HotelChatter

Voyeurism at the Pool
To be included among the world's hottest hotels, though, you need - at least, this is the rule in Miami Beach - sand in your backyard. The Regent instead looks inward, where its first-floor bar and restaurant, Table 8, are open air but under the second floor pool deck. This subterranean presence draws ambivalent response. The underground approach is emphasized by four glass squares that look up through the ceiling to the bottom of the pool above. This is always a winning voyeuristic device. But I got tired of waiting for someone to swim by, so I had to take the plunge myself. (Alas, you can't both participate and watch. That's always been the problem with great views.)

The Pool Is Important
And so the hotel is set around these two levels - the pool and the first floor bar. I would highly recommend a room overlooks the pool, as the back balconies face an open lot and, one guesses, the construction of another boutique hotel and restaurant. The pool rooms are fun. My room was on the pool level. Sliding glass doors open to outdoor furniture and best of all, fabric that slides around to form a private cabana-like terrace.

If you can afford it, the fourth floor rooms have spiral staircases that lead to penthouse sundecks. Swank.

Room Dirt
Inside, there are lots of surprising, sleek touches. My room had a stainless steel microwave, two big flat screens, a variety of wine glasses, and generally sleek décor. The main living room was divided by a two-sided entertainment center, with one tv facing the bed, and another facing a living room sofa. I asked myself if money might have been saved by using one tv on a rotating device, as was found in my room at Acqualina in Sunny Isles Beach.

The bathrooms had two entrances, adding to a sense of size of the rooms. Most notable of all: four shower heads, two of which shot horizontal jet sprays - something I've never seen. A great touch. Missing, though, was a tub.

Stellar Location
The Regent offers private beach chairs and towels on the beach, which is across the park, one block away, as are all Ocean Drive hotels. It's situated truly in the heart of fashionable South Beach, with easy access to Lincoln Road, clubs, and the water.

More Privacy, Less People Watching
Staying here is a good idea if you can afford it, if you can stay on the south side of the property away from the empty lot, and if you want a sleek room with access to all of South Beach. It offers more privacy than the larger Collins hotels like the Delano, but another way of saying this is that it can't offer the big pools, lounge areas, people watching or private beach entrance. My feeling is, though, that there will be plenty of takers for lavish rooms like these in this corner of the world. The dishes I had from the restaurant, while seated at the bar, were very good, and the vibe at the bar was stylish for sure, but also casual, adding to the enjoyment of staying here.

What's Next
Next I'll be checking in from the Fisher Island Club, and the Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne (now the only hotel on the island), where I check in today.