HOTELS
Miami: The Stanton
Things get a little quiet at the tail end of South Beach—and that’s just the way everyone likes it.
Tucked away near the bottom of Miami’s fabled Ocean Drive, past the pastel-painted strip of Art Deco hotels and their raucous sidewalk eateries, sits SoFi, the soothing South Beach neighbourhood south of 5th Street. Here, a quaint and quiet combo of condos and small resorts delivers a peaceful beach vibe, one that’s happily echoed by the Marriott Stanton South Beach.
Vibe: A retro cottage feel greets you in the lobby: tons of blonde wood punctuated by colourful, quirky artwork, low-slung leather sofas, terrazzo flooring, mid-century-style wooden sideboards propping up cool lamps.
Rooms: The beach cottage character continues up in the rooms, with their creamy white walls, even more wood and herringbone-patterned ceramic floors. A leather headboard, curved work station, velvet arm chair and ample bathroom complete this comfort zone. Everything is modern and airy, right down to the little vermilion chairs on the balcony.
F&B: Tuck into the carnitas, then a platter of ribs with grilled spring onions and fresh avocado at Lolo’s Surf Cantina, the Stanton’s Baja-inspired parkside café, where the mezcal margaritas have me at “hola.” Sure I could live here, but I’d have to get bigger pants. This certainty is underlined later on at Azabu Miami Beach, the resort’s Zen, izakaya-style restaurant, complete with a wall of Japanese whisky.
Extras: Spend the extra dollars for a value-added package that nets you faster internet, welcome margaritas, free bottles of water, beach chairs, bike rentals and one fitness class per day—things like cardio kickboxing, high intensity interval training and mat Pilates.
Off-Site: The fact that SoFi is within walking distance of a lot of good food—dozens of restaurants and bars, including the iconic News Cafe, the legendary Joe’s Stone Crab, celebrity chef Justin Smillie’s Upmarket and more—gives the Stanton an even greater edge.
Rate: $$
