Ian Schrager is often credited with creating the boutique hotel concept. Many industry insiders were surprised when he teamed up with Marriott, a hotel giant that hasn’t always been known for thinking outside of the box. Their partnership has resulted in EDITION hotels in Istanbul and London. With EDITION Miami Beach, which opened in early December in Midbeach, Schrager has created a hotel where one can sleep, eat, work, and play in over-the-top fashion, as USA Today said.
The hotel has what Schrager called “a sort of red-light district, but legal for the wild at heart.”
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A micro-club—a modern-day version of Schrager’s legendary Studio 54 in New York City—has soundstage-quality sound and lighting systems created by Patrick Woodroffe, who has curated concerts for Lady Gaga and Beyonce, USA Today said.
“This picks up where Studio left off, ” Schrager said. “A visual riot, sensory overload, a truly serious dance club.” There’s also a bowling alley with luminescent bowling balls and an indoor ice-skating rink, the newspaper said.
An outdoor resort area is named Tropicale, in honor of the Tropicana, the historic 1950s Havana nightclub. At night it turns into an outdoor nightclub. There’s a Terrace Bar overlooking the pool area and a private beach with an outdoor movie screen, a fire pit and private bungalows, the report said.
One reminder that EDITION is a Marriott hotel is the Hot Shoppe, an homage to the original A&W root beer stand that the Marriott family started in 1927.
Michelin star chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten is in charge of the food and beverage venues, which include the Market, a reinvention of the 24-hour coffee shop. Schrager bills it as part patisserie, part boulangerie and part salumeria. It offers casual gourmet fast food and dining in an open air café, USA Today said.
“It’s a place that can be your first stop of the day, and your last stop of the night, ” Schrager said.
For a more formal dining experience, guests can go to the Matador Room, where Vongerichten is offering up a menu with Spanish, Caribbean and South American influences.
And if you ever want to sleep, the hotel has 294 rooms, which include bungalows and a penthouse. The starting rate is $429, the report said.
While South Beach always gets most of the attention, many hotel developers are betting on other parts of the city, including Midbeach, the area north of 23rd Street that has up until now been mostly residential. Most travelers would only go to that part of the beach to hit the hip club and restaurants at the Fontainebleau, USA Today said.
Many other hotels are expected to open in the next two years, it said.
