Beach Getaways 2008 - (Page 24) Above, Sesame Shrimp at the Hotel of South Beach. Photo courtesy of Michael Boise. Right, Spa at Casa Casuarina. Photo courtesy Simon Hare Photography. his first love, Kravitz incorporated a clear Lucite replica of his family piano for the piano lounge. The club gets its name from his aunt’s Florida room, a place where he hung out as a child in the summer and listened to music. Folks like Lance Armstrong inaugurated the first floor speakeasy style lounge in December, making it an instant celebrity hotspot, much like the hotel itself which has epitomized South Beach swank since it reopened in 1995 with white drapes billowing throughout its palatial lobby. Tim Andreas (designer for Ian Schrager Hotels and now with the architecture firm Banjo) recently updated the guest rooms with white-on-white décor and added splashes of green. Playing on instruments of his first love, Kravitz incorporated a clear Lucite replica of his family piano for the piano lounge, The Florida Room. While Kravitz enjoys his place at the Delano, actor Robert DeNiro dabbles in dining at the Delano’s sister Miami hotel – The Shore Club. DeNiro is part owner in chef Nobuyuki Matsuhisa’s famed Nobu. A sibling of one of New York’s hottest restaurants, the Delano’s Nobu is the place for sushi on South Beach. The hotel, which also has suspended white drapes in its lobby, attracts a star-studded crowd and those who can afford the very best. World-renowned architect David Chipperfield applied his minimalist trademark to the elegant hotel rooms and the decadently luxurious penthouse with a private lap pool. The resort’s sexy Skybar explodes with color, primarily reds, and intricate Middle Eastern designs. With four large areas, there’s space for star-gazers as well as stars. perhaps there is no designer more famous in South Beach than the late Gianni Versace. His former home is both a membersby-invitation-only club and an exclusive small hotel. Located in the thick of South Beach, the Casa Casuarina is more Moorish castle than home, but for $1,200 (and up) a night you can stay. The 1930 Spanish revival mansion offers 10 lavish guest suites, including Versace’s former bedroom and rooms that once accommodated Madonna, Princess Diana, Elton John and many of his celebrity friends. Along with lavish accommodations, guests get a personal butler, beach cabana, and temporary club membership with access to the lounges where celebrity club members like Oliver Stone nibble on caviar and sip martinis away from the flash of paparazzi. Save your pennies, cozy up to a member or visit the spa and restaurant. Mainstream America may know his name from Target stores, but there’s nothing bourgeois about The Hotel of South Beach that Todd Oldham designed. The stylist playfully combines his STAR DESIGNERS While some actors and musicians have found a new niche in design, many designers have reached celebrity status. And 24 VISITFLORIDA.com/beaches http://VISITFLORIDA.com/beaches
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.