A couple of weekends ago, after Patrick and I were out in Orlando for a conference, we decided to take advantage of the unusually warm temperatures down south and headed even farther south by spending a few days in Miami.  We love Miami, not only for its proximity to Boston, it’s wonderful culture and ever so upbeat nightlife, but it’s also where we eloped close to 4 years ago.  Plus, when the weather starts getting tough up East, we snowbirds need a taste of that spicy weather before it’s white and bland up here.  Sorry to all you who <3 the snow and frosty weather, but I’m all about the sun!

Image Credit – allposters.com

In the past when we’ve vacationed in Miami, we’ve stayed right on ‘the strip’ in South Beach and we’ve stayed in downtown Miami.  Both are great for their own respective reasons, but we decided to mix it up this time and stay at a place a little bit off the beaten path.  When I say ‘we’, I have to chuckle to myself because I am a lazy bum when it comes to making travel arrangements.  My mother spent over 25 years working in the airline industry, so as a kid, I was well-traveled and flew in style.  In addition, she always took care of our hotel arrangements.  And now, I am even more spoiled.  Since Patrick finds enjoyment in researching our travel destinations and finding the best rates, I never have to worry about a thing.  I find out where we’re going and when and then I all have to do is pack my bags.  Nice life, huh?

Through my husband’s diligent research, we stayed at the aptly named, The New Hotel.  This hotel was located in North Beach, about a five minute drive to South Beach and was truly a hidden gem!  I tend to get a little ’snotty’ when it comes to where I stay when I’m vacationing.  I like big bathrooms, comfy beds, good service and clean everything.  So when Patrick told me we were staying at a ’smaller’ boutique hotel a few minutes down the road from South Beach, I was a bit skeptical.  As usual, Travel Agent Patty, proved me wrong by booking us a room at one of the coziest and stylish hotels I’ve had the opportunity to stay at in quite some time.

Normally, when you check into a hotel, you have to wait in line at the front desk and walk through a few long hallways and maybe even endure a couple of elevator rides before you get to your long awaited room.  Because The New Hotel only has 10 rooms in total, the hotel is small and much of the unnecessary ‘extras’ just aren’t there.  For example, Ann, the general manager of the hotel, greets you when you walk in the from the entrance and immediately shows you to the room.  During your brief walk to your room, you get to see the lovely pool area along with the hotel’s bar and bistro and what The New Hotel affectionately calls, ‘Lou’s Beer Garden’.    The pool area is clean, tranquil, chic and relaxing – much like the vibe for the rest of the hotel.

The rooms of the hotel were beautiful.  The dark floors, which I thought were hardwood but were actually tile, were pristine and matched perfectly with the simple and stark linens and bedroom furniture.  While the bathrooms weren’t as large as I would have liked, they were decorated in a funky blue tile with a big glass shower stall and a wall-to-wall mirror.  Plus, the bathroom was sparkling clean, which more than made up for its size.  And while the bed resembled a cloud with its all white exterior, it also felt like as if we were sleeping high up in the sky.  There was also a refrigerator and bar area in the room which was a nice convenience.  Being that there was a Walgreen’s right next door (and where we parked our car for free every night) and a supermarket a block away, we were able to grab bottled water and snacks for the beach.  And speaking of beach, that was literally steps from our room.  We honestly rolled out of bed and onto the endless sand in about a hot minute.  Our gracious manager, Ann, was kind enough to loan us her beach chairs so we were not only able to get to the beach quickly, but we were able to sunbathe in comfort.  And you know that’s how Healthy Chow likes to roll!

One of my favorite parts of the hotel was that it was entirely green.  From the linens to the building material – just about everything was sustainable.  When you left your hotel room for the day or night, all you had to do was remove the card located in a stand next to the door and all of your lights and television were immediately shut off.  With this cool technology, you didn’t have to worry about shutting off the lights nor did you have to remember.  By just taking the card out of the stand, you were immediately saving energy.  It was that easy!

While the hotel was aesthetically pleasing and hygienically sound, the staff was what truly made the hotel.  Because Ann knew when we were checking in, she called and asked us in advance if we wanted tickets to the jazz concert that was being held across the street.  Ann was also available around the clock (I don’t know if she ever went home?) if we had questions about where to go, if we needed additional towels and even tidied up our room when she was short-staffed.  Luis, the chef of hotel (and whom the Beer Garden is named after), even volunteered his services and offered to carry my bags up the stairs as Patrick was parking the car.  And after dropping off my things in our room, Luis invited us to join him outside for some lunch and a drink.  Can you really get any more hospitable than that?

Our trip to Miami was wonderful.  We relaxed, enjoyed the hot sun and took advantage of being on vacation.  It was a great time and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.  But when the the weather is perfect, the hotel is more than comfortable and inviting and the company is not so bad either, what’s there to complain about?  When you can “party in the city where the heat is on, all night on the beach until the break of dawn, I’m going to Miami, welcome to Miami…”

Would you rather stay in a large chain hotel or in a small boutique hotel?  What’s your favorite hotel you’ve ever stayed in?

Namasté,
Nicole