With World-Class Artwork, a Personal Theater, and a Hollywood Pedigree, This Miami Resort Is a Reader Fave

Even on the planet of luxurious hospitality, it’s not unusual for vacationers to reach at a property and instantly expertise a contact of disappointment. Maybe the glamorous pictures they noticed on-line didn’t precisely characterize the setting. Or possibly a stuffy, lackluster ambiance places a damper on your complete getaway.

This isn’t the case at Faena Resort Miami Seaside — it’s the precise reverse. Whereas the imagery on the web site and throughout social media convey a brilliant, vigorous property with considerate touches all through, the true magic of Faena solely makes itself identified to those that get the possibility to go to in particular person. Solely then can they start to understand the net of interwoven particulars that bolster intimacy, curiosity, and celebration all through the oceanfront lodge.

A part of Argentine hotelier, actual property developer, and artwork fanatic Alan Faena’s extremely curated assortment of properties, the 179-room lodge feels each modern and deeply tied to a way of place. It’s a selected, hard-to-achieve ambiance courtesy of Hollywood legends and theatrical design consultants Baz Luhrmann and Catherine Martin. With their assist, Faena introduced the Nineteen Forties property, previously the Saxony Resort, into its present period — one which mixes historical past with artwork, style, and a dedication to all issues avant-garde.

To some, the daring design decisions — pink velvet, leopard print, turquoise accents — and unbelievable fashionable artwork assortment (together with a gilded woolly mammoth by Damien Hirst) will be overwhelming. It’s a far cry from the muted tones and characterless options commonplace in different luxurious properties. However I discovered this fearlessness permits friends, as common supervisor Stated Haykal places it, to seek out “a novel sense of escape and leisure, surrounded by attract and luxury.”

“From the second you step into Faena, you’re immersed in a vibrant, inventive surroundings that blends our South American heat with Miami’s dynamic vitality,” he tells Journey + Leisure. As an alternative of coming into a conventional foyer, friends are welcomed to the “Cathedral,” an ethereal area with gold-leafed columns and floor-to-ceiling murals by artist Juan Gatti. Right here, Faena finds an preliminary foothold on its quest to captivate guests all through their keep — and lengthy after they’ve returned their room keys.

Learn on for my full evaluation of Faena Resort Miami Seaside and what you’ll be able to anticipate when staying at this World’s Greatest Award-winning property.

The Rooms

Faena’s signature pink isn’t a shade you’d sometimes affiliate with relaxation, but its 179 rooms and suites — starting from a 489-square-foot Bay View Room to the five-bedroom Penthouse Suite — are simply as snug as fantastical. The visitor expertise differs relying on room sizes and accompanying views, however there’s a consistency in decor components and facilities that each one can admire.

Take the bogs, for instance. Outfitted with elegant marble Ann Sacks tilework and unique merchandise that includes Faena’s customized scent, they’re the sort of lodge bogs you’ll be able to’t wait to prepare in earlier than an evening out. And in the event you’re staying in? The customized Artwork Deco-style picket mattress frames beckon. After lounging within the Florida solar, you’d be hard-pressed to not immediately go to sleep beneath the goose-down bedding.

Meals and Drink

Faena’s culinary choices, says Haykal, are “meticulously crafted, making certain each meal seems like a special day.” There’s one thing for everybody on the property — and your finest wager is to align what you’re in search of in menu, temper, and desired expertise with the lodge’s eating choices. If you happen to’re looking for pre- or post-dinner drinks, The Residing Room is an intimate, unique area for individuals who wish to lounge on leopard-clad couches and take heed to dwell leisure, espresso martini in hand. One other good cocktail (ideally a frozen piña colada) will be discovered at Veranda or Solar Bar, each of which sit inside steps of the pool.

For dinner, I extremely suggest James Beard award-winning chef Paul Qui’s Pao, the place the fashionable Asian menu has no faults. If you happen to’re further hungry, take into account the chef’s tasting menus. Relying in your actual order, your tastebuds might be totally awake and happy in 5 to eight programs. There’s additionally Los Fuegos by Argentine grillmaster Francis Mallmann. The asado expertise with an open-fire kitchen is one other touchpoint for whole Faena immersion. Or, for unparalleled exclusivity, there’s El Secreto Omakase, a speakeasy-style Omakase expertise with six diners per seating. To spherical out your journey with one more cocktail, head to Saxony Bar, an intimate late-night spot that oozes Miami Seaside glamor.

Actions and Experiences

A part of Faena’s attraction lies in the truth that even in the event you by no means depart the property, you’ll nonetheless really feel as in the event you’ve had a strong, decidedly Miami journey. Visitors hoping to spend time by the water have two choices: seaside or pool. I’d counsel attending to both on the sooner aspect, notably if you wish to snag your required spot beneath the striped umbrellas. Butler service is out there at each, so you’ll be able to take pleasure in a membership sandwich and a frozen cocktail whereas enjoyable on a lounge chair or inside a cabana.

Because the Miami solar goes down for the day, it alerts that it’s time to bathe, dress, and make your solution to the Faena Theater, which is alleged to be impressed by “grand opera homes and the glittering attract of Previous Hollywood.”

“Not each lodge can boast its personal opulent theater, however at Faena, our iconic Faena Theater makes us distinctive,” says Haykal. Allura Cabaret, the theater’s resident present, hits the stage on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, with awe-inspiring choreography, flashing lights, and a joyous spirit. Given its recognition, Haykal says the lodge can be working to develop predictions to “embody a extra various vary of performances.” “Along with our annual Jazz Sequence, we’ve unveiled a brand new comedy collection, Masters of Comedy, that includes a roster of acclaimed comedians, in addition to off-Broadway exhibits and different particular performances with esteemed expertise such because the legendary Ute Lemper and the queen of burlesque, Dita Von Teese,” he provides.

The Spa

“We wish our friends to go away feeling rejuvenated and impressed, with a long-lasting connection to the distinctive spirit of Faena,” says Haykal. For me, that connection was solidified on the 22,000-square-foot Tierra Santa Therapeutic Home. In shorthand, that is Faena’s spa — however, in my expertise, it’s a vacation spot past therapy and leisure rooms. Residence to one of many largest hammams on the East Coast, the third-floor oasis was designed, in Alan Faena’s phrases, to “awaken consciousness and restore wellbeing.” Its therapy menu and design mirror the lodge’s bigger narrative, encouraging friends to lean into the concept of transformation in no matter approach they select.

After turning into a Faena gown (white with pink accents), I used to be launched to my therapist, whose heat, calming presence was the primary signal that my Sacred Warrior therapy wouldn’t be a run-of-the-mill therapeutic massage. Combining the follow of pranic therapeutic — a deal with balancing the physique’s vitality — with conventional therapeutic massage and cleaning rituals, she led me by a 90-minute meditative and restorative session. As our time collectively drew to an in depth, the stress in my muscle tissue utterly disappeared, as did a heaviness in my chest I hadn’t even realized was there.

Accessibility and Sustainability

The lodge options a number of classes of mobility- and hearing-accessible visitor rooms, from the Bay View Room to the Premier Oceanfront Junior Suite.

Sustainability can be prime of thoughts for the lodge staff. “Miami Seaside is our house, and the ocean is our yard. Defending and caring for our seashores is essential,” says Haykal. With that in thoughts, Faena eliminated single-use plastics from the pool and seaside areas, opting to make use of biodegradable alternate options as a substitute. Haykal says they’re “working to implement [this] all through the property.”

Location

Faena Resort Miami Seaside is situated on historic Collins Avenue within the Mid Seaside neighborhood. It’s one of many major characters in the neighborhood referred to as the Faena District. The lodge serves because the central hub, flanked by the occasion venue Faena Discussion board, the luxurious condominium Faena Home, and the procuring heart Faena Bazaar. The Faena District is simply 11 miles from Miami Worldwide Airport (MIA).

Find out how to Get the Most Out of Your Keep

Faena Miami Seaside gives friends numerous trip packages that may assist scale back the ultimate invoice at checkout. For example, these reserving prematurely can save as much as 20 p.c off; friends planning to remain slightly longer (4 nights or extra) may also make the most of a 25 p.c low cost. Moreover, American Specific cardholders obtain a couple of different Faena perks, together with each day breakfast, a $100 expertise credit score, late checkout, early check-in, and complimentary room upgrades when obtainable.