2 New Hotels Worth Checking Out In Miami

Anyone who has ever wondered what it would be like to live in one of the soaring condo towers that have been shooting up the last few years in Miami should check into The Elser Hotel & Residences which opened in November in Downtown Miami next to the former American Airlines, now FTX (but who knows for how long) Arena. The views over Biscayne Bay from the 49 floor tower are sweeping: from the yacht marina, docked cruise ships, the spinning ferris wheel of next door Bayside all the way over to South Beach.

The interiors of the 646 rooms ranging from studios to three bedroom suites also foster a residential feel. All contain a full kitchen, a washer/dryer and contemporary furniture in an overall beige and white color scheme that is totally neutral. (The explosion of color is in the walls of the elevators, art pieces by local artist Andrew Antonaccio.) Since the hotel is brand new, some features have yet to move in but are expected within the next few months notably the spa and the restaurant, a new concept by the owners of nearby Jaguar Sun, a prize-winning cocktail bar with a menu that includes dishes such as tuna tartare, snapper crudo and several pastas such as spicy rigatoni with pork sugo and agnolotti with corn, blue crab, saffron and marcona almonds. What is there now is a wrap around, 132 foot long pool on a 19,000 square foot sun deck on the 9^th floor that seems destined for Instagram and photo layouts and a duplex, 10,200 square foot, state of the art fitness center that could satisfy even the most intense gym rat.

Over in Wynwood, the Miami neighborhood known for its art galleries and the largest concentration of street art in the world, Arlo Wynwood, which also opened in November, could not be more different. Like its surroundings, it’s edgy and awash with color, starting with elaborate, almost psychedelic designs applied to the elevator doors and interiors (added for Art Basel when it was home base for the visiting art community but will probably become a permanent feature.) The first relative high rise (nine floors) in the neighborhood, it’s instantly recognizable by the swirling black and white design down the side of the building and every spot within it either has more color or another artwork—there are 250 within the hotel. The third floor bar Higher Ground has more vivid color, as does the urban jungle outdoor courtyard that surrounds it. The 217 contemporary rooms, on the other hand, are a soothing, noncompetitive white.

The hotel will be a magnet for anyone who wants to be close to the multitude of street art displays and museums celebrating it: Wynwood Walls and The Museum of Graffiti (accessible for free to Arlo guests by showing their room keys) are a short walk away.) But it’s already a hotspot because of the restaurant on the ground floor: MaryGold’s Florida brasserie, the latest from Miami star chef Brad Kilgore, well known from his past restaurants Alter, Kaido and Ember. Both the indoor and outdoor tables are buzzing on the five nights a week that it’s open (closed Monday and Tuesday) with plans to open for breakfast in January. (Grab and go selections are available until that happens.) Lunch is already available at the rooftop pool, a pretty glamorous area with cabanas in which to try dishes such as Asian beef skewers, a classic seviche and tuna poke guacamole, a lively combination of flavors including a soy lime vinaigrette and seaweed.

Kilgore’s creations at MaryGold’s are complex, appealing and often involve an extended prep period (such as the delectable layered brioche which takes three days) and rarified ingredient procurement (the delicate red shrimp carpaccio which can only be obtained from one working boat.) Whatever the process, the results are delicious, ranging from octopus on the Plancha, tender perfectly cooked octopus with a coating of sweet and sour Urfa chili to a pork dish listed simply as bone in pork chop but is actually porcelet (piglet) peach wood smoked and served with candied hazelnuts, mustard greens and preserved peach jus. (The preparation by sous chef Zev Bennett from a technique learned at his previous stint in a premier restaurant in Bangkok adds a crust while maintaining the delicacy of the meat.)

On the dessert menu, Carrot Cake Bread Pudding seems to get the majority of diners’ attention and Baked Alaska here called Baked Florida gets a local spin with tropical fruit semifreddo and pineapple rum. A South Florida classic, key lime pie, is also represented but because there’s so much of it, diners might overlook it. They shouldn’t. It arrives shaped like the restaurant’s namesake flower with the key lime placed over a layer of butterscotch—not traditional but completely addictive.