The Miami Beach EDITION – a collaboration between entrepreneur Ian Schrager and operator Marriott International – has launched in the thriving Florida city.
Located on a 3.5-acre (1.4-hectare) enclave stretching from Collins Avenue to the shoreline, the 294-key property and its 28 bungalows are an interlinked complex of structures that have been designed by Schrager to embody a “lifestyle revolution” – blurring the lines between work and play. The resort is a renovation of the landmark 1955 Seville Hotel, originally designed by architect Melvin Grossman.
“We’re rethinking the relationship between a resort and a business person, and saying you’ll be able to come here for your business,” said Schrager. “But why shouldn’t you have fun and enjoy life while doing business and networking, being with like-minded people in a new kind of space that is almost a business club.”
The spa at the property features nine treatment rooms, a custom hammam room, a detox room with a steam shower and a far-infrared sauna, a beauty lounge for nail, hair and makeup services, a separate steamroom and a spa shop. There is also a central relaxation area with custom-designed beds, surrounded by drapery and vintage Moroccan rugs.
Known for his last Miami hotel called the Delano, which opened in 1992, Schrager believes this city is becoming a new kind of global capital. The US’ east and west coast ties with Europe and Asia are being supplemented by Latin America, which is funnelling its music, fashion, art, design and food through Miami, according to Schrager.
“The old ‘bicoastal’ cultural model is really now more ‘tricoastal’: a kind of golden triangle of New York, Los Angeles and Miami,” said Schrager.
The “barefoot chic” or “new tropical” hotel features indoor palm trees, white marble floors and polished white Venetian plaster walls – designed to evoke iconic gathering places, such as the Coconut Grove in the golden age of Hollywood.
The resort has a number of dining experiences, including the Market, which is a reimagined Miami Beach coffee shop led by Michelin star chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten and inspired by the century-old markets of San Miguel in Madrid and La Boqueria in Barcelona. Offering gourmet fast food from a number of counters, there is an open-air café and a separate take-out area.
The resort’s main restaurant, an oval-shaped room, is called the Matador Room and will feature Latin cuisine.
Landscaped by Madison Cox, there are a series of outdoor ‘rooms’ – one of which transforms in the evening into an outdoor nightclub.
There are two pools on the property, with access to the resort’s private beach – which has an outdoor movie screen, an outdoor fire pit and a freestanding healthy snack bar.
The resort also features a reinterpreted version of Shrager’s legendary Studio 54 nightclub, kitted out with soundstage-quality sound and lighting systems by Patrick Woodroffe – designer of films and concerts for Michael Jackson, Lady Gaga, Beyoncé and the Rolling Stones.
“[The nightclub is] a sort of red light district, but legal and for the wild at heart,” said Schrager.
Guests can also wear customised shoes, designed by famed artists, to compete at the resort’s bowling alley. Or they can go ice skating at the resort’s indoor rink.
