Shayne, Dad & Kristy on their balcony at Loews Miami Beach Hotel
Last month, my dad paid my sister and me a visit in South Beach after a business trip in Naples. We selected Loews Miami Beach Hotel as our “staycation” destination. A spacious oceanfront resort (790 rooms, including 52 luxury suites) on Collins Avenue and a mere block south of Lincoln Road, Loews is positioned smack dab in the heart of South Beach. While not overly trendy like some of its neighbors, Loews offers plenty of luxury and spot on hospitality for a fantastic vacation experience. They’ve also upped the ante with a brand new restaurant Lure Fishbar straight from New York City’s Soho neighborhood, and exhale Spa just opened its doors on April 1st.
The Room
A guest room at Loews. Photo: Loews Miami Beach Hotel
For a hotel built in 1999, the rooms feel contemporary and updated with plush carpeting in shades of turquoise offsetting white furniture (a comfy king size bed, desk, chairs and couch) with white-washed wooden accents. The marble bathroom is modern and spacious, and plush robes hang from the large closet. Perhaps best of all, our spacious balcony had magnificent south-facing views of the sparkling Atlantic Ocean for gazing at sailboats and cruise ships criss-crossing the horizon.
The Hospitality
We were welcomed with a cheese plate and complimentary bottles of Fiji water, making nice refreshments for an in-room catch up session (my sister and I brought the wine and Champagne) before setting off to Lincoln Road for dinner. From the bell staff to the valet to the beach attendants, service was on point and sincerely friendly. A particularly nice touch? Complimentary water bottles offered at the valet upon retrieval of our car.
This Miami Vice is no vice at all.
The beach attendant (managed by Boucher Brothers) also went the extra mile by finding us prime spots on the sand for three chairs later in the day. We wanted to see the ocean from our lounge chairs, not rows of other lounge chairs (the Benowitzes are serious about their sunworshipping rituals). Our attendant Edward was on it. It was 1 p.m. and he explained that the best spots are usually scooped up by 10 a.m. Same goes for the pool. We lucked out, though, and were happy for Edward’s help as we enjoyed our spot in the sand until about 5 p.m.—fruity frozen drinks and all.
The Amenities
While staying at a large resort may require some maneuvering for a prime beach chair, it also provides its own world within a world for the ultimate in convenience—and to me, convenience means luxury. Preston’s is the resorts main restaurant serving tasty breakfast, lunch and dinner. In the main lobby, there’s also a bar, sushi bar, Starbucks and ice cream shop, as well as a fancy hotel shop with designer clothing and tasteful gifts. In the late night hours, the bar hosts live musicians beckoning guests to enjoy a nightcap (or pre-party drink, depending on your point of view).
We also tried the new Lure Fishbar. I loved the nautical décor and the impressive cocktails created by Robert Ferrara, all with clever maritime names (Catch & Release, Full Mast, Kissing the Gunners Daughter). While seating was somewhat cramped and we were plagued by a perpetually wobbly table, our waitress was wonderful and the food superb. Some menu standouts include kumomoto oysters dressed with fresh wasabi leaf and lemon, a melt-in-your-mouth yellowtail carpaccio, spicy tuna tartare on crispy rice cakes, deviled eggs with caviar and butter-poached crab bucatini pasta with uni crema.
The hotel gym is an important feature for my dad who rarely misses a workout. He said this one was “just okay,” but it served its purpose (his favorites are at Aria Resort & Casino Las Vegas and Fontainebleau Miami Beach). There’s good news for yoga and Core Fusion devotees, though, as exhale Spa just opened inside the resort’s historic St. Moritz Tower. A powerhouse brand that began in New York City, exhale now has 23 locations across the country (including downtown Miami at the Epic Hotel) and they’re beloved for their fitness classes, as well as their exceptional spa treatments.
Loews has also struck a partnership with Fiat this year offering complimentary chauffeured car service in the stylish Italian cars to anywhere in Miami for up to three hours at a time.
What To Do Nearby
We walked Lincoln Road both nights with stops at Books & Books and All Saints. When Dad’s in town, we like Shake Shack for dinner and a movie at the Regal. While Lure is fantastic for fine dining, a few casual spots nearby are amongst my dad’s favorites: Jerry’s Deli for classics like heaping corned beef sandwiches and matzoh ball soup and Pizza Bar for, well, pizza (great for takeout on a night in).
Other Miami Spots
It’s tempting not to venture too far from Collins Avenue and Lincoln Road on a brief South Beach stay over. However, we headed to Yardbird Southern Kitchen & Table for breakfast (it was already packed on a Sunday at 10:30 a.m.). We managed to snag a table near the bar and feasted on flaky buttermilk biscuits, thick cut bacon, and outrageously delicious shrimp ‘n grits.
We love the beach, but we’ve also got a penchant for art and culture. What better time to visit the newly opened Perez Art Museum Miami than with the man who took me to my first museum as a little girl? We enjoyed the stunning views of picturesque Biscayne Bay, Ai Wei Wei’s exhibit and spotting works by masters of Abstract Expressionism, Pop Art and emerging contemporary artists.
Why Stay Here
With its heart-of-South-Beach location, spacious, comfortable environs and amenities galore, this is an ideal resort for families of all ages who are after a luxurious beach vacation. You’re perfectly positioned to walk everywhere you want to go by night, and the beach and lavish poolscape are impossible to resist by day.
