all the fab nightlife.
•THE ROOMS The studios and suites are much larger than the average Miami pad, so you get plenty of space to chill out in.
•THE GROVE-a cool, oceanfront watering hole with lush tropical plants and eclectic antiques-perfect for escaping the heat of the day and letting your senses take over.
The Whole Story
Beach blanket Babylon. With 300 feet of ocean front, the W is the latest and perhaps most contemporary “player” on the South Beach scene.
The rehabilitation of Miami South Beach continues unabated. With ten continuous miles of beach front it will be a long time before this part of the world has no more room for expansion.
With each new property the stakes go up. Whereas cutting-edge design has been the norm for at least a decade and a half, cutting-edge architecture is the new benchmark and the W South Beach has set the bar very high.
The name of the game in today’s Miami is features; lots of features. You are not a “player” unless you have at least more than one of everything. The W, not surprisingly, has six bars, two very large public pools, a handful of private pools, two restaurants of different themes, a state-of-the-art spa on three levels, a monumental gym, a W store, and 334 rooms.
At the W it’s all about the space and the view. At 574 square feet, the smallest rooms at the W are probably the largest rooms in South Beach. Appropriately enough, given the view of the turquoise sea, just outside the floor to ceiling glass windows, the interiors are a cool mix of white, steel grey and teal. This being an all condo hotel, all rooms have living areas and kitchens, in addition to all the electronic hardware that goes with a contemporary multimedia lifestyle.
Mr Chow is the Florida outpost of famous Mr Chow’s in LA. The interior is designed by Michael Chow, featuring some of his personal art collection, and the Chef is one of the most celebrated in China, having previously worked at “Made in China”, Beijing’s number one restaurant.
Solea is all about Spanish cuisine; an innovative mix of traditional dishes such as Paella from Valencia, and more modern inventive plates based on the experimental kitchens of legendary places such as El Bulli.
The Rooms
A range of studios, all with private balconies and amazing sea views are complimented by indulgent one and two bed-suites that will exceed the expectations of the most demanding guest and with nine-feet-high ceilings, kitchenettes, custom-designed furniture and spa-ready bathrooms, it’s perfect!
From balcony to bathroom, slats of white ceramic flooring with wood grain finish unite the entire space as a stunning floor-to-ceiling screen with suspended squares of opaque and clear acrylic defines the living and sleeping areas. Not one but two flat screen plasma TVs set the scene in each guestroom as sleek full-service kitchenettes and kitchens set out to tempt you. And with spa showers, full-sized bath tubs, soaking tubs and outdoor plunge pools, bath time has never been this much fun.