Hey — have you heard? Valentine’s Day is next week. And if you haven’t made plans for your significant other — or just a newer two-some — it’s time to get on it! Our ideal date would simply be a night in a top-of-the-line suite in one of our favorite cities (especially this time of year..brrrr), Miami. We found our five fave rooms to make some sweet, suite love in.
The Junior Suite at the Dream South Beach; Miami, FL
THE SEX APPEAL: Tricked-out lighting and offbeat decor set the tone at this funky addition to the South Beach hotel scene. Although the sitting and sleeping spaces are actually combined, the oversize, plush king bed makes for a fantastic sleep — and should things get hot and heavy on the couch, it’s not far to the bed. If it gets really hot, there’s even more good news: The Dream has windows that actually open for a delicious breeze. Head upstairs to Highbar for a nightcap on one of their retro wicker lounges before holing up in your suite for the night.
THE PRICE: $995/night
See more photos of the Junior Suite >>
Check out more of our steamy suites after the jump!
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It’s time to get wet, y’all! With Spring Break just around the corner — and the rest of us here dying for a warm-weather vacation — we thought about where we’d wanna party in the sun. Check out the hottest pool parties around the globe, and then tell us: Which is your favorite pool party?
The Pool at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino; Las Vegas, NV
WHY SPLASH AROUND HERE: Easily one of the most popular with the bachelor-and-bachelorette set, the weekly Sunday Rehab Pool Party is notorious for bringing in huge (but sexy!) crowds. An eight-hour affair (it starts at noon), the party is known to bring in top party DJs from around the globe including Paul Oakenfold and Bad Boy Bill who spin tunes that range from Top 40 pop hits to banging house beats.
Check out more sexy hotel pool parties after the jump!
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The Restaurant at The Setai Miami
It’s time for another holiday! Local chefs are getting creative in the kitchen and whipping up some fantastic menus for Easter 2011. Whether you enjoy brunch or dinner, a la carte or buffet, you’re sure to find something to your liking. Here are some options for the Miami area.
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Cleavlander Hotel bar
February may be frosty all across the country, but Miami sports fans are feeling the Heat at these popular local pubs where the beer flows and fans in flip flops cheer for their favorite teams. Our All-Star review will have you perfectly situated for the NBA finals and the upcoming March Madness!
NBA All-Star Weekend kicked off Friday, February 18, and the SuperFriends LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh began lending their talents to the Eastern Conference roster. Fans who can not make the trip to Los Angeles can watch the dunk contests, skills challenges, and Sunday’s big game at these South Beach sports bars:
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Il Mulino at Acqualina Resort and Spa
It’s time to spark up the romance for Valentine’s Day 2011. Local Miami restaurants will make it easier by offering delectable menus all weekend long. From Sonoma duck foie gras custard to gold champagne truffles, you are sure to get excited by these fabulous offerings.
1500 at Eden Roc at Eden Roc: A Renaissance Resort & Spa, Miami Beach, 4525 Collins Ave, Miami Beach; 305.674.5594
Eden Roc is offering a 4-course prix-fixe menu for $95 per person. This menu is available on February 14 only, from 6-10 pm. Start off with your choice of Tuna Crudo or a Garden Greens Salad with oranges and asparagus; continue onto your choice of Hawaiian Mero with roasted beet agnolotti and pea tendrils or Olive Oil Poached Salmon with spinach, crispy fingerlings and smoked bacon; continue onto your meat dish as you choose between Slow Cooked Short Ribs with polenta, glazed shallots, greens and huckleberry sauce or Beef Tenderloin with carrot puree, wild mushrooms, baby artichokes and cabernet sauce; and finish off with a taster of homemade desserts and ice cream.
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Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park
Miamians are certainly not ones to sit still. How could they, when year-round warm weather and miles of sand and sea seduce them to play? But vacationing in Miami also often seems synonymous with navigating the club scene that’s still colorful at 5 a.m. When I visit, I try to stay at a low-key hotel, the Angler’s Boutique Resort, and spend my time at these nature spots that are plenty vibrant:
1. In 415-acre Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park, four miles of trails course past a subtropical forest of gumbo limbo and pigeon plum trees and mangrove wetlands that once flourished in Florida. You’re bound to spy numerous butterfly species and maybe even a rare peregrine falcon.
2. The two-mile Fossilized Reef Trail winds to a unique geological feature — visible at low tide — at Crandon Park’s Bear Cut Preserve. On the way, you’ll likely encounter a variety of birds, from white ibis to cormorants.
3. Just 20 minutes from downtown, Oleta River State Park is a perfect venue for kayaking along the mangrove-lined Oleta River. This is also one of the state’s best spots for mountain biking with some 14 miles of interconnecting single track beside waterways where you may spot dolphins or manatee.
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Spa at The Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne
In the rush to finish holiday shopping, consider ditching retail therapy for a bit of escapism. Travel-based gifts tend to impart distinct lasting memories, and are gifts far more personalized and personal than mere objects. Below are three unforgettable, reasonably-priced, mini travel experiences within South Florida.
Tea with Versace for $55 – 1116 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach, (305) 576-8003
Following Versace’s death and Donatella’s unmanageable plastic surgery bills, South Florida mogul Barton G. purchased and transformed Ocean Drive’s most historic icon, the Versace Mansion, into a 10-room boutique hotel and intimate restaurant. Now known as the Villa by Barton G., Versace’s former sanctuary is more spectacular than ever, finally permitting the public to experience the mansion’s design splendor and sophistication. Thursday through Sunday the Villa serves full afternoon tea with exotic teas, sumptuous sandwiches and freshly baked sweets presented on Versace by Rosenthal Byzantine Dreams china, exclusive to The Villa. Advance reservations required. The Villa by Barton G. is located next to the Hotel Victor, Miami.
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Interior of 1500 at Eden Roc
If you are looking for a kind of late 1950s, early 60s glamour, it’s hard to beat Eden Roc Resort, Miami on the upper “Golden Mile” of Miami Beach. Though just a short cab ride, it feels a world away from the thumpety-thump of South Beach where the party scene is inescapable. The $200 million renovation has the place feeling fresh and modern with a cool and shimmery color palate, and nods to a time when it was the resort of choice for entertainers like Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Lena Horne, Jerry Lewis, Sammy Davis, Jr. and Elizabeth Taylor.
The property has multiple pools and a great view of the ocean, but not a lot of choices when it comes to dining. Fortunately, I found the new restaurant there, 1500 Degrees, to be absolutely wonderful. Hell’s Kitchen fans will recognize the name of the chef, Paula DaSilva, a past contestant on the show who was named one of the “Top 40 under 40″ by Gold Coast magazine and “Best Celebrity Chef” by Broward/Palm Beach New Times.
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by Ben on December 15, 2010
Rose Bar at Delano Hotel
Miami is known for hot sand and sun, toned bodies, and one of Will Smith’s best 90s singles ever. It’s also one of the country’s biggest party towns. If you’re visiting Miami and looking for nightlife, these are the hotels that will surely deliver.
The Delano is one of the coolest and most popular spots on South Beach, drawing a wide range of clientele. The party begins in the the lobby’s crowded and red-lit Rose Bar, and then the crowds continue out the back and around the pool, and also underground to Lenny Kravitz’s Florida Room nightclub, where Miami club promoter Tommy Pooch hosts a weekly party every Saturday night. There are live DJs, $17 mojitos, and tight security — a well-known, see-and-be-seen party scene.
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Area 31 restaurant at Epic Hotel, Miami
In line with the evolution of a more environmentally-conscious and health-conscious society, a select few restaurants have finally surfaced in Florida that care both about resource conservation and healthy body preservation. While scouting out organic food and green products is relatively easy at a place like Whole Foods Market, Florida in general has yet to embrace the locally-sourced , farm-fresh, sustainable revolution that has taken hold in other states like California, Oregon, and Maine. Luckily for the more enlightened consumer, five South Florida restaurants have taken the situation in their own hands, supporting small organic farms, and paying attention to seafood watch guides when sourcing their products.
Here are two of the five Miami restaurants that are doing their part, and should not be missed:
- Area 31, in the Epic Hotel, Downtown Miami 305.424.5234
Executive Chef John Critchley prepares Florida’s most sustainable and savory seafood eats in his intimate open kitchen. Critchley takes great pride in his daily sojourns to the local Casablanca Fish Market, perusing the renewable catch from reliable community fishermen in Area 31 (hence the restaurant’s name), and then filleting his prized possessions in-house. Upon preparation, Critchely keeps the fresh seafood as the center of attention with delicate and mild sauces, accents, and accompaniments to bring out the most succulent tastes. Much like a French master chef, he focuses on simple preparations for the discerning palate, where each carefully chosen ingredient is easily recognized.
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