Tag: Miami Hotels
View All TagsHotelChatter 2012 Awards / Hotel Openings / Miami Hotel Mambo / Miami Hotels / SLS Hotels / Sam Nazarian / Philippe Starck / → All Tags
Best Hotel Opening of 2012: SLS South Beach
It's that time of year again: the 2012 HotelChatter Awards! Today and Monday, we'll be showcasing the best (and worst) of hotels over the past year. But we couldn't do it without you! Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, or shoot us an email. And the Award goes to...
If you've been following the ups and downs of the Miami hotel scene this year, you already know that the opening of SLS South Beach was a big deal. Beachfront property on a prime stretch of Collins Ave, dazzling Philippe Starck design (with a little help from Lenny Kravitz), and, of course, those absurd 750lb silver ducks.
But SLS South Beach also managed to assert itself as a key player in the international hotel scene as well, transcending its local celebrity status to become something people all over the world were talking about. It didn't hurt that, several months after opening, it was primed to host VIP events during Miami's buzziest time of the year: Art Basel.
Needless to say, we had some pretty high expectations when we checked into the SLS in June. And the hotel didn't disappoint one bit. In fact, we enjoyed hanging in our City View King room so much, we barely even noticed it was missing the complimentary iPad (which is supposed to be included with all the rooms).
From the cozy day bed to the compact pink-and-white bathrooms to the well-stocked minibar, it was clear that this hotel not only looks good but is incredibly functional too.
HotelChatter Reviews / Hotel Reviews / Miami Hotel Mambo / Miami Hotels / Hampton Inn / → All Tags
Hanging Out At Hampton Inn & Suites Miami Brickell
So far, we've reviewed two of the hotels featured in our "6 Miami Hotels Under $200" guide. And while we enjoyed our time at Cadet Hotel slightly more than Clinton South Beach, we also got to take a look at the new Hampton Inn & Suites Miami Brickell, a simple but tasteful mid-range joint right in the heart of downtown Miami.
Hampton Inn & Suites officially opened in October 2011, but it's still making waves as the city's first LEED-certified hotel, and ranks pretty high on TripAdvisor. And though there about a billion eco-friendly reasons to like the hotel (35,000 gallon rainwater cistern, electric vehicle charging stations, low-flow water fixtures, biodegradable cups and plates), what we found most appealing was the hotel's cool art collection (see above) and its efficient use of space.
Check-in: The hotel is incredibly easy to get to. Though it's not recommended, we relied solely on public transportation getting there from Miami Airport, and we walked from the Brickell Metromover station to the hotel in two minutes.
After showing up around 7pm, the hotel was helpful, professional, and very welcoming. As usual, we made sure to request a high-up floor, and the Front Desk clerk offered room 1405, a Standard King near the top of the building. And after informing us about the complimentary breakfast the next morning (wahoo!), they handed over our key and sent us on our way.
Hotel Art / Historic Hotels / Miami Hotel Mambo / Miami Hotels / InterContinental Hotels / For the sake of Hotel Art / Sweet Suites / → All Tags
InterContinental Teaches Us 18 Ways To Say 'Miami'
If you've been keeping up with your Miami hotel mambo, you'll know there's plenty of cool stuff happening at the freshly-renovated InterContinental Miami. In addition to some nifty touchscreen coffee tables in the lobby, plus a giant 19-story digital canvas on the hotel's exterior, we also discovered this gem in one of the rooms.
Adorning one of Venus Williams' two special-designed presidential suites, is this historic newspaper clipping sourced from the local archives. This article has been blown up to thirty times its original size, framed, and placed on a wall in the suite's living room, and details 18 ways to pronounce the city's name.
Take a look above to browse the list of funny-sounding options. "My-ah-my," "Mee-ammi," and, our personal favorite, "My-amma." We wonder which pronunciation Venus is partial to?
[Photo: HotelChatter]
Miami Hotel Mambo / Hotel News / SBE Hotels / Hotel Management / Sam Nazarian / Florida Hotels / Historic Hotels / Miami Hotels / → All Tags
W SoBe Owner and SLS Master Finally Admit To Buying Miami’s Raleigh Hotel
Today, David Edelstein – owner of W South Beach – and Sam Nazarian – the wizard behind the sbe brand and owner of the new SLS Hotel South Beach announced plans to join ranks and buy Miami’s Raleigh Hotel.
Now, when we chatted over this in August, no one wanted to make an official comment. It was like some weird FB relationship status--"I won't change mine until you change yours!" OK. Now we know you're together.
Both men, famous for their hotel business savvy, will scoop up the landmark Raleigh from the Brilla Group and set out to revamp the Art Deco property that was the place to be when it opened in the ‘40s on Collins Avenue.
Listen, this is a powerful partnership—Edelstein is known for the trendy W hotel and developing such areas as Miami’s Lincoln Road mall, and Nazarian’s sbe group has dominated the swank SLS brand for a minute. Big $$ and big dream at work, here.
But, will these forward thinkers respect and keep the hotel’s historical identity in mind?
Hotel Restaurants / Miami Mambo / Dream Hotels / South Beach Hotels / Miami Hotels / Florida Hotels / → All Tags
New Serafina Restaurant Is A "Dream" For South Beach
When restaurateurs and founders of Serafina Restaurant Group Vittorio Assaf and Fabio Granato were lost at sea, the friends made a promise to one another that if they eventually saw land they would open the best pizza and pasta restaurant they could think of.
Years later, they’ve launched close to a dozen locations of Serafina everywhere from New York City to São Paolo – and now in Miami in the Art Deco and super swanky Dream South Beach.
The new location, which focuses on northern-Italian cuisine, features family recipes that have been handed down from generation to generation. Plus, it boasts a traditional wood stone oven to make the more than 24 varieties of pizza on the menu.
Hotel Crime / Hotel News / Miami Hotels / Florida Hotels / → All Tags
Fontainebleau Hotel Heir's Killer Gets Life In Prison
Narcy Novack, wife of Fontainebleau hotel heir Ben Novack, was sentenced to life in prison yesterday for plotting the murder of her wealthy husband and his mother Bernice in July 2009.
Ben Novack, 53 at the time of his death, was the son of Ben Novack Sr., who built Miami Beach’s famed Fontainebleau hotel in 1954, a Collins Avenue institution that has seen everyone from the Rat Pack to Juvenile.
In a twisted, mind-boggling crime that involved hit men, Narcy Novack and her brother Cristobal Veliz were eventually convicted of the murder of Ben Novack at the Hilton Rye Town hotel. The details are gruesome and said to be the final revenge from Nancy’s year’s of suffering through Ben Novack's sexual perversions and notorious cheating, including a long-time affair with a former porn star and prostitute.
Narcy's long list of charges include domestic violence, stalking, money laundering and witness tampering in order to gain fortune.
Art Basel Hotels / Miami Hotels / South Beach Hotels / HotelTonight / Hotel Deals / Jetsetter / Jetsetter Now / → All Tags
Last-Minute Art Basel Miami: Drama on Our Final Night
Our room at The Betsy
If you want to talk about high hotel rates, let's talk Art Basel Miami Beach. The annual contemporary art event—which encompasses several art fairs, art installations around the city, and a gajillion parties—brings in the big spenders and the struggling creatives alike for four days of fun in the sun.
The official days are Thursday-Sunday, December 6-9, but we've been in Miami all week hotel hopping, so we decided to throw caution to the wind for a little experiment: last-minute, day-of hotel reservations for what are the highest peak days in Miami's calendar. We're calling it "Operation Last Resort."
This is our final night of Operation Last Resort, after last-minute stays of the good (at The Dream) and the bad (at The Shelborne). The roller coaster only intensifies with some serious drama that all started with our decision to try another last-minute booking app: Jetsetter Now.
Art Basel Hotels / Miami Hotels / Menin Hotels / South Beach Hotels / HotelTonight / Hotel Deals / → All Tags
Last-Minute Art Basel Miami: Two Nights of Regret at The Shelborne
If you want to talk about high hotel rates, let's talk Art Basel Miami Beach. The annual contemporary art event—which encompasses several art fairs, art installations around the city, and a gajillion parties—brings in the big spenders and the struggling creatives alike for four days of fun in the sun.
The official days are Thursday-Sunday, December 6-9, but we've been in Miami all week hotel hopping, so we decided to throw caution to the wind for a little experiment: last-minute, day-of hotel reservations for what are the highest peak days in Miami's calendar. We're calling it "Operation Last Resort."
Day two of Operation Last Resort, or really it's days two and three since we booked two nights at this next property. Sadly, all last-minute stories can't be as great as Day One, and ours is a cautionary tale.
Again using the HotelTonight app, we went for two nights at Miami Beach's The Shelborne for $428, plus tax totaling $484. Now add two days of $25 resort fees and the real total is actually $534. Believe it or not, this was actually the cheapest option for these dates. ACK-Art Basel!
Art Basel Hotels / Miami Hotels / South Beach Hotels / HotelTonight / Hotel Deals / → All Tags
Last-Minute Art Basel Miami: Using HotelTonight to Score a Dream
If you want to talk about high hotel rates, let's talk Art Basel Miami Beach. The annual contemporary art event—which encompasses several art fairs, art installations around the city, and a gajillion parties—brings in the big spenders and the struggling creatives alike for four days of fun in the sun.
The official days are Thursday-Sunday, December 6-9, but we've been in Miami all week hotel hopping, so we decided to throw caution to the wind for a little experiment: last-minute, day-of hotel reservations for what are the highest peak days in Miami's calendar. We're calling it "Operation Last Resort."
Hotel Desserts / Hotel Restaurants / Phoenix Hotels / Miami Hotels / W Hotels / LA Hotels / Arizona Hotels / → All Tags
Hotels That Let You Eat Your After-Dinner Booze
Wish you could have your cake, and drink it too? Well you’re in luck as we've found hotels that will serve you after-dinner booze for dessert!
That’s right: boozy desserts. This liquor food trend is hitting hotels from east to west. From zany liquor-infused marshmallows to drunken ice cream, choose your poison.
We've found three hotel restaurants sure to keep you merry until the very last bite.
Different Point of View restaurant at Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort in Phoenix serves a unique mash-up of liqueur-infused marshmallows complimentary to any guest buying drinks in the lounge. That’s right- they’re free! But wait, there’s more. The lounge includes a ridiculously swanky outdoor patio with 360 views of downtown Phoenix where a cozy fire pit awaits the roasting, ahem, buzzing. Each hand-made marshmallow features a different liqueur flavor including Bailey’s Irish Cream, Frangelico (hazelnut), Amaretto (almond) and Kahlua (coffee) and comes with a variety of dipping sauces like caramel or vanilla cream. They're also equipped with long sticks so you don’t burn yourself alive while roasting—but we must say, the taste is acquired. If you like booze, you’ll like these. But be careful roasting as they do drip up a storm and a bib isn't included.
Hotel Design / Hotel News / InterContinental Hotels / Miami Hotels / Florida Hotels / Venus Williams / → All Tags
Is Venus Williams' Suite Design at InterContinental Miami a Grand Slam?
Venus Williams is quietly positioning herself for the day she decides to retire her tennis racket. Her interior design company, V*Starr, has steadily gained recognition since its inception back in 2002, drawing praise from magazines like Family Circle, Luxury Living, and Homes of Color.
Despite a relatively low-profile portfolio that includes athletes homes in Miami and the set of a PBS television show in Los Angeles, the Intercontinental Miami took a chance on her, contracting the company to redesign its two presidential suites, both of which are now complete. The project was V*Starr's first hospitality gig.
Does it show? Intercontinental calls the two rooms "distinctively different," but we're not really seeing that in the photos gallery below. Outside of the colors and different names, they look like the exact same layouts.
Hotel Cocktails / Hotel Bars / California Hotels / Australia Hotels / Manhattan Hotels / Miami Hotels / Canada Hotels / Chicago Hotels / → All Tags
7 Unusual Bloody Mary's For a Boozy Brunch
We’re finally getting into Halloween mode and thought it would be fun to think about getting bloody. No, not homicidal (though we are glad it’s Friday), just making the switch from summer mimosas to that rich classic fall brunch cocktail, the Bloody Mary. We asked our HotelChatter editors and contributors to pick their favorite hotel restaurants and bars that are serving them up with a twist. Get to sippin'!
Verde Bloody Mary
This spectacular green version served at Splashes Bar at the Surf and Sand Resort in Laguna Beach, is concocted with cantaloupe and Thai chili infused vodka. The verdant green color comes from a combo of cilantro and tomatillos. Warning : It packs a big kick. (glamtravel, contributor)
Aussie Bloody Mary
This bloody mary was created by lobby bar manager Jared at Brisbane's Emporium Hotel. The drink marries predominantly Aussie ingredients like muddled bush tomatoes, local tomato juice, Mt. Tambourine pepper vodka, Murray River pink sea salt flakes and Byron Bay pepper sauce for spice. Not as thick and soupy as its American counterpart, the mixture of sweet and savory make for a refreshing drink or hangover cure. A winner! (Jetflyboy, contributor)
