Beach Getaways 2008 - (Page 26) Clockwise, near right: Zabaglione at The Tides Hotel; Interior room at The Tides Hotel: Back terrace at The Pelican Hotel; The main lobby at The Clinton. Photos courtesy of www.hg2.com, The Tides Hotel. signature use of color and minimalism with hints of the hotel’s original Buck Rogers-era design. White, dish-like umbrellas canopy tables in the tropical Wish garden patio restaurant. Cushions splashed blue, green and white pick up the colors of the tile fountain centerpiece. Blue, green and purple tones bring style to the simple lines of the guest room decor. What truly sets the boutique hotel apart, however, is its rooftop pool, not only because it’s one of the few South Beach hotels with one, but because Oldham’s use of periwinkles, greens, and whites around it blends with the turquoise ocean on the horizon, making it an almost surreal Miami stopping point. You might overhear a celebrity rapper writing lyrics by the pool or glimpse a supermodel getting a massage behind the billowing curtain of a poolside cabana. At night, the rooftop heats up around hotel’s crowning neon landmark – a rocket ship-like spire. The small open-air Spire Bar, its floor striped orange, hot pink and cream, is the place to see and be seen while overlooking bustling Collins Avenue. The Tides South Beach has its own reality TV celeb designer. Kelly Wearstler, a former judge on Bravo’s Top Design reality show, recently redressed the elegant hotel in her eclectic beach chic, saying her inspiration was 21st-century luxury juxtaposed with casual elegance, all the while honoring the city’s inherent beachfront spirit. That inspiration translated into a combination of art deco Hollywood glamour, modernism and natural beach elements – coral, shell, and organic designs. Taupe-colored statues are perched like Oscar awards on either side of the modern glass bar, and romantic curves seem never ending. Retro, rounded tufted leather sofas, circular chairs, egg-shaped “senator chairs,”and curvaceous end tables soften the lobby’s golden formality. A variety of faux turtle shells cover the neutral walls of its elegant La Marea restaurant and giant beach seashells are the lamp bases in guest rooms. One of the hotel’s endearing attributes, however, is that you don’t have to be a celebrity to be treated like one. Every overnight guest gets a personal assistant. EUROPEAN STYLE While celebrated American designers have brought glamour, color and sometimes playful sensibilities to South Beach’s boutique hotels, the European influence has increased in recent years. Polish interior designer Barbara Hulanicki, who now lives in Miami, was a natural fit to redesign the landmark Kent Hotel. A former fashion designer in London who dressed Twiggy, Mick Jagger, David Bowie and a long list of other fashion plates of the ‘60s, Hulanicki, through her store Biba, developed a bold, vibrant style that carried over into the hotels she now designs. 26 VISITFLORIDA.com/beaches http://www.hg2.com http://VISITFLORIDA.com/beaches
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