When it first opened in 2000 under the aegis of then-boutique hotel boss Ian Schrager, The Shore Club in Miami was the place for sex in the city. Nothing was more in vogue than cocktails at SkyBar, dinner at Nobu and the kind of minimalist accommodations that could warrant an hourly rate.
Now though, with Schrager gone and the hotel just another bolt in the machine that is Morgans Hotel Group, The Shore Club is trying to give its rooms away with 25 percent off the best available rate, including a comped room upgrade, two drinks at the SkyBar and 25 percent off a spa treatment.
The deal is valid through Dec. 27, 2008, which really goes to show how, like a pop princess, these once stylin' digs has lost some of its cache with time.
True, this is what it says on W Hotels own website. But we came across this press release this morning about a loan for the hotel. There's a lot of financial speak that may confuse those of us without an MBA or even a basic Intro to Finance class, but this bit is clear as day:
W South Beach Hotel & Residences is currently under construction at 2201 Collins Ave. and is scheduled to be completed in the summer of 2009.
And so now we wait.
Sorry to any SPG members who were hoping to use their points this season in Miami Beach. But we bet the neighboring Gansevoort South must be happy to have at least one full season to themselves.
Just outside Miami lies the City of Doral, a suburb about 8 miles from M.I.A. that -- fun fact! -- took its name from the popular (and famous, we assume) Doral Golf Resort and Spa.
But movin' in on the city's namesake golf resort now is ultra-luxe The Blue, a brand new "urban luxury escape" that will lure the golf-loving travelers out of Miami.
Besides the obvious awesomeness of the name of the golf course the resort overlooks, The Blue Monster, the all-suite property has some baller amenities in every room:
Fully-equipped kitchens, oversized private verandas and marble-tiled five-fixture bathrooms with rain shower and stand-alone Jacuzzi bathtub accompanied with a flat screen television. The room amenities include plush terry robes, 42" flat panel high-definition LCD televisions, in-room coffee/tea makers, wireless internet access, sound systems with DVD players and iPod docking stations.
Unfortunately, the resort is still in its soft opening stages so the signature restaurant (5300 Chop House) or poolside cafe aren't up and running yet, but to compensate the resort is offering rates starting at $189 until December 20th.
Wait, isn't the cookie monster a blue monster? Are there free cookies anywhere at this resort? They should really get to thinkin' about that.
Recent reports that Coconut Grove's Mayfair Hotel was getting "dirtier and dirtier by the day" had us confused: what was the deal here?
We were diggin' it back when Kimpton managed the hotel, but the gross reviews on TripAdvisor and mysterious construction noises made us worry a little -- not to mention our confusion upon hearing from Kimpton that the upcoming Epic Hotel was going to be their first Florida property (were they ashamed? Or did they just mean it was the first Florida property Kimpton owned?)
Well, Michelle Rodriguez -- the arrest-prone star of Lost and Girlfight -- confirmed that things were a little bit dirty. In the sexual sense, at least.
Apparently, the owners of the ritzy (and soon to be ritzier) Miami hotel want to change that. According to the Miami Herald, the owners of the Fontainebleau have put money into a new political committee dedicated to bringing casino gambling to Miami.
The committee -- headed up by a pair of developers working on 25-acre Miami Worldcenter -- has hired lawyers to draft a proposed constitutional amendment allowing a casino initiative for possible placement on the 2010 ballot.
Here's something different for the Gansevoort South: good news! New York City's trendy boutique chain Big Drop opened their first store outside of NYC, inside the Gansevoort's lower level.
Since the hotel opened earlier this spring, it has seen a lion's share of hiccups and setbacks, but won't you feel better staying there knowing that you can buy a Tracy Reese caftan at any hour?
The boutique's personal shopping service "Everything But Your Toothbrush," allows socialites short on time to call with their size and agenda. Big Drop will then play stylist by hand selecting pieces to send to your room for approval. For once, this will also include dudes as Big Drop Miami debuts a men's section.
Of course this addition will appeal most to the scene-hopping New Yorkers who are perpetually swiping their credit cards, but then isn't that the demographic everyone aims for during rough times such as these?
Question: who would wait on a month-long waiting list just to get crap extracted from her pores? And what kind of person would fork over $300 for it?
Answer: devotees of Tracie Martyn, acclaimed NYC facialist to stars like Diane von Furstenberg, Susan Sarandon, Madonna, and Sandra Bullock. People clamor to get an appointment at her five-room treatment center in NYC -- and now she's just been tapped to team up witn the Fontainebleau Miami to offer her famous(ly expensive) Resculpting Facials and Resculpting Body Treatments at the property's new spa.
According to WWD, Martyn's signature treatments will be the highlight of the 30-room spa, slated to open November 14th after its $22 million renovation (part of the resorts $1 billion facelift).
Since her treatments are historically incredibly hard to come by and highly sought after, her expansion to Miami and partnership with Fontainebleau is a pretty big deal: at the new Fontainebleau spa (Lapis), 10 Tracie Martyn treatments can be performed per hour. Madonna will probably still get priority over you when it really comes down to it, though. Sorry.
Will your desired hotel be open or still under construction when you visit Miami?
This week we are focusing on the Miami Hotel Scene, affectionately referred to around HC HQ as Miami Hotel Mambo which includes both Miami and Miami Beach. "The season" will begin in just a few short months and with this popular (mainly amongst celebs and Euros) Winter Break city, it's never too early to start planning your trip.
To kick off our Miami Hotel Mambo Map, we are looking at the town's Newcomers. These are the newest and hippest hotels to stay at. And who doesn't like new hotels? A fair warning, some of these hotels are unopen as of press time but they should be open their doors sometime before the season is out.
So, which new hotel is right for you? Keep reading below for the full report. Then head over to the map to see what area of Miami you will be staying in.
Do you want to be in tony Bal Habour which is fairly secluded but near the best shopping in the world? Or do you want to be near the party scene on Collins? Or would you rather be across the Biscayne Bay? Decisions, decisions, decisions. Luckily, we're here to help you make them.
Here's something different for the 
