AMBER’S MIAMI HOTSPOT
CONTINUING our series on the world’s hottest hotels and the stars who frequent them, this week SARAH TURNER checks out the Delano in Miami…
STAR QUALITY:
Madonna, Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Amber Heard.
VITAL STATISTICS:
Designed by Robert Swartburg and named after the then US president Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the Art Deco turrets of the Delano have dominated South Beach since it opened in 1947. In 1994, famed hotelier and nightclub owner Ian Schrager took the helm. With designer Philippe Starck, and using contemporary art and a party vibe, he invented this cool and aspirational boutique hotel. The 194 all-white bedrooms are so plain they could pass for a posh hospital but they’re designed to drive people into public spaces for entertainment such as the Argentinian-tinged restaurant Leynia or the small but chic Doheny Room, which aims for an indie 1980s club feel.
Is the Delano pretentious? Yes, a little. Most hotels in Miami have a swimming pool but the Delano has decreed that it has a water salon because most of the pool is designed to be shallow enough for guests to wade in at chest height while sipping cocktails, but it is a great deal of fun.
Location report: At the corner of Collins and 17th Street, this is where South Beach’s hotels become bigger and – crucially – have gates that lead straight on to the beach. The Delano is surrounded by a clutch of luxury hotels, including SLS and The Raleigh. A tall hedge separates it from the street and keeps gawkers away.
KEY ATTRACTION:
When Ian Schrager took over the Delano, he wanted to make hotels as exciting as nightclubs. It still takes fun very seriously. Starck looked to Alice In
Wonderland for inspiration. The garden is filled with fairy lights, daybeds and giant chessboards. The pool bungalows – adored by Alisters such as Leonardo DiCaprio – are the most popular. Inside, the lobby continues the spectacle with a clear grand piano which is played, when the mood takes her, by Queen Latifah.
IN THE NEWS:
The Delano is no longer quite as cutting-edge but it still has a vibe that other hotels envy. The weekend pool parties have become a South Beach institution. It still attracts celebrity guests – last year Johnny Depp’s ex Amber Heard checked in.
GOOD ENOUGH FOR THE REST OF US?
If you’re not staying there, the all-you-can-eat brunch is around €60 a head.
GETTING THERE:
Aer Lingus flies Dublin to Miami from €453 return. Alpharooms. com offers seven nights at the Delano for two people sharing from €2,987, including return Aer Lingus flights and shuttlebus.