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What's
New in...
MIAMI
by Andrew Mersmann
South Beach has, according to locals,
diversified its LGBT social scene over the past two
or three years, and Miami Beach residents now drift
north to Ft. Lauderdale for it’s revitalized nightlife,
or across the water to downtown Miami for a more happening
evening. South Beach still offers favorite haunts like
Score (727 Lincoln Rd. http://www.scorebar.net),
Twist (1057 Washington Ave. http://www.twistsobe.com),
and Laundry Bar (721 N. Lincoln Ln. http://www.laundrybar.com),
but there are a lot more options for people in the know.
Of the 12 million annual visitors to Miami, most never
venture beyond South Beach, and it is no different for
the one million gay visitors…which is their loss.
Party promoters have taken a cottage
business and made it the new standard for gay nightlife.
Edison Farrow’s SoBe Social Club (http://www.sobesocialclub.com)
is a prime example. An organized meet-and-greet night
for gay professionals, it brings locals and visitors
together for cocktails and conversation early in the
evening at various hotels, restaurants, and clubs around
town. Mango Miami (http://www.mangomiami.com)
covers similar ground for men, and women’s promoters
include Icandee Productions (http://www.icandeeproductions.com),
Pandora Events (http://www.pandoraevents.com),
Even Interrupted (http://www.eveinterrupted.com),
and Ultra Events (http://www.ultra-events.com),
each offering special theme nights, weekly parties,
and special events at various club spaces throughout
greater Miami. When planning your next trip to Miami,
the Miami Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce
website, http://www.gogaymiami.com,
is a great resource for up-to-the-minute information
about gay venues and events.
Downtown Miami has become the “it”
spot for new luxury hotels and offers visitors a variety
of options. The Mandarin Oriental, Miami (500
Brickell Key Drive, Tel: 866-888-6780. http://www.mandarinoriental.com
) has established itself with all the panache you’d
expect from this iconic luxury brand on its own tiny
downtown island, Brickell Key. This is the only hotel
on the island and the sense of escape is a great pleasure.
Their award-winning, signature restaurant, AZUL, has
just started cooking classes with star chef Clay Conley,
and if you’re craving the beach scene without the
pasty tourist crowds, Mandarin Oriental guests now have
VIP access to the private pool, beach cabanas, and luxury
service at Casa Casuarina, Gianni Versace’s former
mansion on Ocean Drive, accessible by the hotel’s
yacht or shuttle service.
Also enjoying the revivified hipness
of downtown is the Four Seasons Hotel Miami (1435
Brickell Ave. Tel: 305-358-3535.
http://www.fourseasons.com/miami ), ideally located
near Vizcaya (3251 S. Miami Ave. http://www.vizcayamuseum.org
) the venue for the annual gay event, the White Party
( http://www.whiteparty.org
). The grandeur of this hotel is infused with an extra
helping of funkiness thanks to an extensive and amazing
original art collection headlined by gigantic statues
and vibrant oil paintings. The Four Seasons also provides
exclusive guest access to special events at the brand
new Carnival Center for the Performing Arts (1300
Biscayne Blvd, Miami. Tel: 305-949-6722. http://www.carnivalcenter.org
) with its resident arts companies and big-name visiting
attractions, from Lily Tomlin to Wicked and Swan Lake.
Culture vultures had been circling for ages waiting
for the opening, thrilled to finally have a permanent
home for ballet, symphony, opera, and theatre. The two
main buildings are architecturally exciting with dramatically
angled walls and looming glass facades. At night it
creates a feel of an arts village as audiences for different
events mingle on the plaza. A performing artist I met
gushed about how this is “the new, beating heart
of Miami.”
Many GLBT visitors still prefer to make
South Beach their home base while on vacation, and for
good reason: it offers an exciting variety of hotels,
restaurants, and entertainment, all within walking distance
of the beach.
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You may need Beyoncé’s
bank balance to make a second home of The Setai Hotel
(2001 Collins Ave. South Beach. Tel: 305-520-6000. http://setai.com),
as she and so many of her fellow superstar celebrities
do, but if budget is not your number one concern, you
deserve to stay here. This pristine, Asian-themed abode
is, quite simply, one of the finest hotels in America.
The main hotel fronting the strip is a 1930’s art
deco landmark, while a giant glass tower stands behind
it at the beach with larger suites, private residences,
and a hidden, private lobby for paparazzi-free check-in.
The Setai’s attention to detail should be a model
for the industry. Every room feels like an art exhibit,
perfectly lit and set off by dark slate, black granite,
and dark woods. Each aspect of the service and rooms
exceeds expectation…even the mini bar is a full-size
Sub-Zero refrigerator.
The Ritz has always been synonymous
with idyllic service, and The Ritz-Carlton South
Beach (One Lincoln Rd. Tel: 786-276-4000. http://www.ritzcarlton.com)
is a lush example. A 1953 Morris-Lapidus landmark hotel,
the rooms and public areas have an easy elegance, the
staff is wonderfully attentive, and the pool scene is
legendary. The Ritz-Carlton also features America’s
only “Tanning Butler,” Malcolm Siciak. Wearing
sexy short-shorts, he strolls among the lounge chairs
by the pool offering to rub high-end suncare products
on your hard-to-reach places, and to give your sunglasses
a polish while he’s at it. Add the DiLido Beach
Club, South Beach’s only beachfront restaurant,
and you’ve got an idyllic waterfront stay. To top
it off, Chef David Bouley has just opened Evolution
(his first restaurant beyond Manhattan) at the Ritz
(http://www.bouleyevolution.com).
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