The Angler’s Boutique Resort

The intimate pool courtyard.

Just to offset all questions from the beginning, the Angler—of  The Angler’s Boutique Resort—refers to the original owner of the property. A fisherman at heart, he most likely named the resort after himself. In fact, The Angler’s offers a fair bit of history, dating back to 1930 at least, and once called itself the summer home to Ernest Hemingway when he was in town…who, for the record, joined the original owner for daytime sea excursions. Today, The Angler’s is one of South Beach’s most intimate hideaways.

getting acquainted
Pulling up to the property, guests are greeted by a smiling valet before they step onto an outdoor dining area covered by white cabanas, red umbrellas and the waving green palms of the palm trees. Then when they enter the glass double doors, your clients will find themselves between the property’s award-winning restaurant and its accompanying bar and lounge. More on that later….

The Angler’s features 45 suites in four white, ivy-covered buildings: The Tower, The Angler’s Main, The Pool House Villas and The Manor Villas. The Tower is the property’s newest acquisition, featuring circular Art Deco windows and 2-story duplex suites—some of which also feature private patios and outdoor jacuzzi tubs (an oasis in the middle of buzzing SoBe). In The Angler’s Main, meanwhile, guests can expect king-size accommodations, and The Pool House and Manor Villas both feature two stories, with The Pool House Villas throwing in a private rooftop sundeck and Manor Villas offering a back patio—one with its own full-size jacuzzi, too. But no matter which category your clients opt for, all suites offer top-notch amenities, of course, such as plasma TVs, high-speed wireless Internet, wet bar with premium mini-bar provisions (liquors, beers…in other words, musts for a SoBe stay) plus refrigerator and microwave (in case your clients have a craving for a midnight snack).

Its intimate setting means there’s no “room” for a spa per se, but spa treatments are available en-suite, with options spanning from a Swedish to a four-hands massage. And although there’s no gym on property, the resort has a good relationship with local gyms to provide fitness options (a must before catching some rays on the shoreline). The same goes for umbrella and lounge chair rentals beachside, which are available through the property’s beach vendor partners. However, The Angler’s provides a complimentary beach bag, towels and bottled water for its guests.

it’s all in the details
Much of the resort’s charm comes from its architecture—it’s a classic 1920s Miami-Mediterranean Revival property, with Italian, Byzantine and Moorish themes from Spain and France. Spanish baroque decor can be found around openings, balconies and cornices, while parapets, twisted columns and pediments are featured prominently as well. Since the property is a combination of four buildings—the northern building was a previous owner’s home, and the southern tower added as part of the property in 2007—many guests will enjoy the outdoor layout as they trek down bamboo-bordered sidewalks to get to their suite.

In passing, a European guest told us, “We chose Miami Beach for our summer holiday because it’s been highly recommended by so many of our friends. Our agent gave us a few beachfront options and a few hotels a block or two away to chose from, but we chose The Angler’s for its looks, location and price, and so far, we’re loving it.”

This is a sentiment that James E. Ayres II, the resort’s general manager, probably wouldn’t be too surprised to hear. “I’ve always found that travel agents are wonderful at ‘painting the picture,’ and being able to really fine tune discerning guests’ destination points. There are 204 other hotels in Miami Beach—a great travel agent can really break down for the guest the qualities that The Angler’s exhibits, that is suited with the guest’s desire. A great travel agent would take the request for an upscale, quiet, friendly, boutique property, and instantly translate them into being an Angler’s guest.”

Being a boutique property, many on staff told us that it’s super easy to get to know guests individually—and from our recent stay on property, we can attest that not only are they friendly, they’re also more than happy to help. When we were escorted to our suite, the front office manager made us promise to call the front desk if we needed something, not to lift a finger except to dial. And if Latin cuisine from 660 at The Angler’s wasn’t our ‘cup of tea,’ he swore by his restaurant recommendations, even promising to pay our bill himself if we didn’t enjoy it. We noticed the restaurant manager making her rounds of the property, stopping by lounge chairs and cabanas poolside to ask if guests needed anything. And every employee who walked by always said hello.

the local flavor
Being two blocks from the beach, guests of The Angler’s enjoy the ability to spend days and evenings seeing the sights, sounds and scenes of South Beach, which can—and most likely will—include a definite Latino flavor. Much of the music, language and cuisine of South Beach is a North American take on Latin America.

That local flavor, of course, is imbued in the philosophy behind 660 at The Angler’s, the resort’s award-winning on-property restaurant. The restaurant aims to provide a festive culinary experience where guests can enjoy not just one, but a mixture of flavors.

Says executive chef Carlos Torres, “A lot of restaurants in Miami Beach feature Peruvian or Argentinean food, but here, we feature a combination of flavors: Peruvian, Colombian, Brazilian, Cuban…a lot of everything. I try to mix all of those Latin American flavors and bring all the countries together.”

The combinations are truly spectacular. When we asked Torres what he would order for a full day’s cuisine at 660, he told us, “My breakfast definitely would be the corn cakes, which come with queso fresco and guava butter; my lunch would be the fish wrap, a coconut rice-kimchi combination with tempura-buttered snapper, cucumbers, red onions and peanut butter glaze all wrapped up, and for dinner, I’d have to choose between the seafood aji amarillo and the churrasco with the rustic potatoes.”

exploring off-property
Of course, South Beach as a location has plenty to offer as well, with the beach, nightlife, Lincoln Road and Ocean Drive not to be missed. Clubs, boutiques and eateries line the streets, many staying open ‘til the rooster crows. A walk through the area will show off everything this famous Art Deco district is known for, but we recommend the city’s bikeshare program that provides bicycles with a swipe of a credit card.

“I deal with young professionals, and the draw is predominantly the nightlife,” says Jason Beukema, owner of Whet Travel, a Miami-based travel agency, when referring to the ideal South Beach client. He adds that the beach, art, and general vibe of the area is also a big influence on his clients’ interest in South Beach.

When they visit, Beukema recommends his clients “walk in and out of the hotels on Collins, between 16th and 23rd streets. Check out the Art Deco, the architecture, the scene and the pools—they are spectacular, unlike anywhere else in the world.”

After a full day—or night—on the town, rest will be priority number one…and that’s where The Angler’s steps in again. “The Angler’s is Miami Beach’s most intimate hideaway,” says Ayres. “We delight in our lush foliage, tranquil setting and second-to-none service, where guests can truly relax and enjoy their time.”

In short, The Angler’s Boutique Resort is a refreshing glimpse of what life can be like on South Beach. The area offers a potpourri of flavors, both gastronomic and cultural, with days spent lounging poolside, floating in the surf, or exploring some truly fantastic beachfront shopping, and nights as lazy or as crazy as your clients wish them to be. All the while, as Ayres says, The Angler’s is “your home in Miami Beach.” Starting rates are $279 per night for a studio suite through April 15.

getting there
Just 10 miles from South Beach, Miami International Airport (MIA) is one of the largest airline hubs in the U.S., with over 80 airlines traveling to more than 150 destinations around the world. American Airlines travels nonstop from cities throughout the country, with additional domestic nonstop flights offered by Delta Air Lines, AirTran, US Airways, United Airlines and Sun Country Airlines.

Archived related articles (available on recommend.com):
Hotel Beaux Arts Miami (October 2011)