Stranger Than Paradise

There is a little of everything in Miami, the nostalgia of soft pimp from the era of Will Smith, the accessible exoticism of the Everglades, the fading rose on buildings in the art deco quarter, kilometre after kilometre of beach trimmed with a skyline of hotels. There are sparkling malls, women on rollerblades and the Art Basel fair, low rent hotels paying homage to Marilyn Monroe of a disappearing deliciousness, and concept stores which attract shoppers from around the world. But certainly, above all else, there is the legendary Surf Club in Surfside, a bubble of exclusivity built in 1930 by the tycoon, Harvey Firestone, to counter Prohibition with gulps of rum which, as legend would have it, came directly by boat from Cuba. It is within the same walls that Liberace, Frank Sinatra and Elizabeth Taylor drank with Winston Churchill and the Duchess of Windsor, a perfect location to open the new jewel of the hotelier giants, the Four Seasons.

A Modernist Colossus

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The original structure built by Russel T. Pancoast has been conserved and used, primarily, as the reception for the hotel, behind it is where the hotel has expanded into three modern giants. Designed by the Pritzker Prize winning architect, Richard Meier, a magnificence where white steel and glass almost disappear entirely under the rays of the, very peculiar, Florida sun. We are far from the resort here but next to the thoughtfully conceptualised, contemporary hotel-boutique. It isn’t surprising though that the décor of the common spaces and the 27 rooms was entrusted to Parisian, Joseph Dirand, who impregnated this brand-new space with an impression of having a history, giving it a sort of memory: the radical lines of the tailormade furniture, all constructed and finished with a cream and sandy palette, and whitened wood, polished surfaces that contrast with textured walls in the style of condo interiors popular in the 50s, brass fixtures light up the rooms and the entirely marble bathrooms perfectly… It would be rather natural for you to find one of Edward Hopper’s portraits in one of the balconies, sitting there, idle, looking out onto the sea. Glazed bay windows from ground to ceiling, a dance of reflections and glass balustrades, all of it sitting on the Atlantic oceanfront. The turquoise expanse of the ocean is humbling, even from the penthouse suite, for a more intimate interaction however, you should find yourself in one of the five Cabana Studios, private apartments on the waterfront, to be barefoot on the warm, wooden floorboards of the colonial terrace and the soft smoothness of the terrazzo floor which refreshes the air for the ceiling fans.

Enjoy the beauty rituals

Water will never be missed on the Miami Beach. The sparkling new Four Seasons is surrounded by three rectangular pools, as if come to life from one of Slim Aaron’s photographs, aligned in such a way that they face the beach, with a skirting of minimalist sun bathing, a bar and the famous Cabana Row, a remnant of the old, private club where the A listers ‘did their thing’, where Churchill would often be sipping his cocktail and painting the seascape. On the practical side, reserving one of these Cabanas makes changing in and out of beachwear a lot simpler without having to go by your room. On the other side, there is a new private beach teeming with non-motorised, environmentally responsible marine activities, an army of staff on the lookout for everyone’s safety and soon a children’s club which will be better decorated than your own home.

And the spa?

1,400 m2 of marble, of the purest white, divided into six cabins for an incredible range of complete treatments and two private cabanas of glazed glass to undergo beauty rituals designed by Biologique Recherche, Elemental Herbology and Susanne Kaufmann, not to mention sessions of acupuncture, aromatherapy, and neuromuscular massages. Even the interiors, spaces which in most cases lack charm, like the sauna, the hammam, and the rather stressful ‘corners for rest’ have been transformed by Dirand’s magnificent, neo-classic touch. Fitness freaks can simply lose themselves in the gym and a grass lawn, in the open, dedicated to Yoga.

For your dining pleasure

Within the original Surf Club building, the structure dating back to 1920, the light streams in from every corner through the enormous bay windows and a ribbed arched ceiling, within it is Le Sirenuse Miami and the Champagne Bar & Lounge, named after the cult hotel of the same name in Positano, Italy, decorated with, a similar, Amalfi Coast feel. The area is lined with indoor palm trees, suspensions from the ceiling, green marble and large white tablecloths. What could be a better break for New York’s elite when they come down to Florida? When it comes to the hot ovens of the kitchen we put our faith in Antonio Mermolia, young Calabrese chef who has created an authentic, traditional menu from the south of the boot, the Italian peninsula. Reinvented with an East Coast sauce: parmigiana tradi, tagliata de wagyu, homard caponata or baba napolitain are listed by the wait staff, always in uniform with the well-recognised Four Seasons affability. To have a drink facing the water, one can perch on a stool by the champagne bar, an intimate and rectangular bar conceived by Dirand, where a brigade of bartenders ready themselves to prepare cocktails named after Surf Club celebrities: “Winston Churchill” with Dom Perignon, “Frank Sinatra” with Roederer Cristal brut or “Liz Taylor” with Ruinart blanc de blanc. A homage to good taste as was once experienced during the legendary parties that were a part of life at this club.

9011 Collins Ave, Surfside, Florida. www.fourseasons.com