For four days this December all eyes will be on Miami as the international art world convenes in the city for Art Basel. Running from Dec. 5-8 in Miami Beach, Art Basel will feature over 250 galleries from around the world, showcasing modern and contemporary art from well-known and emerging artists.
The event will feature art and performances open to the public in Collins Park in Miami Beach, as well as a series of talks featuring gallerists, artists, publishers and more. Travelers can also see artwork exhibited at the main exhibition hall, as well as incorporated into the landscape at various locations, beaches and SoundScape Park.
If your clients are heading to Miami Beach for the event, they have a variety of hotels to choose from, but they better hurry—hotels are selling out fast for this international event. Here are a few of our top picks:
Guests staying at The Setai can sip from Art Basel-inspired molecular cocktails from Dec. 1-8 at The Bar & Courtyard, created by the hotel’s mixologist, Philip Khanderish. The drinks include Paint Your Own Negroni, a Basel Float and the Artistic Standard Shot. In addition, The Setai will be hosting its annual Art Basel welcome reception in The Courtyard, featuring hors d’oeuvres from executive chef Mathias Gervais, signature Setai cocktails and Tattinger champagne.
Located near the Miami Beach Convention Center, The Setai features two buildings: the Art Deco building, with 85 studios and 1-bedroom accommodations, and 40-story The Tower, a glass tower with 40 1- and 2-bedroom suites. The Art Deco oceanfront resort also features three pools with day beds; a spa with ocean and pool views; and restaurants such as The Restaurant, The Setai Grill, a steakhouse, and The Pool & Beach Bar, which serves Mediterranean cuisine.
Rates start at $1,500 per night with a minimum 5-night stay during the event. For more information, visit thesetaihotel.com. For more on The Setai, see Best Pools in Miami—The Setai.
The Mondrian South Beach is like a work of art, set on the waterfront of Biscayne Bay. Dutch designer Marcel Wanders wanted the hotel’s style to “pay homage to Sleeping Beauty’s castle,” and the look does just that—on a much grander scale. Think large white columns, a “floating staircase” in the lobby, and an Alice in Wonderland-style poolside area and outdoor Sunset Lounge.
Guests can choose from various accommodation options such as a studio, a bayview studio with balcony, a 1-bedroom king suite with a balcony and a bayview 2-bedroom suite with balcony. Rooms features flat-screen TVs, MALIN+GOETZ bath products, rainfall showerheads and WiFi. The hotel also features a 24-hour fitness center with views of the bay, downtown and Star Island; agua Spa, which offers six treatment rooms and a private garden-view terrace; and The Restaurant at Mondrian South Beach, serving up American cuisine and sushi from a sushi bar.
Rates start at $829 per night for a studio. For more information, visit morganshotelgroup.com.
Throughout Art Basel, Canyon Ranch Hotel & Spa Miami Beach will be offering its guests mini-coach transfers to the Miami Beach Convention Center when the main Art Basel event is taking place. In addition, when guests aren’t at the Art Basel events, they can take part in Palette to Palate cooking demos with award-winning chef Giovanni Arias and the resort’s onsite nutritionist, Larissa Alonso.
The all-suite Art Deco-style hotel is set in the renovated Carillon hotel and features floor-to-ceiling windows; a 24-treatment room spa; a beach boot camp class; a 2-story indoor rock climbing wall; two yoga salons; and four pools. Rates start at $805. For more information, visit canyonranch.com/miamibeach.
Farther north in Sunny Isles Beach, Acqualina Resort & Spa, a member of The Leading Hotels of the World, is offering the Art Basel package. This resort is perfect for your sophisticated clients who want to attend Art Basel, but don’t want to stay in the middle of all the action.
The package features admission tickets for two to Art Basel, daily transfers to the Miami Beach Convention Center and a daily $40 body or facial spa treatment credit for two adults. Your client can also choose the type of accommodations they prefer, with an oceanfront hotel room starting at $725, a classic hotel suite starting at $925 and a 1-bedroom oceanfront suite starting at $1,125.
The 98-room resort is located between Fort Lauderdale and Miami, and features three oceanfront pools; three oceanfront dining areas, including Il Mulino New York restaurant; the AcquaMarine kids’ program; and the 20,000-sq.-ft. ESPA spa. The package requires a 3-night minimum stay. For more information, visit acqualinaresort.com.
For more on Art Basel, visit artbasel.com/en/miami-beach.
