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The Beacon Hotel in Miami is a treat—the
place to be as we checked out the city’s trendiest scene
Over the last few years, Miami has become one of the hot towns in
the United States—and not because of a certain film with Jamie
Foxx and Colin Farrell. The renaissance of Miami—in particular
South Beach—started at the turn of the century, as the city
regained confidence with its fashion and style—and when the
typical party-hard New York and Los Angeles celebrities began showing
up there last year for New Year, Miami had solidified its reputation
as one of the bright spots Stateside.
Lucire has been covering fashion shows in Miami regularly since
2002, and most recently, we decided we needed equally stylish digs
in which to rest up before each hectic day on the calendar. The
Beacon Hotel, at 720 Ocean Drive, was our choice—not only because
of a very famous street on which the hotel is situated—but
because it shared the city’s vibrant, fun nature. It’s a stone’s throw from the beach, some of Miami’s
best restaurants and clubs, and the top designer boutiques. Not
that we tried, but the staff members here are multilingual (English
and Spanish), and were totally versed with where the trendiest places
are. There’s a gift shop on site along with a business centre,
and, had we requested it, the Beacon Hotel would have arranged a
limousine service for us. But if trendy party places are not your scene, it’s not too
far away from Miami Beach’s excellent Botanical Garden. Within
16 km the Everglades National Park, Miami Metro Zoo and the
Holocaust Memorial can be found. It’s five minutes from the
Miami Beach Convention Center and the downtown business district.
Opposite the hotel is the Atlantic Ocean—a view that really
helps with contemplation and relaxation, if you happen to choose
an ocean-view room and wish to stare out at the palm trees and water.
Interestingly, despite being so near “the action”, it’s
far enough away to be pretty quiet at night. The view along Ocean Drive at night, with the neon lights, harks
back to an earlier time—there’s a sense of restraint here,
as Miami prides itself on its heritage. With 73 rooms and two suites, we knew we wouldn’t be “just
a number” here. And we love its art-déco style—something
that is so undeniably part of this city. It’s real art-déco,
too, and not some rehash—the building was constructed in 1937,
and has undergone a $2·5 million-plus refit to bring it right
up to date for guests. There are some connecting rooms as a result
of its original era. When you visit the Beacon’s web site, don’t forget to
check out the ‘Festivals and Events’ section. This keeps
you informed of events at the hotel and around the area—so
you’ll always know what’s on and what’s hot. The rooms are appointed with climate control (needed in the summer!),
marble flooring (which helped with a cool feel inside) and—as
needed in our line of work—high-speed internet. We got complimentary
breakfasts in the morning, while we could not really think of a
better place to get a decent feed than at the Beacon’s own
Rendezvous the Beach, its outdoor restaurant. This is a full-service
restaurant—none of the usual “cut-down” hotel fare
here. The wine list is impressive. What marks the Beacon out from so many other hotels—and we
have stayed at a lot—is its exceptional service, for which
we give it a 10 out of 10. With all it has to offer, it’s certainly
one of the highest on our list. •
Beacon Hotel
720 Ocean Drive
Miami Beach, FL 33139
USA
1 305 674-8200; reservations 1 877 674-8200
www.beacon-hotel.com
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