| Delano Deluxe - Miami
Miami is a three hour hop from New York, but we detoured via Tulum in Mexico to intercept a friend's 50th birthday party.
We had a great time, hanging out on beautiful beaches, staying with many friends in a cluster of beach huts equipped only with mosquito nets. By the time we arrived in Miami we were looking forward to a great luxury hotel experience - and Delano was just that.
We had booked a non-smoking Deluxe Ocean-front King room on the 5th floor. Delano is chic and stylish and one of the few luxury hotels in Miami to be perfectly positioned, steps from the Ocean, right on South Beach. Our room had a sea view and was all white; and I mean, all-white. Even the M&M's left on our pillows before bedtime were white, now that's really cool.
We had arrived at around 10pm and booked an al fresco table in the Blue Door Terrace restaurant, overlooking the beautiful art deco garden. It was our first taste of Delano's exceptional service, which was, from start to (all too soon) finish, outstanding.
There are three other restaurants here, the Blue Door, under the direction of Claude Troisgros (of 3 Michelin-starred Troisgros family fame), The Brasserie and poolside.
The menu was great and varied, food delicious and the service just right. No 'breathing down the neck' but always available and attentive when needed. During dinner we made many plans of all the things we wanted to do during our short stay; see the Art Deco area, the modern art galleries, sail around the inlets, and a bit of shopping of course.
The lure of Delano
The honest truth is that we never got to do anything other than a spot of shopping. As the English saying goes "even the best laid plans can go astray..." Every time we ventured out and about, the hotel lured us back, like some sort of magnetic force! We decided that what we wanted most of all was to experience the Miami thing - hanging out at Delano! This is the perfect 'down-time' hotel with the coolest pool area imaginable; small cabanas with TV's, a beach bar, giant chess set in the garden and great service with on-tap drinks and scrummy food. At Delano they call these areas the 'Water Salon and Orchard'. With the temperature just perfect, we chose to while away the hours in this stylish sanctuary, chatting and finishing our books instead of sightseeing. When something feels this good, why fight it? Trust me, it rarely feels this good!
So, in the end, we didn't really see much of Miami apart from driving to and from the airport, or out on daily walks along the South Beach seafront, plus a bit of shopping.
Delano's new sister
We did manage to pull ourselves away from the Delano for just long enough to visit the amazing, brand new Miami Mondrian (read Jennifer Hochman-Hamm's review of the LA Mondrian), also part of the Morgans Hotel Group. We swapped Delano for Mondrian on West Avenue for pre-dinner drinks on the fabulous concierge's recommendation. The hotel, a creation by celebrated Dutch designer, Marcel Wanders, had opened just the week before. The reception areas were seriously impressive with a surrealist vibe, and too many WOW factors to list here. Also, its location on the other side of the island from The Delano means the view of downtown Miami provided a different and amazing perspective on this style-obsessed city.
We had cocktails in the aptly named Sunset Lounge. A massive rouge Persian-styled carpet, with bright red furniture and red paisley scatter cushions, dominates the space while curtains flow from each corner. Surrounding this funky Moorish centrepiece are the alcoves for more intimate sessions - very private, though large enough for small gatherings - with a contemporary take on chandeliers providing the illumination. It all sounds very extravagant, but this is Miami!
During the day you can lounge on your rococo-red chaise overlooking the Atlantic and Biscayne Bay, sipping a slim line cocktail served by the attentive beach bar staff...
It was time for dinner and, though tempted to stop at Asia de Cuba at Mondrian, we headed for Casa Tua (recommended by a friend in London), all organised, yet again, by the extremely efficient concierge at The Delano.
Eating out
This restaurant is comprised of several rooms on the ground floor of a grand Miami villa, with further tables in the garden. These were all romantically candle-lit and even the trees had little lanterns hanging from the branches. It was a truly dazzling sight and reminded me of LA.
Inside, the white-wicker furniture contrasted with black-and-white portraits of legendary figures, hung wall-to-wall in grand Hollywood style. Rick and I both have a weakness for chef's tasting menus so we went for all 7 courses. We also always ask the sommelier to choose wines to match each course and, again, each was perfect. Don't eat lunch when you book dinner here, you'll need the extra space! Go for a run on South Beach the next morning and you won't have to feel at all guilty! Casa Tua Restaurant
We left Miami feeling that we definitely want to return; soon. The choice of 5 star luxury hotel is definitely between Delano (but next time, an Ocean Suite or a Tower Suite!) or the funky new Mondrian. We will also stay for longer, in order to release ourselves from the magic of the Delano!
Lene Bausager
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