Mesmerising Miami Hotels & Wellness Resorts
Yves de Contades jetted off to Miami, one of the top luxury destinations in the world. The mind whirled with endless glamourous connotations, Miami Vice, beach ball, beautiful models, Scarface, Latin Cuban dancing and the Rat Pack. Miami shares with New York that certain frisson when you arrive; like Monaco, it exhibits some serious wealth and like Rio, it promises a party.
I am chauffeured from Miami airport to The Carillion Wellness Resort and Spa in a lavish vehicle that is part A-Team van and part limousine with glossy black exterior, interior and of course blacked-out windows. This is a limo you can boogie in, complete with a not so mini-bar (it holds champagne flutes for 12).
The Carillion is famous in the States as a celebrity relax and detox Spa. Eva Longoria, Ricky Martin, Micky Rourke and Alec Baldwin are all regulars.
When I arrive I immediately see why; the lobby is beautiful, modern and opulent yet very welcoming. There is a rich sybaritic atmosphere to the place without the formality of some other hotels, with a three-floor sculpture plus polished stone and shell floors designed by the pre-eminent architect David Rockwell.
The rooms are delightful, spacious and modern with an HD television system that can be watched from the living room or the bedroom. The view of the beach is stunning, stretching out in a wide panorama. As you would expect from a top spa resort the bathroom is huge and designed for indulgence with double sinks and the deepest baths I have ever seen. Elegant, minimalist, luxury decor aimed at relaxation.
It was time to lose the jet lag in the sea which was lovely and warm for this time of year, the waves were pure art; perfect spherical waves that just roll along the sand forever. Beach bum heaven. The sea is a translucent Caribbean colour, with light and dark green hues. After a long swim, I ambled off to the spa where I had an Ashiatsu massage booked to banish the post-flight aches. Ashiatsu masseurs use their feet to give you a deep tissue massage rather than twiddle with your toes for an hour and a half.
The hydrotherapy spa is incredible, akin to an Alice in Waterland extravaganza. The thermal suites are a fantastic sensory experience, emulating tropical rainstorms, utilizing coloured lights to simulate times of the day, sounds to invoke jungles or arctic vistas, and herb-scented waters that steam, rain or mist all over you. Imbuing you with incredible scents, aromas and sensory delights. There are hours of fun to be had switching from Atlantic Storm to Caribbean Monsoon to Polar Mist and back again at the touch of a button.
Do not miss the Igloo with menthol, mint and eucalyptus, though do try to avoid screaming in a high pitched voice when the first cold mist descends if you want to exit with any dignity.
The next morning I started my exploration of Miami with a kayak tour along the Oleta river through mangrove swamps with Dragonfly Expeditions. It was Homeresque, we paddled out into the wild swamps unarmed apart from a large double-bladed paddle and two guides. We were instantly besieged by Great Blue Heron, Egrets, Ospreys (Eagle like birds) and Jumping Mullet that flew out of the water. Turkey Vultures swarmed overhead, wonderful gliders with their outstretched wing feathers riding the thermals. Little Blue Heron, Ibises, Kingfishers and three Brown Pelicans flew overhead in the classic 3 birds on a wall formation. Do not miss out on the Everglades if you want to see manatees, dolphins, alligators, birds, and turtles or go air boating in the flat bottomed boats with a giant fan on the back.
Next, it was off to Lincoln Road in Miami Beach which is a pedestrian strip between Lenox and Washington Avenue, chock full of bars, cafes and restaurants with outdoor seating along the middle. This is the place to watch and be seen. I literally bumped into Ice-T with his wife and friends, who were followed by a parade of people gasping in recognition and flocking to shake his hand or get a picture with him. He could not have been more charming and friendly.
The atmosphere is superb as is the Art Deco architecture. People watch on the beach at Ocean Drive: athletic volleyball players, wealthy ladies on roller skates walking their dogs, muscle boys pumping iron, ladies in bikinis glued to their iPhones and the cars.., everything from the latest Bentleys to 50’s Cadillacs, cruising up and down the strip.
In the evening I met up with friends and we went to W South Beach and sat outside by the pool. It was a special event for all the lawyers attending the different Florida state universities. The theme appropriately enough was Miami Vice in white, so wall to wall tiny white dresses on the longest shapeliest legs you have ever seen, and that was just the men. It was like a catwalk show, 99% were pretty enough to model, they were many models there too, but impossible to tell the lawyers from the models. Miami really is full of stunningly healthy, fit, beautiful people. This is what the whole world will look like once a healthy lifestyle and cosmetic surgery become the norm. Fabulous.
Eventually, we moved on to Ocean drive and to the Mango Club. It’s like the film Coyote Ugly, the bar-staff are all trained dancers and entertain between drinks on the bar tops. No shirts for the men and bikinis for the girls. The whole place is pulsating with Cuban dancing and a lively friendly atmosphere.
Another day, another hotel and spa. The Acqualina lies a little further North along Collins Avenue. It boasts a magnificent entrance with enormous chandeliers that drip down from the huge ceiling. The car park alone is exclusive: Bentleys, Rolls Royces, Lamborghinis and Ferraris only. They also have 97 rooms and 188 residences here. You can stay here for a week or buy and live here. Very tempting. The Mediterranean-inspired tower faces onto the sea and has three pools and a hot tub in an immaculate tropical garden that borders the beach. The service and the decor are pristine and lush, very French Riviera. The restaurant and bar are divine and this is a great place to relax and watch the famous go by. The facilities include ESPA which is a British company offering the highest luxury Spa treatments. The ESPA products are impressive. Their oils and unguents pamper and soften to perfection. I luxuriated with a Swedish massage and it had been days since my last one.
I spent the afternoon at the Miami Boat show admiring boats Stavros Blofelt “I have a big laser Mr Bond” would have coveted. Superyacht brands such as Azimut, Oceanco and Cigarette, all replete with the latest technology, contemporary exterior and interior design. The next few days were taken up with a tour of the palatial shopping Malls, Coconut Grove and Little Havana which, along with Coral Gables, are a must-see.
Miami beach is sumptuous and exciting, it has more beautiful people per square inch than anywhere else in the world and combines the best luxury city living and nightlife with a sensational beach and promenade. This is where the wealthy and healthy work, live and play. The old playground of the Rat Pack is now frequented by celebrities and tech billionaires.
https://www.carillonhotel.com/en/
https://www.acqualinaresort.com
