Last week, Conde Nast Traveller announced their Reader’s Choice Awards 2017. Number one on the list of Top Hotels in Miami was Faena, Miami Beach Florida. Baroque Travel takes a look at this exceptional establishment
Two years ago, the Faena, Miami Beach opened its doors, part of Alan Faena’s multi-block reinvention of certain historic buildings in a region in Miami Beach he called the Faena District. Stretching from 32nd to 36th Streets, this billion-dollar district is home to the Faena hotel, and also features residential buildings and stores. The key beachfront property still boasts the façade of the original hotel that stood there, the Saxony, built around 1948, whilst inside it is a modern masterpiece, an eclectic mix of contemporary styles. The Saxony was an iconic hotel way ahead of its time, and one of the first luxury resort hotels in Miami Beach. Faena Miami Beach has carried on its tradition, just adding a more contemporary feel.
The lobby, nicknamed ‘The Cathedral’ is a glittering spectacle of gold-leafed columns and murals that reach from floor to ceiling, full of images of wild animals and religious symbols on a deep red canvas background. Furniture is covered in animal print, lamps are coated in coral and there are numerous striking paintings by Gona Fuenmayor.
A highlight of a visit here is the magnificent spa, the Tierra Santa Healing House Spa, decorated in a chic bohemian style, as well as a 150-seat dinner theater plus numerous art installations that add a touch of color wherever you look. The 58 glamorous guest rooms and 111 suites are designed in sea green and maraschino cherry with pieces that resemble the original Art Deco furnishings of the hotel’s previous iteration, the Saxony.
So exquisite that it has been made one of the Leading Hotels of the World, Faena Hotel Miami Beach emits an old world grandeur that makes it stand out from the crowd of hotels in Miami. Located on the seafront, each of its beautifully designed spaces manage to transform the ordinary into something quite extraordinary and experiences here are one-of-a-kind. Dining is always a delight in the hotel’s two restaurants, the Fire Kitchen run by Argentine chef Francis Mallman, and the Asian establishment that serves modern dishes prepared by chef Paul Qui.
Luxury facilities include signature Faena Butlers, who ensure that every guest’s needs are not only met but surpassed. The hotel has managed to offer a guest experience that is quite unique, thoughtful, attentive service that recalls Miami’s golden age when pampering was not a luxury, but an accepted part of a fine hotel experience.