“I love Miami,” my New York literary friend said to me recently. “There’s a sort of sexy-danger energy in the streets.” Maybe she was on to something: A recent visit to the city’s gleaming South Beach district led me to conclude that Miami has more or less ceased to be North American, making it probably the most interesting of any metropolis within a thousand-mile radius. For reasons of both history and geography, it feels way more Latin than Los Angeles ever could, and is certainly more tropical than it ever will be.
I would put some of that jungle pulse down to the magnificent beach itself, a wide ribbon of white sand that is nothing like a California beach. True, we win for surfing, but South Beach has got a lock on gorgeousness: Just consider the aquamarine glow of the water itself, warmer and altogether more inviting than our particular patch of the Pacific. Cosmopolitan, too: If you can’t make it to Copacabana, don’t worry because my guess is this section of Miami Beach draws a more international crowd today than anywhere in Latin America. Spring breakers, New York millionaires, Art Basel snobs, club kids, party boys, European fashionistas and many others keep the place humming. As in Manhattan, there are many worlds overlapping on a very small piece of land. The long beach promenade is a front yard for the high-rise hotels on Collins Ave. that face the Atlantic, while the west end is mellower. In between, there’s a ravishing collection of Art Deco architecture which is quite unlike anything else you’ll see in this country.
During my March visit, the weather was almost Southern Californian in its dry sunny perfection, and I took advantage of this to explore many hotspots. I ambled into lobbies of hotels that were so jacked up on art I was frankly afraid to sit down, lest I risk sitting on something worth more than a Kardashian sister. That’s why I so loved my perch of choice, the Loews Miami Beach Hotel. The renowned oceanfront resort recently emerged from a $50 million restoration like an Art Deco empress. The glamour hits you the moment you walk into the new lobby with its sleek curves, high ceilings and aquarium that doubles as front wall for a hip boutique. This is no boutique hotel, however, but a true urban resort: 790 upgraded luxury guestrooms, a posh new oceanfront poolscape with St. Tropez-inspired SOAK cabanas and daybeds for an indulgent, adults-only cabana experience (the beautiful central swimming pool itself is very family-friendly) and easy access to the beach where you can avail yourself of comfortable beach chairs and towels — no need to haul your bath gear around the hotel.
My sleek room had an all-white balcony facing the ocean and, though the Ultra music festival was in thunderous progress during my stay, between the ease of beach access and those forever views, there was more than a soupçon of Santorini-style serenity at Loews. One of the things that lured me away from the room was breakfast at the hotel’s own Preston’s Market, where I literally can’t even describe how perfectly crispy was my bacon or how delectable were my assorted breakfast breads from Zak the Baker. Fresh fruit, custom omelets, yummy fruit-flavored madeleines in pastel colors, a mini doughnut station, fresh cold-pressed juices, selections from Miami Smokers charcuterie and lots more: This was easily the most beautiful breakfast buffet I’ve seen in America in years.
The hotel’s Flavor Miami program brings an authentically local culinary experience to guests by giving them the opportunity to savor the true flavors of Miami without even having to leave the property. Flavor Miami weaves throughout all of the hotel’s new outlets: Bar Collins, Miami Joe Coffee Co., Preston’s Market and Nautilus (for poolside dining) in addition to the popular Lure Fishbar. In all, there are 15 local food and beverage purveyors participating, including Panther Coffee, Miami Club Rum, Zak the Baker, Azucar Ice Cream, Wynwood Brewing, Funky Buddha Brewery, The Empanada Lady and Bee My Honey. They’ve also partnered with dashing mixologist Julio Cabrer, who curated the Bar Collins cocktail list.
South Beach is a high-octane kind of place and one where having a reliable place to recharge comes in handy. The clean design of the rooms and range of dining options make for a cosmopolitan cocoon you can count on and the level of service, from the restaurants to the concierge — who helped me untangle a royal mess with American Airlines — is superior. There are trendier hotels in Miami, but my beach sandals felt most at home at Loews.
For more information, visit loewshotels.com/miami-beach