Recommend took a few days recently to play tourist in our own backyard, checking out EAST, Miami, a Swire Hotels and a Preferred Hotels and Resorts property, and its surrounding area, including the neighborhood of Wynwood, the Perez Art Museum in Downtown Miami, and the recently opened and Brickell City Centre, which is connected to the hotel.
EAST, Miami marks the first Swire Hotel to open in the U.S. This newly opened 352-guestroom property located in Miami’s hip Brickell neighborhood brings in Miami’s culture throughout its rooms, dining areas and public spaces via partnerships with local artists who showcase their street art in the staircase leading up to the ballroom; and through its onsite drink options such as la Rubia beer crafted by Wynwood Brewing Company, a local family-owned business; JoJo Tea, founded by two Miami natives, is also offered on property; and Panther Coffee, a local Miami coffee shop, provides all the coffee products for the hotel.
The hotel also has a partnership with VanDutch yachts to offer its guests the ability to charter a cruise for a discounted rate, and its partnership with Perez Art Museum Miami will allow EAST, Miami to offer tours and tickets for in-room packages and VIP guests.
You Can Find it All at EAST, Miami
The property features eight suites and 89 residence suites, which can be rented for both short and long-term stays, ranging from 300 to 1,800 sq. ft. The rooms all feature balconies with views of the Miami skyline and Biscayne Bay, and floor-to-ceiling windows so you don’t miss that gorgeous view from wherever you are standing. My Corner Bayview room (starting at $349 in low season; $679 in high season) had stunning views of Biscayne Bay from the large soak-in tub, which I definitely used to decompress after a day of dining and exploring the area.
Now about that dining. Quinto La Huella, the first outpost of Uruguay’s beachside Parador La Huella restaurant features unique fire-cooking methods with a parrilla in the center of the kitchen, wood-fired ovens, a sushi counter, and outdoor poolside dining experiences. If you’re wondering how an Uruguay eatery ended up in Miami, well, Brian Williams, managing director of Swire Hotels told us over drinks that he e-mailed several travel writers and foodies in his personal network asking what restaurant would begood that wasn’t an Argentinian steakhouse or a Peruvian restaurant. As the e-mails came in, he saw one name continuously popping up—Parador La Huella in Jose Ignacio. He ventured out to Uruguay to test out 26 of the recommendations he received, including Parador La Huella, which was most definitely a winner on his list as well. And here we have it.
The other onsite eatery, Sugar, on the 40th floor of the hotel, offers a signature rooftop experience, with stunning Miami skyline views. This Asian-inspired rooftop bar and garden serves delicious tapas (take my word for it, nothing disappointed), and the Miami vibe your clients seek. As the day turns into night, the scene becomes a who’s who of the Brickell area as locals came in for after work cocktails, dinner dates, and party celebrations.
In addition to these two tasty treats, Domain, the lobby cafe and bar, transitions from a coffee and pastry shop during the day, to the spot for light bites and a variety of cocktail offerings when the sun sets.
And, after getting their fill at all the dining options, your guests can workout those extra calories at BEAST, the Body by East gym, which offers Technogym equipment and is open 24 hours a day. In addition, through the hotel’s app, guests can check the monthly calendar for wellness programing, which will be launching soon. Or, they can go for a swim at the lap pool and then enjoy the spa pool, take in a cold plunge, or go for a dip in the hot tub to relax after their sweat session.
Exploring Around Town
The property is located adjacent to the recently opened Brickell City Centre, which is convenient for those who want to take in an afternoon of shopping, explore the vast dining options, or take in a movie at the soon-to-open movie theater—all just footsteps away; there’s even a connecting door from the hotel to Brickell City Centre.
Beyond the City Centre, Brickell is filled with lots of dining options, bars, and entertainment. We ventured out to Tucan Miami one evening for a Cuban burlesque show and dinner that certainly didn’t disappoint. Let me sum this up for you: cabaret-like dancing, an Adele-like singing performance, delicious dinner, drinks that were not only creative but served in a brass Tucan cup or another that was so enormous that five of us sharing didn’t make it past an inch or two of the glass, and dancing after the show while a live band played. Now, if that doesn’t fill your guest’s every need, we don’t know what will.
For those who prefer a bit more culture and art, the Perez Art Museum features great exhibitions, both seasonal and permanent ones. And for those who like to venture to something uber local, the Wynwood Walls showcase graffiti art by local and international artists. An afternoon stroll among these walls not only provides great social media-worthy photo ops—because let’s face it, it really is all about that unique selfie moment—but they also give guests a glimpse of this trendy neighborhood.
For a photo re-cap of our stay, don’t miss our installment of Eye on the World: EAST, Miami. And for more information, visit east-miami.com.
